Zach Schwartz - website translation - Rosemarina
I haven't left the country for many years. I have lived most of my life in Ohio, most recently moved to New York, and in January of this year I had the opportunity to visit Taiwan for a short time. My mother grew up there and we went to see family. The last time I was there was about eight years ago. Then I was sent to Taiwan to live with my grandparents for bad behavior at school.
During this trip, I perceived everything differently, as if I was here for the first time (probably because I just matured). I noticed things that I hadn't noticed before. Upon arriving at the airport, I thought, “Well, what am I supposed to do here?” However, ten days later I left Taiwan, already an older and wiser person who loved the East with all my heart. Here are some of the things I learned.
Good attitude towards Americans
When we arrived at the airport, we had to wait in a long line to go through customs. Before us was a huge number of people with a yellowish complexion, characteristic of the inhabitants of Southeast Asia. Almost immediately, a customs officer approached us and asked us to go to another booth where there was no line. We gladly agreed. Two more white men followed us, but no one else. My dad said they seemed to just want to please us Americans. I then thought: in different countries of the world, people have two attitudes towards the residents of the United States - some want to kill us, while others are trying to do everything to make us happy. In Taiwan they treated us well, apparently because they wanted to attract more American tourists and investors to the island.
Most of Taiwan is uninhabitable
On the way to my grandparents' house in Taipei, we passed green mountains covered with abundant, dense vegetation. Mom said that this type of landscape is typical for most of Taiwan. 3/5 of the island is uninhabitable due to the steep mountainous terrain. As a result, Taiwan is a highly developed and densely populated country. This could not help but affect the society - during my stay there, I noticed that people treated each other very politely and respectfully, probably aware of the precarious economic situation both on the island and in the world as a whole.
There are wild dogs running everywhere
We reached my grandparents' house early in the morning, when everyone was still sleeping. My dad, my sister and I decided to take a walk in the park by the river. We crossed the bridge and saw a pack of dogs frolicking near the water. I asked my father, “What’s going on?” He told me that Taiwan is full of stray dogs that have been abandoned by their owners. My sister and I decided to get closer to the flock. From a distance, the dogs seemed so cute and obedient, but as soon as we got closer to them, they seemed to go crazy, started barking and chasing us when we took off running. We also saw many rare Shiba Inu dogs. I took a photo of one in the park.
How to communicate nonverbally
Unfortunately, I don't speak Mandarin and my grandparents don't speak English at all, so I had to use non-verbal means, most often touch, to communicate with them. When I hugged them or just held their hands, they smiled. But there were other things too. I remember I wanted to show my grandmother a magic trick. I chose a card, showed it to Grandma, put it back in the deck and shuffled it well. Then I deliberately pulled the wrong card. The grandmother looked at her, shook her head and was about to leave, but at that moment I stopped her, put the card on her palm and made it accidentally fall to the ground and “turn” into the card that the grandmother had originally chosen. She raised her hand and looked at me in surprise. I even thought that she was going to hit me. Her expression changed, her eyes sparkled, and she just slapped me on the shoulder and laughed. “Very good, very good,” she said in Chinese, shooing me out of the kitchen.
Good food is part of the culture
Food in Taiwan is almost always healthy and tasty. My uncle told me that since mostly women in Taiwan are good cooks, there is fierce competition among restaurants as most people prefer to eat lunch or dinner at home. My grandmother was no exception. Fresh food was delivered to her every morning and she cooked three meals a day. When it comes to America, I am often asked why our food is so heavy and our portions are so huge. In response, I just shrug my shoulders, because I don’t even know what to say about this. Many Americans think that if they order a salad at a fast food restaurant and drink a Diet Coke, then this is a healthy diet. Travel to Taiwan and you will realize how wrong you are. They really know what a healthy lifestyle is.
There are many elderly people in Taiwan who boast good health
Good food and a healthy lifestyle allow the people of Taiwan to maintain excellent health into old age. You don't see this in America. Most elderly people in the United States are forced to live out their lives in nursing homes, and their condition can hardly even be called satisfactory due to poor nutrition and other factors. But in Taiwan, people continue to live full lives even in old age. My grandfather is 89 years old, my grandmother is four years younger than him. The grandfather does not use the elevator and swims several hundred meters every morning, and he learned to swim only at the age of 85. In Taiwan, older people are treated with deep respect. They are always given a seat on public transport, and at the dinner table everyone starts eating only after the oldest member of the family has eaten.
They play basketball differently
My aunt introduced me to a nice guy named Kevin, and he invited me to play basketball with him and his friends at National Taiwan University. I remember thinking, “I’m going to show these guys what real basketball is.” However, I noticed that their style of play was different from mine: I was more aggressive, using attack tactics and various maneuvers. They were not so active and mainly relied on team play. In addition, they were constantly polite and apologized for every little thing, even when they scored the ball in the basket and won.
How to wrestle in sumo
My grandfather just loves sumo wrestling. During the broadcast of fights on TV, he sat cross-legged on the sofa, muttered something under his breath and clapped his hands with delight. I also watched them with him. So, in sumo, before the start of the match, two wrestlers kneeled, then went to the corners and only after that began to fight, trying to push each other outside the circle. I wondered why they did this. I looked on the Internet and found the following information: this kind of ritual helps sumo wrestlers mentally prepare for the fight, as well as confuse the opponent with his gaze. Such preparation sometimes lasted many times longer than the battle itself. A very absurd sight.
Once in one of the matches I saw a huge sumo wrestler with white skin. I pointed at the screen and looked at my grandparents. They struggled to find words to answer my silent question, and in the end they said with one voice: “Mongol.”
Taiwan is a very clean island
Everywhere in Taiwan is clean, from the airport where we arrived to the streets and public toilets. I guess it's all about the people. I saw how one person accidentally dropped some piece of paper, and another immediately hurried to him, picked it up and threw it into the trash can.
Nudity is not perceived as something shameful
One day my grandfather took us to the mountains where there are beautiful hot springs. They are rich in minerals and therefore have a beneficial effect on the human body. This is probably one of the reasons why people in Taiwan live so long. My grandfather, for example, comes to these thermal springs twice a week.
I was amazed by the fact that people here, without hesitation, walk around completely without clothes - except for a towel tied on their heads. The three of me, my dad and grandfather sat naked in a small pool, drank green tea and enjoyed our vacation, and no one felt awkward. Taiwanese people believe that if you can't relax when you're around naked people who are older than you, then you probably haven't reached maturity yet.
On the last day before leaving, my grandparents took us to a church located in northern Taiwan, where the remains of our ancestors who died 300 years ago were kept. The place where they were buried was divided into four sections: Christian, Muslim, Buddhist and atheist. Members of my family were buried in the atheist hall. We approached the urns with some inscriptions in Mandarin, closed our eyes and bowed to them three times. Grandma said something.
Then my grandparents showed us the urns they had chosen for their funeral. After this we went to lunch at a restaurant where they served fish from the morning's catch.
The Taiwanese people are very interesting and their culture is fascinating. Traditions are something that intrigues citizens from different countries.
And who inhabits this country?
The backbone is Han nationality. These are those citizens who moved to the country from mainland China. The first migrations began about four hundred years ago. According to the stories of local citizens, these are the people who, for various reasons, were wanted by the government of the Chinese monarchy, and in this state they found their salvation.
The second stage of migration to the island is the time when the last Chinese Qin dynasty ruled (that is, the nineteenth century).
In 1949, World War II ends, followed by the end of the war in China.
During this period, in addition to Hanei, the Hakka (Ke Jia) lived here. These people have wider eyes than the Taiwanese Chinese and dark skin. In addition to the above-mentioned peoples, this country is inhabited by “aboriginals” - nationalities (about nine) who have lived here for a long time, even before citizens of the Han nationality arrived here.
The official language is Chinese. Almost the entire population of the state (approximately 90%) speaks it fluently. The next most common dialect is the Taiwanese dialect. It was “brought” from Fu Jian Province by the mainland Chinese. The Hakka people speak the Khaki language, and the aborigines speak their own dialect. Some of them have difficulty speaking Chinese.
Taiwanese soul
What is she like? How is it different from ours (Russian)?
The first is the politeness of the population everywhere (both in the provinces and in the city). If you go to a store and don’t find the product you need on the shelves, the seller will even explain to you why this or that item is not there. Then also apologize to you for the inconvenience caused.
If you speak English, then don't worry, it's not a problem. Almost all the young people in the country will be able to talk to you. If you don’t know either Chinese or English, you’ll never get lost here anyway. The locals are very kind and helpful.
The people of the country are very decent, and they are also very careful about everything that entails responsibility. Local citizens usually answer specific questions with long phrases.
They never give a definite answer in order to leave themselves a path to retreat if they don’t like something.
Local citizens lead a healthy lifestyle. The elderly get up at five in the morning, gather in groups and practice Chinese gymnastics.
The country's youth are indifferent to alcoholic beverages and tobacco. Young men and women spend their free time playing sports or in social circles.
Psychologists say that people who live in a country with a hot climate are more cheerful and optimistic. Their words are based on medical research. This state of affairs cannot but affect the general mood of the nation. The Taiwanese are excellent proof that the above theory is correct. There is always a smile on the faces of the local population, which, as you understand, is accompanied by endless energy.
It is surprising that the residents of this state know little about the Russian Federation. What they know about Russia is that the country is far away. In addition, they heard that it was cold there and there was a lot of vodka. If you tell the Taiwanese that there are live bears walking around our cities, many will take your word for it. Of course, in recent years everything has been slowly changing for the better, but it is happening too slowly. By the way, few people in Russia know about such a country as Taiwan. For some reason, many people call this state Thailand.
The so-called Republic of China, which actually occupies the island of Taiwan and several other small islands, is not particularly popular among Russian and Western tourists due to its remoteness and lack of prominent attractions. Nevertheless, this small but very densely populated country is of interest to urbanists, nature lovers, and “specific” tourism on the topic of unrecognized states, transport, hot spots and Eastern religions. In addition, a traveler in Taiwan will be pleased with good infrastructure and very low prices by the standards of developed countries. In a word, Taiwan is a strong middle peasant among the countries of the Far East, recommended for visiting for people who have already studied this region a little.
Geography
Taroko Gorge, Eastern Taiwan
The island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, is a bit like Israel in shape and size: it stretches from north to south, about 500 km in length and 200 km in width. Despite its small size, the island is very diverse in terms of nature and landscapes. The western half of the island (“ecumene”) is a densely populated plain dotted with cities, of which the four most important are Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung. In the northern part this plain is somewhat more hilly than in the southern part. The eastern half, with the exception of a narrow coastal strip, is occupied by high mountains and volcanoes up to 5000 m high; almost no one lives in these mountains, with the exception of aboriginal tribes.
In addition to the island of Formosa, Taiwan controls several other small islands, divided into three archipelagos: two to the west of Formosa and one to the east. The most famous of the islands is tiny Qinmen, located just a few kilometers from the mainland city of Xiamen.
Taiwan's administrative divisions are unusual and reflect its complex political history. The country is divided into two provinces: Taiwan, which occupies the entire island of Formosa, and Fujian (not to be confused with the Fujian Province in China!), which occupies the two archipelagos closest to the mainland.
The climate in Taiwan is mild and pleasant, located at the junction of the tropics and subtropics. Snow occurs only in the mountains, while on the plains the temperature drops below +20 only in a couple of winter months. The rainy season is in summer, as in the countries of Southeast Asia.
Story
Since ancient times, wild tribes related to the Malays lived in Taiwan. Chinese expansion began quite late and was contained for a long time by imperial officials. At one time in the 17th century. The island was owned by the Dutch. Only in the 19th century. The Chinese began to actively populate the island and assimilate the aborigines. The first separation of Taiwan from China occurred at the end of the 19th century, when Taiwan was annexed by Japan. Japanese rule lasted until the end of World War II, after which Taiwan was reunited with China, but not for long: already in 1949, Chinese dictator Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan from the communists and managed to gain a foothold there with the help of American ships that blocked the strait.
Chiang Kai-shek died at a ripe old age in 1975, and until his death he ruled alone. In the 1980s, the seeds of democracy began to appear in Taiwan, which later grew into a Japanese-style parliamentary democracy. At the same time, rapid economic growth began. But at the same time, the basis of the state ideology has not changed: Taiwan still considers itself the legitimate center of all of China, but does not recognize the communist government of the PRC. Attempts by individual politicians to declare Taiwan independent from China were blocked in referendums. The mutual warming of relations with China in recent years has created some prospect of Hong Kong-style reunification. In the meantime, Taiwan remains the only developed unrecognized state in the world.
Population
Taiwan's population is heterogeneous and is divided into several ethnic groups. Taiwanese aborigines make up less than 5% of the population, and are divided into 9 tribes. The lowland tribes have assimilated almost completely, while the mountain tribes still retain their folk culture, which is close to the Philippine one. The Chinese of the first wave of immigration speak mainly South Min (aka Taiwanese) and Hakka dialects. They make up the majority of the country's population. Another 15% are Chinese of the second wave of immigration who fled the Mao Zedong regime; they speak mainly the northern (“Mandarin”) dialect.
Languages
Taiwan is a multilingual country. There are three main languages, all of which belong to the Chinese language family: Mandarin, Taiwanese and Hakka. Most advertisements on transport are duplicated in all three languages or only in the first two. Only Mandarin is considered the official language, but most people communicate with each other in Taiwanese. In writing, these three languages do not differ, since they are written in the same hieroglyphs. The characters in Taiwan are different from those in most other countries of the Chinese world: these are the so-called Chinese traditional characters, they are also used in Japan and Hong Kong. They differ from ordinary Chinese characters in their more complex style, although many characters look identical to ordinary ones. Occasionally in Taiwan you can see ordinary hieroglyphs - apparently, they are intended for Chinese tourists.
The system of romanization of Chinese words in Taiwan, unlike the PRC, is inconsistent. Slowly, the Taiwanese are switching to the Pinyin system, which is widespread in the PRC, but many names are usually written in other, older systems.
English is the fourth main language of Taiwan. Duplicate signs and announcements in English can often be found, especially in government agencies and transport. However, a very small percentage of the population speaks English, and many private signs do not have English dubbing. In general, we can say that speaking English in Taiwan is clearly easier than in the PRC, but more difficult than anywhere else. Japanese is not a popular language, although many Taiwanese speak it a little.
Religions
Like other parts of the Chinese world, Taiwan has a religious syncretism of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. But, unlike all other Chinese, the residents of Taiwan take religion seriously: there are many temples, they are often overcrowded, and various colorful events are held with the active participation of ordinary parishioners. Another important difference from the PRC is the spread of numerous modern sects of their own Chinese origin - at one time, many sectarians fled to Taiwan from the mainland, where their teachings continue to be banned. The most famous of the sects is Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, which is strictly prohibited on the mainland. Of the other religions, Christianity is the most prominent: there are large churches in all major cities.
Visa
A visa to Taiwan is required for citizens of all CIS countries and is not required for citizens of the EU, USA and Israel. The Taiwan visa is moderately complex, and the list of documents is approximately equal to the Schengen one. Since most countries in the world, including Russia, do not recognize Taiwan, Taiwanese consulates are usually called trade or cultural missions. But in fact, these are ordinary consulates with their own visa departments. There are usually no people in Taiwanese consulates, since this country is not particularly popular with tourists.
In Moscow, a Taiwanese visa requires tickets, a hotel reservation, a certificate from work and a certificate from a bank. Taiwan can also issue visas in other Asian countries (Bangkok, Hong Kong, etc.) without proof of residence - in this case, tickets, hotel reservations and a certificate from a bank or an ATM statement or a printout of an Internet bank statement are required. Failure cases are extremely rare. Visas are issued for a period of 14 to 90 days, the fee is 50 US dollars for normal processing (5 working days), 75 US dollars for urgent processing (2 working days). If you have air tickets for several entries, you can get a multiple-entry visa, in which case the fee is doubled.
Contrary to popular belief, Taiwan is not in a state of “visa war” with the PRC: a mainland visa is not an obstacle to obtaining a Taiwan visa, and vice versa, after a trip to Taiwan you can get a PRC visa.
How to get
Oddly enough, Taiwan, being an island state, has not developed a developed low-cost aviation system, so getting to the island will often cost a pretty penny. There are two national airlines China Airlines And EVA Air, the prices for both are approximately the same. There are no direct flights from Russia and the CIS; there are from Europe, but not many, so all the country’s airports serve mainly the Asian region. There is no “native” low-cost airline; there are mainly flights from Southeast Asian countries: Cebu Pacific from the Philippines, Air Asia from Malaysia, Tiger and Jetstar from Singapore, Scoot from Singapore, Japan and Korea. The main hub for Taiwanese is Hong Kong, where many flights depart daily, but prices are not always low there.
Flights to China resumed several years ago, and now there are not so few of them: you can get direct flights to many major cities in China.
The country's largest air hub is Taipei-Taoyuan Airport, followed by Taipei-Songshan, Kaohsiung and Taichung. Sporadic international flights depart from Tainan and Hualien. Airport infrastructure in Taiwan is at a surprisingly low level, reminiscent of Russia, this also applies to the main airport Taoyuan, which has not changed much over the past 30 years. Kaohsiung Airport looks more modern, but is small in size.
Transport
Aviation
After the introduction of high-speed trains, domestic aviation in Taiwan almost died out as unnecessary, with only a few flights remaining from Taipei to Kaohsiung.
Railways
High Speed Trains HSR
In Taiwan, as in Russia, the main intercity transport is the railway.
Taiwan's railway system consists of one main ring line that encircles the entire island and passes through all the main cities of the country. The railway is completely electrified and in many ways resembles the Japanese one. In addition to the main line, there is also a bypass line that bypasses Taichung from the west, and several dead-end side lines, of which the most famous is the tourist railway that departs from the main circle in Chiayi City and goes up to Mount Alishan.
There are three types of trains. Local trains are an analogue of electric trains; they stand at each pole and travel only over short distances (up to 100 km). CK Express class trains travel much faster, covering the entire island from north to south in 5-6 hours. Limited Express trains are slightly faster and more expensive, making few stops. Travel from Taipei to Kaohsiung costs about 600 yuan on CK Express, 800 yuan on Limited Express. All express trains run only on the main ring; there is only local service on the side lines. All trains are seated, there is only one night train, it leaves Taipei for Kaohsiung at 23.00. The frequency of express trains during the day on the ring is once every 30-60 minutes.
Train stations in Taiwan are small, but quite comfortable. There is a restaurant and storage room. Tickets can be purchased both at the box office and from vending machines, and in the vending machines the information is always duplicated in English. For all trains, except local ones, tickets are sold with seats, but if there are no free seats, you can buy a ticket without a seat for the same money and travel standing.
In addition to the regular railway, there is the HSR high-speed line, similar to the Japanese Shinkansen. It connects Taipei Main Station with Zuoying Station in the suburbs of Kaohsiung. For most of the route, the line runs about 10 km to the side of the main ring, Taichung and Tainan stations are located outside these cities, and can be reached from the center by shuttle buses. Intervals throughout the day are about 30 minutes, the journey is only 2 hours, but the fare is significantly higher than on a regular train: approximately 1800 yuan for a ticket Taipei - Kaohsiung.
Buses
Although Taiwanese primarily travel by train, there is also a large intercity bus network. Bus fares usually correspond roughly to the cheapest class of CK Express intercity trains. Usually buses go along the autobahn, and the travel time is about the same as by train. Bus stations in most cities are located next to railway stations, tickets are sold in the Asian style - at the box office of private companies. Some buses do not go to bus stations - they depart from parking lots located on the street near the bus station; There are often miniature waiting rooms near such parking lots.
Buses run frequently on common destinations in the ecumene, but in mountainous areas you can also encounter a “one bus a day” situation, and on some beautiful mountain roads there is no through bus service at all.
Roads and hitchhiking
Taiwan is crisscrossed by a network of toll highways similar to those in China. Autobahns have duplicate country roads, but they are much slower, as they go through a continuous agglomeration. There are no highways in the mountains, but there are several through roads from west to east. Hitchhiking on the island is better than on the mainland, although it is complicated by traffic jams and the need to somehow get onto the highways.
Urban transport
Taiwan has two subway systems: in Taipei and Kaohsiung, both of which are mostly underground. The fare is zonal, the ticket costs from 20 to 60 yuan. Apart from the metro, as well as the new tram in Taipei, there is no electric transport in the country. Electric trains can be used as public transport in many cities across the country.
The buses look about the same as in China, the payment system is zonal, you have to throw money into the box for the driver, they don’t give you change. At many bus stops, information about routes is written only in hieroglyphs; only a few large cities (Taipei, Tainan) have informative English signs and diagrams, and even then mostly near transport hubs.
City taxis are available in large quantities, the fare is quite cheap, starting from 70 yuan according to the meter in Taipei.
Money and prices
Taiwan's currency is officially called the "Taiwanese dollar", but in Taiwan itself no one calls it that: the hieroglyph "yuan" is used. Like mainland Chinese, people in Taiwan sometimes call money "kwai yuan" or simply "kwai". Mainland yuan in Taiwan should be called "renminbi". In this article, RMB always refers to Taiwanese money.
The exchange rate of the Taiwanese yuan is significantly lower than the mainland yuan, and is about 30 yuan per US dollar. There are not very many exchange offices in the country, but there are many ATMs, which, unlike the PRC and Japan, almost always accept foreign cards. Direct card payment is possible in many places, but is still less common than in Western countries.
The price level in Taiwan is very low for such a developed country, and in some respects Taiwan is even cheaper than China. Particularly worth noting are the museums, which almost never cost more than 100 yuan, and the same goes for other tourist attractions with an entrance fee. A double room in a hotel usually costs from 800 yuan when booked online, and sometimes even cheaper. 0.3-0.5 liters of juice - 20-30 yuan. Lunch at McDonald's or at the food court - from 120 yuan. Trains and buses - approximately 1.5 yuan per 1 km.
Overnight
When it comes to paid overnight stays, Taiwan is one of the most convenient countries in the world. Here in many cities, including the capital, you can find a good hotel room within 1000 yuan. A feature of Taiwanese hotels is an unusual air conditioning system without an air conditioner as such. Some cheap hotels are available on booking systems, but not all, so it makes sense to go around hotels the old fashioned way, without making a reservation in advance. There are also hostels in Taiwan, but there are few of them and they are not particularly useful due to the cheapness of hotels. Sleeping in a tent is made difficult by the lack of free space to pitch it.
Food
Japanese colonization left its mark on Taiwan: there are not much fewer Japanese restaurants here than in Japan itself, and they make up a significant part of the public catering industry. Italian cuisine is also well represented. The price level in restaurants is average: somewhere from 400 yuan for lunch in a decent place. Food courts are popular in shopping centers: the cost of lunch there starts from 150 yuan, and the food is mostly Japanese, and less often local. Unfortunately, food courts often do not have an English-language menu. Please note that at food courts, the price of the meal usually already includes snacks (a bowl of rice, miso soup) and tea. All shopping centers are organized according to the same scheme, taken from Japan: the food court is located in the basement, and restaurants are on the upper floors.
Western fast food is less represented in Taiwan than in China: McDonald's is especially popular, and there are much fewer chicken establishments. Prices - 120-150 yuan for lunch. Unlike the PRC, in Taiwan there are no civilian fast food establishments with Chinese cuisine, although in poor neighborhoods there are still typical Asian open-air eateries with ridiculous prices. The Mosburger chain is also quite popular, where, in addition to regular hamburgers, they have their Japanese counterparts: pressed rice instead of a bun, yakiniku or octopus meat instead of a cutlet.
Minimarkets beloved by Asians can be found everywhere in Taiwan, including the transnational chains 7-Eleven and Family Mart. The selection is good, there is a lot of Japanese food, and most convenience stores have tables, which effectively turns them into cafeterias.
Other
Safety
Despite its unrecognized status, Taiwan is a completely calm and non-cop country. “Showdowns” with the PRC are a thing of the past, and now Taiwan is similar to Japan in the absence of both thieves and cops.
Electricity
Taiwan is one of two countries in Eurasia (the other is Japan) where the mains voltage is not 220 V. Everything related to electricity was copied from the USA: voltage 110 V, socket with two flat vertical pins.
Time
Taiwan lives on Beijing time UTC + 8. It does not switch to daylight saving time.
Taiwan Island (Formosa)
Taipei
Skyscraper "Taipei 101"
The capital and largest city of Taiwan on the northeastern edge of the Taiwanese ecumene. Despite its size, Taipei is neither the most beautiful nor the most interesting city in the country, although you can spend 3-4 days there with interest. The layout of the city is unusual: the center is on a plain, and the outlying areas are scattered over the hills and are often separated by long distances. Taipei faces the sea only in its outskirts. The city's residential and administrative buildings look shabby, but the interesting places in Taipei are the temples, the aforementioned hills covered with beautiful forest, and the city's numerous museums.
Railway station is located in the very center of the city. Unlike most cities in the country, the main station serves both regular and high-speed trains. Additionally, high-speed trains stop at Banqiao Station, west of the center. Bus station located opposite the central station across the road. Songshan Airport, serving mainly flights to China, is located east of the center, with a new tram line running next to it. Main Taoyuan Airport located in the industrial suburb of the same name, an hour's drive west of the center. Buses go there from several points in the city, including the central station. There are two stations in the city of Taoyuan: a regular station is located on the opposite edge of the city from the airport, from there it takes half an hour to get to the airport by bus. The high-speed train station is located in the north of the city, a 10-minute drive from the airport.
City transport is represented by buses, metro and a new tram. The metro system is large and easy to use. Travel is zoned, costs from 20 to 50 yuan, tickets are purchased from a machine. New tram is a robotic guided bus line running mainly on overpasses. The system is combined with the metro and is depicted on metro maps as a brown line; tickets are general. The new tram line starts at the zoo, passes through the eastern part of the center, Songshan Airport and goes to the exhibition center in the northeast of the city. The bus system is quite convenient, route schedules are written at the stops, and detailed information about them is available at the metro exits.
The main architectural landmark of the city is the tower "Taipei-101", which is the second tallest building in the world. The tower is located quite far from the center in the east of the city; there are no other skyscrapers near it. On the lower floors there is an expensive shopping center. Climbing the tower is the most expensive attraction in the city, costs about 600 yuan. Also interesting are two memorials to the main “heroes” of Taiwan - Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek. Both have large statues of these men, as well as free exhibits dedicated to their lives. The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial is larger and stands in the middle of the city's main square, which also houses the national theater and concert hall. In the same area there are a few monuments of old architecture in the Japanese colonial style; nearby there is a small Botanical Garden.
There are a surprising number of museums in Taipei, and some of them are of high quality. The largest museum in the country - national palace museum- located in the north of the city, accessible by bus from the Shilin metro station. Chiang Kai-shek managed to take treasures from the imperial museums of Beijing here. This is the Chinese Hermitage; many beautiful works of art from Ancient China are collected here. Next to this museum is Taiwan Aboriginal Culture Museum. Art Museum, contrary to its name, is essentially a contemporary art gallery. There are also several other large museums in the center. Temple of Confucius also turned into a museum on the theme of Confucian culture.
The traditional neighborhoods are located southwest of the station on both banks of the river, where you can see interesting scenes of folk life, and most of the temples and cheap hotels are concentrated there. The most famous of them is Longshan Temple at the metro station of the same name, near which various fortune tellers concentrate.
One of the most interesting sights of the city is zoo on the southeastern outskirts. This is a very large green area, where, in addition to the actual enclosures with animals, there is access to a wooded gorge. Near the entrance to the zoo there is a long and surprisingly cheap lower station (60 yuan) cable car, rising to the surrounding hills along which walking trails are laid.
Taichung
The third city in the country is not distinguished by an abundance of attractions: it is an industrial city like Novosibirsk. The station is located in the south-eastern corner of the city and is one of the few interesting buildings in the city. The high-speed station is located outside the city, and there is also an international airport. Taichung cannot be called completely boring: there are a number of interesting buildings, parks, and modern shopping centers, but they are evenly scattered throughout the large city and are not concentrated in one area.
Tainan
Literature Museum, Tainan
The fourth city in the country and the most interesting of Taiwanese cities. Under the Qing Empire, Tainan was the capital of the island. Since then, little has been preserved, but for some reason, both under the Japanese and under Chiang Kai-shek, many striking buildings were built in Tainan.
The railway station is located on the eastern edge of the city. The high-speed train station is located outside the city, even further to the east; from the station you can get there by train along a side line. There is also an inactive airport. City transport is only buses, but in some places, including the railway station, you can see large stop pavilions with diagrams. There are two tourist bus routes on weekends.
The main attractions are in the Anping district, located near the sea northwest of the center (bus 2). These are the ruins of a Dutch fortress, several temples and a well-preserved old quarter. In the very center of interest are two more fortresses, not very well preserved, the Temple of Confucius and a luxurious building in the Japanese colonial style, which houses a museum of literature, as well as several more temples and interesting colonial buildings. But there are significantly fewer museums in Tainan than in Taipei and Kaohsiung.
The shopping center area is located in the center slightly south of the main attractions.
Kaohsiung
English Kaohsiung. The second city of the country, the southern capital, the largest port. Kaohsiung does not have any striking attractions, but at the same time it is perhaps the most pleasant of Taiwan's megacities due to the high level of amenities and less depressive residential development than in other cities on the island.
The station is located in the city center. Next to it is a bus station. Some buses depart from ticket offices located on the street near the railway station. High-speed trains do not reach the city; their terminal is located in the northern suburb of Zuoying, it is combined with a regular railway station and a metro station. The airport is located in the city south of the center and can also be reached by metro. City transport - buses and metro. The metro system is not very large, but is more modern than Taipei's. Two stations in the city center - Formosa Boulevard and Central Park - are considered tourist attractions for their interesting solutions for station exits and vestibules, and the station halls themselves are quite standard.
The main attraction is the long Qijin Island in the southwest of the city, where there is a city beach and a small resort area. However, most of the island is occupied by housing. You can get to the island by ferry; the nearest metro station is Siziwan. There are also several museums. Mount Gushan, which separates the city from the sea to the west, has walking trails and a zoo.
The largest concentration of shopping centers is located near the Sanduo Shopping District metro station. The city's main skyscraper is also nearby. Hotels in Kaohsiung are expensive for some reason, but you can live in neighboring Tainan (an hour away by train) and go to Kaohsiung for the day.
What are they like, the people of Thailand?In the southeast of Asia is the wonderful and amazing country of Thailand, washed by the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of the South China Sea.
It has been ruled since 1946 by King Bhumibol, whose reign is considered the longest in human history among all monarchs. The King in Thailand is the protector of Buddhism and a symbol of unity, and the Thais sacredly honor, love and respect his entire family in response to his compassionate attitude towards the lives of his people.
To understand the character and way of life of the Thais, it is enough to translate the name of their country: “Thai Land” is the land of freedom.
And in fact, Thais are very free - they live for today, are calm and cheerful, they just cannot understand Europeans who are constantly in a hurry somewhere, shouting at each other, swearing and quarreling.
Thais like to have peace and comfort around them - this is one of the main principles of their life. They will live and work only in a place that brings them pleasure and only where there are no problems.
In addition, they are not inclined to save and waste money; they are sure that you need to live right now and with exactly what you have. Thais also believe that each person has his own destiny and nothing can be changed in it, so there is no point in torturing yourself, overcoming something and trying to achieve something - everything will be as it should be.
The second principle characterizing what a Thai environment should consist of is beauty. Even the poorest resident of Thailand will dress neatly, things in the house should also be attractive, and you should definitely communicate only with pleasant and attractive people.
The third important principle of Thai life is pleasure. First of all, Thais derive pleasure from food. The best breakfast, lunch or dinner for them is in the company of friends. Thais love to relax with casual conversations and consider those who eat alone to be wrong people.
Besides the fact that Thais are very friendly, calm and smiling people, it is also worth saying that they are quite religious.
As the main religion, the people of Thailand profess Buddhism, which has its own strict rules, and it is unacceptable to treat them with disdain, in particular by tourists. Firstly, it is important to show respect to the Buddha, and secondly, to the temples and monks. In addition, women should not approach monks in public places or on public transport, as they are prohibited from touching them.
But while they honor Buddha, Thais also believe in the existence of otherworldly forces, household spirits, and the power of amulets.
So, in Thailand, every company, store, hotel or house puts a House of Spirits on the street. To win over the spirits who settle in the houses, delicious food, drinks, beautiful flowers and candles are placed in them. According to the Thais, all troubles in life are caused by the anger of spirits. You can regain their favor by cleaning the house, and then you need to bring various gifts to it more often. If this does not help, then the house is changed and taken to the cemetery for the Houses of Spirits, and a new house is bought in the store.
Amulets also play an important role in the life of Thais. They can be tattoos, bracelets and medallions. A tattoo that protects against evil spirits can only be made by a dedicated person who recites a spell at the same time. And amulets for protective power are consecrated by monks.
It is also worth noting that Thais are especially careful about their karma. They believe that who he will be after rebirth depends on how a person takes care of it, so they avoid quarrels, scandals, envy, worries - they are restrained and calm.
In temples, Thais light candles, bring lotus flowers and gifts to the monks and volunteer because they believe that through their actions they create their own destiny.
This is how they are, the people of Thailand, free from the bustle of the world and caring for their souls, very kind and sociable. Tourists going on holiday to this Asian country need to respect the traditions of its people, and also try to learn from them calmness, simplicity and harmony.
