| Traditional
Taiwanese culture is very similar to that of China. Chinese opera, and its
half-sibling Taiwanese opera, are an integral part of the culture: you
probably won't understand a word, but the costumes, music, acting and
atmosphere are beautiful nonetheless. Most Chinese music is made with
string instruments or flutes, but you'll have to go out of your way to
hear the delightful melodies these produce. You're far more likely to hear
the strident noise of temple trumpets and gongs. |
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| The
Taiwanese take health and longevity very seriously. Many practise
taijiquan - slow motion shadow boxing - for exercise and as an art form.
If you're an early riser, you will often see groups of people gliding
through the graceful motions of taijiquan as the sun rises. Chinese
medicine, acupuncture and faith healing - quigong - provide an alternative
to a growing western medical system. Superstitious about death, the
Taiwanese avoid its symbols - white and the number four - and never talk
about dying or accidents. Despite this, people do die, and when they do
the tip-toeing attitude goes out the window. Taiwanese funerals are
reminiscent of a Saoshing-soaked night in a karaoke bar: electric organs
belt out funeral tunes, bikini-clad women sing songs (and sometimes strip)
and everyone eats a great deal.
Taiwan can be a cultural minefield for the
uninformed visitor. As in China, 'face' is vital, and destroying someone's
face is surprisingly easy to do. In order to save the face of others, the
Taiwanese rarely express their emotions or speak frankly: smiles and
politeness all-round are the norm. Gift-giving - especially when the gift
is prestigious - flattery, self-deprecation and flowery rhetoric are an
everyday part of Taiwanese interaction. As well as saving face, this
rigmarole creates guanxi, a relationship of two-way obligations
which allows participants to ask the most outrageous favours of one
another.
The Taiwanese love to eat, and they love to feed
guests. Food here is much the same as in China, with dishes from
Beijing-Shandong, Sichuan-Hunan, Shanghaiese and Cantonese-Chaozhou
cuisine. The Taiwanese have added a subtropical flavour with plenty of
seafood and the liberal use of sugar. Eating out can be another excuse for
a display of face-making, with everyone ordering exotic, high-priced
dishes and competing with each other to pay the entire bill. Although the
Taiwanese use many ingredients which seem implausible to westerners - dog,
snake, bear organs - these are usually medicinal and expensive, and you'll
be unlikely to encounter them in an everyday dish. Special foods to keep
an eye out for include moon cakes (made during the Moon Festival in
Autumn), spring rolls (sold in April), rice dumplings (made for the Dragon
Boat Festival) and red turtle cakes (for birthdays and temple worship). |