Imagine you plan a trip to Asia, among China and Taiwan these two options, what would you choose?
If people ask me what is the difference between a trip to China and to Taiwan, I would say you could enjoy the warmth and hospitality from Taiwanese and the delicate aspect of Chinese culture that you may not find in China.
As a Taiwanese being eager to share my culture with foreigners, I have been hosting my foreign friends several times for Chinese New Year celebration. No matter where they are from , they were impressed by our people and tradition. There are four must you definitely cannot miss- night markets, temples, (foot) massages and Taiwanese karaoke.
The most popular thing about Taiwan is night markets. Unlike some Western countries, the later you stay outside, the more lively atmosphere you can enjoy in night markets! There are plenty food vendors for unique Taiwanese cuisine, such as stinky tofu (actually it smells quite good to the local), oyster omelet, bubble tea (tapioca with milk tea), seafood ,chopped ice with fruits and sweets and so on and so on! When it comes to Taiwanese food, I can talk about it for pages and pages. You just need to appreciate it yourself! Plus, the price in Taiwan is pretty low for food, so you can satisfy yourself with 5-euro budget in night markets.
Second, Taiwan luckily preserves the tradition of religions. There are temples everywhere in urban and rural areas. The temples themselves are artworks with colorful hand-made crafts on roofs, gates, and altars. The way we worship gods or goddesses shows how Taiwanese are awed by nature or fatalism; also, how grateful we are to the world, society and family.
Third, (foot) massages are not only welcomed by tourists but local people .The masters of foot massages believe that foot massages can help you improve or maintain health. If you suffer a lot from the foot massage, which means there is something wrong with your organs. The master will even tell you which organ by just massaging your foot! There are another choices if you are not comfortable with people touching your foot. A massage on your shoulders would be nice for the rest of your trip!
Last but not least is Taiwanese karaoke. More and more people even install karaoke at home to sing along whenever they feel like. Our businessmen are so smart that they combine all-you-can-eat buffet and karaoke together. You can sing, drink, and eat Taiwanese cuisine or some fast food as much as possible! It is the best way to quickly admire Taiwanese pop music culture and bond with people. For your information, Taiwanese music industry is one of the most important roots for Asian pop music.
If you are adventurous enough, I would suggest you take an independent trip instead of a group trip. However, a local guide would help you so much in Taiwan. There is a really good website called "couchsurfing (http://www.couchsurfing.org/)," where people can make friends around the world. It helped me tremendously while I traveled in Europe for 100 days! On the website, you can find some people to host you or to give you some tours for free. In this case, you absolutely save a lot money and time to experience the authentic Chinese culture in Taiwan!
Taiwan is such a country that you start to appreciate her once you get to know her in person! Wanna an adventure? Come to Taiwan then!
