With three fifths of its land covered with forest, Taiwan is home to at least 5,188 different native plants. Not only has the island cast a spell on botanists from across the world, but locals have also been tapping into its woodland resources, making use of even the scents of plants.
2022 was not a peaceful year. As a consequence of climate change, extreme weather events occurred in rapid succession, and news of natural disasters arrived from every continent. Hurricane Ian battered the US and Brazil, causing more than US$100 billion of damage. Summer heatwaves hit Europe, leading to droughts and wildfires. Pakistan, meanwhile, suffered devastating floods that inundated close to one-eighth of the country.
For more than five years now the Vietnam Storybook House, located in Hualien, has been offering free Vietnamese language classes every Saturday. The teachers read illustrated storybooks, lead the children in games, and make Vietnamese food.
Terrazzo floors, now the height of retro, were once a common feature of buildings in Taiwan. Although less ubiquitous these days, examples of the material employed in various ways can still be found here and there. Have you come across them?
Gripping a little bottle in one hand, a stylist adroitly squeezes diluted shampoo onto a customer’s hair, quickly works up a lather with skillful fingers, then washes the hair while also massaging the customer’s scalp, chatting with them throughout. Then the stylist finishes with a blow dry and sends the customer off feeling a hundred times better than before they came into the salon.
When visiting Taiwan, has a Taiwanese friend ever treated you to a cup of cool, refreshing herbal tea on a hot summer’s day? Go to Herb Lane in Taipei’s Wanhua District and you will find that the street of small shops offering hundreds of types of herbs very much resembles Diagon Alley from the Harry Potter books.
Taiwan has more than 13,000 convenience stores, with one for every 1,582 people according to a 2021 survey by the Mirai Business Research Institute. This places Taiwan second only to world leader Korea, where the figure is 1,200.
In January 2023 Google celebrated bubble tea with an interactive doodle, bringing this iconic Taiwanese treat to the notice of the world. Each of Taiwan’s hand-shaken drinks shops has its own unique character, and the beverages they sell brim with creative ingenuity. Let’s see how Taiwanese drinks have taken the world by storm.
The island of Taiwan, though not especially large, is home to more than 300 night markets. Unfurl a map of Taiwan and take a look at the townships—more than two-thirds of them are host to at least one night market. The high density of night markets reflects the enthusiasm of Taiwanese people for food culture.
It’s no secret that the Taiwanese are passionate about food. This devotion to culinary delights, coupled with Taiwan’s cultural diversity, guarantees the island’s prestige as a gastronomic paradise. Our vibrant culture is characterized by dietary variety, and vegetarian foods have enjoyed a rapid rise in popularity in recent years.
