Subject: soc.culture.taiwan FAQ ( part 2/5 ) -- Culture
Date: 1 Apr 1996 16:43:27 GMT
Summary: The second part deals with some questions related to cultural
. issues for Taiwan.

Posting-Frequency: approximately monthly

  "soc.culture.taiwan" Frequently-Asked Questions -- Culture

                                by

                          Tung-chiang Yang 
                         tcyang@ee.ucla.edu 


=======================================================================

***** FAQ's of SCT *****
<< Culture >>
  (C. 1)  What are the taboos for Taiwanese people?
  (C. 2)  What are the national holidays in Taiwan?
  (C. 3)  What are the days with special meanings in Taiwan?
  (C. 4)  I have a Taiwanese friend.  How can I avoid misunderstandings?
  (C. 5)  Where can I take a taste of the Taiwanese cuisine?
  (C. 6)  What are the special products in Taiwan?
  (C. 7)  What are the special events in Taiwan?
  (C. 8)  What are the recommended sources for learning Mandarin?
  (C. 9)  What are the recommended sources for learning Hoklo and Hakka?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
(C. 1)  What are the taboos for Taiwanese people?

   There are some taboos in Taiwan.  Due to the close relationship
   between Taiwan and China in cultural respects, some of these taboos
   are common in all the Chinese societies, like Hongkong, Mainland China
   and Taiwan.

   Some of these taboos could be traced to have some legendary origins,
   and nowadays young people and those living in larger cities no longer
   adhere to them as much as in the past.  Nevertheless, it is advised
   that you follow these guidelines unless you are quite sure your
   friends do not buy them.

   [ 1] Do not use red ink to write letters or notes.  It is O.K. for a
        teacher to correct the homeworks with a red pen, but a signifi-
        cant amount of writing in red should be avoided.
   [ 2] Clocks should not be chosen as gifts for others.  In Chinese
        "clocks" sound the same as "termination", which has an implica-
        tion of death.  As a result, giving others clocks can be consi-
        dered bringing them mishaps.
   [ 3] Umbrellas are not good gifts for lovers, either.  In Chinese "um-
        brellas" sound similar to "separation", which means "breaking
        up".
   [ 4] The period between July 1st and July 15th in the Lunar Calendar
        is considered the "Ghost Month" ( Refer to "Chung-yuan Day" in
        question (C. 3) ).  A lot of things should be avoided unless
        necessary, like marriage, moving, traveling and/or nonemergent
        medical operations.
   [ 5] Taiwanese people interpret things differently from the Western
        ones.  That you say something implies it will happen even if you
        mean no offense.  For instance, if you say "watch out for the
        knife or you will hurt yourself", it implies your friend might
        indeed hurt him/herself though you don't want this to happen.
        Such statements should be avoided especially during the Lunar
        New Year holidays.
   [ 6] The number "4" sounds the same as "death" in Chinese.  When
        choosing gifts, don't give NT$400 or NT$4000, for instance.  In
        some hospitals, you won't find the button for "4" in the eleva-
        tors -- the 5th floor comes directly above the 3rd floor.  On
        the other hand, the number "8" is considered lucky as it sounds
        similar to "prosper" in Chinese.
   [ 7] In Taiwan, the color "white" is related to death.  It is O.K. to
        dress in white for ordinary lives, going to work or school, but
        it is not good for a joyful occasion like a wedding banquet as
        a guest ( the bride and the bridegroom are obvious exceptions in
        the western style wedding banquets ).


(C. 2)  What are the national holidays in Taiwan?

   In Taiwan people go to work on all days in the week except Sunday on
   a regular basis.  On Saturdays they have their duties off at noon.

   Listed below are the national holidays in Taiwan:

        January   1, 2  Founding Day of the Republic of China,
                        New Year's Day
        March     29    Youth Day
        April     4     Holiday for Women and Children ( Women and
                        children have one day off )
        April     5     Tomb-sweeping Day/Passing of President
                        CHIANG, Kai-shek
        May       1     Labor Day ( Workers have one day off )
        September 3     Armed Forces Day ( Soldiers have one day off )
        September 28    Teacher's Day/Confucius' Birthday
        October   10    Double Tenth/National Day
        October   25    Taiwan's Retrocession Day
        October   31    CHIANG, Kai-shek's Birthday
        November  12    Dr. SUN, Yet-sen's Birthday
        December  25    Constitution Day

   In addition to these, there are also some holidays defined in terms of
   the Lunar Calendar, which is as follows:

        December  30    Lunar New Year's Eve
        January   1-3   Chinese New Year
        May       5     Dragon Boat Festival
        August    15    Mid-autumn ( Moon ) Festival

   If any of these holidays collides with each other, usually a make-up
   holiday will be introduced after that one.  For instance, if the Tea-
   cher's Day is on Sunday, then the next day ( Monday ) will also be a
   holiday.

   Sometimes in order to introduce a long weekend, the authorities might
   announce a shifting of the working half-day on Saturdays.  For ins-
   tance, if the Teacher's Day ( Sep 28 ) lies on Friday, then the
   authorities might announce that the next day ( Sep 29, Saturday ) is
   also off, while people have to work all day long on the next Saturday
   ( Oct 6 ) for making up the introduced holiday.


(C. 3)  What are the days with special meanings in Taiwan?

   There are some days associated with special meanings in Taiwan, which
   are defined in Lunar Calendar.  A partial listing is as follows.

      January   15   Lantern Festival, also known as Tourism Day.  On
                     this day, people will prepare for the dim sum "Yuan2
                     Shiao", which is a riceball with sweet stuffings
                     ( sometimes meat is used instead for a salty ver-
                     sion ) in a soup style.  Kids might bring lanterns
                     with them and have a walk in the evening.

                     In some temples there will be a meeting for riddles.
                     Electric lanterns built in a "robot" fashion are set
                     up to tell some historical stories or legends.

                     You might want to check out the Taipei Lantern Fes-
                     tival, which is a three-day event held at Chiang
                     Kai-shek Memorial Hall.  It features thousands of
                     elaborated lanterns, and folk art demonstrations.

      March     23   Matsu's Birthday.  Matsu is the Godess of the sea
                     and the great rescuer for fishermen.  In addition
                     to Chaotien Temple in Peikang, there are also major
                     Matsu Temples in Lukang, Changhua County and Ta-
                     chia, Taichung County, where Her birthday is widely
                     celebrated.

      July      7    Chinese Lovers' ( Valentines ) Day.  Once upon a
                     time, there was an industrious cowboy, and the God
                     made him His son-in-law as a reward for his hard-
                     working.  However, after he got married, he and his
                     wife, the knit girl, spent less time in working,
                     therefore the God penalized this couple by separa-
                     ting them across the Milky Way so that they could
                     meet each other only once a year ( this day ) on a
                     bridge formed by skylarks.

      July      15   Chung-yuan Day, also known as Ghost Day.  Legend
                     has it that in Lunar July, the Hellmaster will re-
                     lease the ghosts to the human world so they can
                     enjoy the ghost money, incense and food provided by
                     their families.  Lunar July is also known as the
                     ghost month.  On the first and the fifteenth,
                     people and stores usually put their offerings of
                     food in front of their doors.


(C. 4)  I have a Taiwanese friend.  How can I avoid misunderstandings?

   There are some basic cultural differences between the East and the
   West.  Taiwan is no exception.  By knowing how people in Taiwan inter-
   pret things differently from what you do, you might be able to avoid
   some possible conflicts and make yourself a better friend.

   "Face" is a very important concept in Asian culture.  Sometimes people
   might choose to have a big car, a piano in the house ( though nobody
   plays ), and a lot of brand-name liquor in the cabinet, while living
   on a budget and bargaining in the markets for a discount for only a
   few New Taiwan dollars.  Choosing a gift with a snob appeal usually
   pleases your host when you visit them.

   However, the gift business is not that simple.  As a tradition, the
   host will usually say thanks for your generosity but refuse to accept
   the gift, as he is afraid of being considered greedy if he takes it
   easily.  On the other hand, the guest is supposed to insist the host
   to accept the gift, otherwise he will be considered not sincere
   enough.  Such an "argument" might last for several rounds until even-
   tually the host happily accepts the gift.

   The host is not supposed to open the wrappings for the gift in front
   of the guest, which is quite contrary to the American style.  Opening
   the gift in front of the guests is viewed as a greedy behavior in
   Taiwan.

   Going Dutch is something Taiwanese never learn.  When friends go to
   a restaurant together, they usually end up with "fighting to pay for
   the bill".  Don't feel surprised if you feel your Taiwanese friend
   all of a sudden seems to argue with you while one minute ago you were
   still happily chatting with each other.  Probably this kind of beha-
   vior can also be traced up to the "Face" issue.

   In the West usually personal privacies are emphasized strongly and
   everyone is supposed to mind his/her own business.  However, in Tai-
   wan, sometimes minding other's business is used as a signal to show
   that you care for your friend.  When your Taiwanese friend tells you,
   "You are overweight and you should be on a diet," don't get upset.
   He/she is just trying to tell you that he/she cares about you.  Simi-
   larly, when your Taiwanese friend asks you questions like "Are you
   married?", "How many kids do you have?", he/she just wants to be
   friendly.  You can make up a story and tell him/her whatever you feel
   comfortable with if you don't want to tell the truth.

   Speaking too frankly is also something to be avoided.  In Taiwan,
   usually people say what they expect their friends would like to hear
   to preserve each others' faces.  Beating around the bush is a basic
   communication skill in Taiwan.  Fortunately, such a skill in Taiwan
   is not as sophisticated as in Japan, where Westerners are often
   puzzled by what the Japanese people really mean.


(C. 5)  Where can I take a taste of the Taiwanese cuisine?

   Due to different climate and geographical conditions, in different
   parts of Taiwan you can find miscellaneous food, including hot cui-
   sines and special agricultural products.  If you stay in Taiwan for
   a longer period, they are certainly worth trying.

   However, before you try them, you should keep two things in mind.
   First, most people in Taiwan don't have allergic problems with MSG.
   Therefore, by default all Taiwanese cuisines ( and actually almost all
   dishes in Chinese restaurants ) contains MSG.  Secondly, for some
   unknown reasons, hepatitis B has a high infection rate in Taiwan.
   Do not visit the street vendors for cuisines if you are not satisfied
   with the sanity of the containers they use.

   Listed below is a partial list for places with high concentrations of
   Taiwanese cuisine vendors.

   * Miao-ko ( Temple Entrance ), Keelung City

        There are around 200 to 300 vending sites at the intersection of
        Jen Three Road and Ai Four Road.  Tien-fu-lou ( fried item in
        Japanese ) from No. 16 by WANG, Teh and Tou-chien-keng near
        No. 16 is worth a try.

   * Shihlin Night Market, Taipei City

        Most vendors are located around Yang-ming Theater.  Several ven-
        dors carry Tou-hua ( soft bean curd ).

   * Chaotien Temple Night Market, Peikang, Yunlin County

        The customer base for this night market is on the believers of
        Matsu, who visit Chaotien Temple especially from Lunar January
        to March.  Most vendors gather around Chun-shan Road and Chun-
        hua Road.

   * Hsiao-pei Night Market, Tainan City

        One of the major areas in Tainan where vendors concentrate, which
        is located on section 4 of West Gate Road.  Shakaliba, enclosed
        by Chung-cheng Road, Yu-ai and Hai-an Roads also deserves visi-
        ting.  Check out "Coffin Plate" by Liu-yi Hsu in Shakaliba if
        you are a unsuperstitious gluton.

        Tan-tze Noodle ( noodle soup in Tainanese style ), which lies
.opposite to the City Council across Chung-cheng Road, carries a
.special flavor.  You are supposed to sit on a short bamboo chair
.and enjoy the noodle under the dim light.

   * Liu-ho Night Market, Kaohsiung City

        This night market occupies roughly one block along Liu-ho Road
        from Chung-shan Road.  Most Kaohsiung residents come from some
        other adjacent counties, which results in a great variety of
        cuisines here.

   ( Reference: "Introduction to Taiwan Famous Food and Snack" by Yu-wen
     Chang, 1994 edition, by Outdoor Life Co. Ltd.  ( ISBN 957-9476-48-
     9 )).


(C. 6)  What are the special products in Taiwan?

   Listed below is a partial list for special products in Taiwan.  Some
   of them are food while some others might be artifacts.

   * Iron Egg, Tanshui, Taipei County

        If you think your teeth are quite robust, try it.  With spices
        and some soy bean sauce, eggs are cooked, air dried and then
        cooked again, and such a process is repeated within a week, until
        the eggs look like a black marble ball, which bounces when
        dropped to the ground.

   * Kumquat Cake, I-lan County

        In fact kumquat cake is a name used for all the preserved kum-
        quat, which is good for coughing people in herbalists' view.

   * Bean Jelly Cake ( "Yokan" in Japanese ), Su-au, I-lan County

        Bean jelly cake is not made from lamb, though it is said that ori-
        ginally in China bean jelly cake was prepared by cooking beans in
        a lamb stomach, and later Japanese transformed it into a sweet
        snack and introduced it to Taiwan during the occupation period.
        It is a kind of jelly-like snack, though much thicker.  The bean
        jelly cake in Su-au becomes quite famous because the cold spring
        available in Su-au.  Check out Feng-ming Bean Jelly Cake Shop at
.No. 18, Chung-shang Road and Su-au Preserved Fruit Shop at No. 42.

        Yuli, Hualien County is also famous for its bean jelly cake pro-
.duction.  Check out Kuang-shen Store at No. 82, Section 2,
.Chung-shan Road.

   * Dried Bean Curd, Ta-shi, Taoyuan County

        Dried bean curd is a snack made of bean curd.  Dried bean curd is
        famous in Ta-shi because of the underground water people use in
        the manufacturing process.  Check out the store owned by HUANG,
        Ju-shiang at No. 56, Hoping Road.

   * Rice Noodle and Gong Meatball, Hsinchu

   * Marble, Hualien County

        Marble is an important mining product in Hualien.  In Hualien
        City, the bricks paved in the sidewalks are made of marble.

   * Taro Ice, Tsouhu, Taichung County

        In fact, it might be better described as taro ice cream, which
        comes in cubes.  Tai-ho Taro Ice Shop and Mei-fong Taro Ice Shop
        are two major examples.

   * Wu-lung Tea, Deer Valley, Nantou County

        Wu-lung Tea originated from the Frozen Top Mountain near Deer
        Valley, which might be considered a representative model for
        miscellaneous teas in Taiwan.

   * Pork Dumplings, Changhua

        Actually the pork dumpling from Changhua is not round, as implied
        by its Taiwanese name.  It is like a large dumpling with wrapping
.made of sweet yam powder and some vegetables cooked with meat as
.the stuffing.

   * Preserved Fruits, Yuenlin, Changhua County

        With a subtropical/tropical climate, Taiwan is famous for its
        diversified fruit production.  Yuenlin, being adjacent to nearby
        fruit fields and a climate with shorter rainy season, is well-
        known for the industry on preserved fruits.  Check out Fu-erh
        Preserved Fruits Company should you want to take a taste.

   * Paper Umbrella, Mei-nung, Kaohsiung County

        Mei-nung is one of the Hakka towns in Taiwan, and it is a Hakka
        tradition to use paper umbrella as a wedding gift for daughters
        because "paper" and "son" sounds similar and there are five
        parts corresponding to "man" in the Chinese word for "umbrella",
        which is a good sign for "getting sons sooner".  These umbrellas
        use materials from bamboo as the skeleton, then painted paper is
        used for the umbrella covering.  They are much more expensive
        than the ordinary umbrellas, but they last longer and they are
        a good artistic souvenir for your collection too.

   * Pig Feet, Wangluan, Pintung County

        Check out Hai-hong Hotel in Wangluan Market, which provides chewy
        but not greasy pig feet.

   ( Reference: "Introduction to Taiwan Famous Food and Snack" by Yu-wen
     Chang, 1994 edition, ( ISBN 957-9476-48-9 ) and "Introduction to
     Taiwan Special Products" by Yu-wen Chang, 1990 edition, both by
     Outdoor Life Co. Ltd. ).


(C. 7)  What are the special events in Taiwan?

   Most of the special events in Taiwan are defined in terms of the Lunar
   Calendar.  Listed below is a partial list of them for your reference.

   * Rocket Hives, Yenshui, Tainan County ( January 15 (L) )

        On January 15 night, the small town Yenshui becomes "Fireworks
        Capital of the World".  Rocket-like fireworks fly through the
        sky with a high pitch, and hence they are named "Rocket Hives".
        Currently this event has already been one of the major cultural
        events in Taiwan.  Local folks believe the more fireworks they
        have, the more prosperous they will be in that year. 

        Fireworks are built in a shape of a castle, and they are connec-
        ted in such a way that once ignited, fireworks fly away like
        crazy hornets towards all the directions.  Some firework castle
        can cost up to several thousand US dollars.

        It is advised to arrive at Yenshui before 16:00 on January 15
        when the traffic control is in effect, so you might familiate
        yourself with a better orientation.  Eye protection is a must,
        for which the helmet for motorcycles with eye shielding can be
        used.  You should also cover all of your skin for the possible
        injury from the "bee" attack.  On the other hand, it is a better
        idea to view the magnificent scene in the up-wind direction so
        you won't be choked by the smoke generated by the fireworks.

   * Water Lantern, Keelung ( July 15 (L) )

        Originally water lanterns are used as signs for the drowned
        ghosts so they might find a way back to the human world for
        the offerings in food and ghost money.  However, nowadays it has
        lost its significance and only Keelung together with some Hakka
        villages keep this tradition in the Ghost Month.

        On Chung-yuan eve, there is usually a parade of water lanterns.
        After some ceremonies, the local folks will light up the lanterns
        and put them on float.  Legend has it that the farther the
        lantern flows away, the better luck the family will have which
        the lantern represents.

        In Keelung, water lanterns are usually set free at Wan-an Lane in
        Patoutze around 23:00 on the eve.

   * Ceremony for Confucius ( September 28 )

        Ceremony for Confucius is held everywhere in Taiwan in the local
        Confucius Temples on September 28.  This has been a tradition for
        Chinese culture for more than one thousand years.  Even during
        the Japanese occupation, such ceremonies were still performed as
        Japanese culture is also affected by Confucius.

        The ceremony starts at around 05:00 on Confucius' Birthday.  The
        program is conducted quite seriously, which is different from
        other Taiwanese events where "Renao" is emphasized.  64 elemen-
        tary students will perform the "Eight Yi" Dance, which has been
        set up since the Tang dynasty.

        Interested tourists can try to visit the Confucius Temples in
        Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung for this event.

   * Burning of King's Boat, Tungkang, Pintung County ( September (L) )

        This is not an annual event.  In Tungkang, such a rite is held
        once in three years in Lunar September, which lasts for around
        7 days.  The actual date will be decided by the King himself.
        The boat will be burned early morning on the seventh day.  On
        the other hand, in Sikang, the rite lasts for 6 days and it will
        be held in Lunar April.  The boat is burned at noon in the sixth
        day.

        Local people start to build the boat around four or five months
        beforehand.  During the rite, they believe the burning away of
        the boat is a symbol for the leaving of all the disasters, as the
        "boat" is a vehicle for the local plague king.  There will also
        be a parade before the burning rite.

   In addition to these, each of the nine major aborigine tribes in
   Taiwan also has their own rites for different occasions.  If you are
   interested in their events, it is recommended to contact local county
   governments for details.  Around the Mid-autumn Festival, Hualien
   County government usually organizes a "Harvest Festival" for all the
   Yami people in Hualien, which lasts for one day.  Several thousands of
   people will work together for miscellaneous songs and dances, as songs
   and dances are a part of Yami people's ordinary lives.  You might
   reach Hualien County government, 886-38-227-171 for details.

   ( Reference: "Introduction to Taiwan Popular Special Events" by Yu-wen
     Chang, 1989 edition, by Outdoor Life Co. Ltd.  ( ISBN 957-8987-27-
     7 ) )


(C. 8)  What are the recommended sources for learning Mandarin?

   Stanford University has a cooperative program with National Taiwan
   Normal University.  You can reach Office of Foreign Student Affairs
   at

      162 Ho-Ping E. Rd. Sec. 1, Taipei 106-10, Taiwan
      Tel: 886-2-362-5621.

   University of Massachusetts also has a cooperative program with the
   Chinese Language Center at

      Box 862, Tunghai University, Taichung 407-04, Taiwan
      Tel: 886-4-359-0259
      Fax: 886-4-359-4408

   There is also the very *for profit* organization, Taipei Language
   Institute (TLI) at

      4F 50 Roosevelt Rd. Sec.3, Taipei 100, Taiwan
      Tel: 886-2-367-8228, 886-2-367-2112
      Fax: 886-2-363-4857

   TLI might have other branches around Taiwan.

   You can get the book "Higher Education in ROC [=Taiwan] Guide for
   Foreign Students" from your nearest Taiwan representative office.
   ( Refer to (T. 6), "Where can I find the representative offices for
   Taiwan in other countries?" in the Tourism part for their locations ).

   ( Thanks to Dan Jacobson, "jacobson@fcusqnt.fcu.edu.tw" who contribu-
     ted the information here )


(C. 9)  What are the recommended sources for learning Hoklo and Hakka?

   For people who can already speak Mandarin, you can learn Hakka by
   contacting 

      Hakka Cathay News
      9F-5, No. 1, Chan Chien [ (Zhan4 Qian2) "station front" ]
      Miaoli City, Miaoli 360, Taiwan
      ( please use Chinese characters if you can as the translation here
        is not tested )
      Tel: 886-37-271-603, 886-37-271-613   Fax: 886-37-271-583

   There is a homepage with URL

      http://www.ganet.net/~ITTI/Hakka/intro.html

   from which you might learn more about the Hakka people and their
   language.  Taiwan Hakka Association of the U.S.A. also has a homepage
   at

      http://www.softidea.com/twhakkausa/

   where you might learn some Hakka songs and even Hakka phonetic
   alphabets.

   There are also lots of books and tapes available for English speakers
   who want to learn Taiwanese [ 1 Hakka book too, but only one
   cassette ].  Please contact
 
      Maryknoll Language Service Center
      P.O.Box 149
      120 San-min Road Sec. 1
      Taichung 400, Taiwan
      Tel: 886-4-371-2133

   Pingtung County Government in Taiwan also has one Hakka Tape/Book and
   one Taiwanese Tape/Book.  Please contact Tel: 886-8-736-0331,
   886-8-736-0332

   ( Thanks to Dan Jacobson, "jacobson@fcusqnt.fcu.edu.tw" who contribu-
     ted the information here and posted it in the newsgroups
     "tw.bbs.soc.hakka" and "soc.culture.taiwan". )


   ( Permission to repost the finished document or make copies of it in
     electronic, mechanical, photocopied, or other form as appropriate
     will be granted provided it is not modified in any way whatsoever,
     and it is not used for profit purposes without prior explicit consent
     from the author.  Copyright 1995, 1996 by Tung-chiang Yang ).
