Marriage and Family

Families in Taiwan have traditionally been large, but a government family-planning program encourages couples to have no more than two children. An education campaign has reduced population growth and the size of today’s nuclear family. It is not uncommon for elderly parents to live with their children. In rural areas, larger extended families often share the same home. Although affection is not openly displayed between family members in the Western manner, families have a deep-rooted sense of unity and obligation to each other. Family members will agree rather than cause disunity in the family. The family as a unit also maintains control over the individual. Children generally yield to the counsel of their parents or to the advice of the oldest member of the extended family.

Eating

Rice is eaten with almost every meal. Otherwise, the Taiwanese diet consists mainly of soup, seafood, pork, chicken, vegetables, noodles, bread, and fruit. Sauces are an important part of each meal. Most foods, including vegetables, are stir-fried. Soup is often served with a meal instead of tea. Tea and alcoholic beverages such as rice wine are commonly served in social gatherings. Mealtime plays an important role in family life and is seldom missed.

Chopsticks and a soup spoon are the usual eating utensils in Taiwan. Each person is given a bowl of rice upon which the meal is served. Guests either serve themselves or are served from the dishes placed in the center of the table. Diners may hold the bowls near their mouths and use their chopsticks to eat the food and rice. Bones and seeds are placed on the table or on a provided plate but never in the bowl of rice or on a plate of food. It is impolite to leave rice in the bowl. Diners place their chopsticks side by side on the table when finished.

At a restaurant, the host expects to pay. Guests may offer to pay, but should not insist. It is considered improper for adults to eat while walking on the street.

Socializing

A nod of the head and a smile are appropriate when meeting someone for the first time, but for acquaintances and close friends a handshake is usual. A slight bow shows respect, but it should not be exaggerated. Chinese names are arranged with the family name first, consisting of one or two syllables. A one- or two-syllable given name follows. People are generally addressed by their full name. Only in rare cases are given names used alone. If speaking to someone in English, a title with the family name is used, such as Dr. Yu or Mr. Lee. Among businesspeople, the exchange of business cards is an important part of an introduction, and should be taken seriously. The card should be accepted with both hands and studied carefully; it should not be bent or folded, because this indicates disrespect for the giver of the card.

Adults often ask young people about their schoolwork; the elderly appreciate inquiries about their health. Asking someone if he or she has eaten (Chr bau le meiyou?) is a common Chinese greeting. The greeting stems from the tradition of never letting anyone go hungry; it was considered polite to ask if someone had eaten and offer him or her a meal. Today it is used as a common greeting that means much the same as “How are you?” Other common greetings are Ni hau ma? (“How are you?”), Hai hau ma? (“Is everything okay?”), and to visitors to the home, Ching dzwo (“Please sit”).

People usually remove their shoes before entering a home and they wear slippers inside. Guests should recognize and greet the elderly first. When visiting a home for the first time, a small gift, such as fruit, is appropriate. Gifts are also given to hosts during New Year celebrations. Both hands are used when exchanging gifts or other items, and gifts are not opened in the presence of the giver. Hosts and guests appreciate sincere compliments, but will politely deny them out of modesty. Visitors should not admire an object too much, because the host may feel obliged to present it as a gift. It is polite to stand when a guest, a senior colleague, or an elderly person enters a room. Dinner conversation often centers on the meal—how it was prepared, what ingredients were used, and where they were obtained. At the end of a visit, the host often escorts the guest some distance from the home.

Recreation

Popular forms of recreation are attending the cinema, listening to music, swimming, and walking. Basketball, table tennis, volleyball, baseball, badminton, tennis, and soccer are also enjoyed. Baseball is extremely popular among young people, and Taiwan’s Little League champions consistently do well in the Little League World Series. Taiwan also has a professional baseball league. T’ai chi ch’uan, a system of movement and meditation, is a form of exercise and relaxation. Mah-jongg, a table game played by four people with tiles, is a favorite activity.

Holidays and Celebrations

Different calendars are used in Taiwan for different reasons. The Western (Gregorian) monthly calendar is used for official purposes, and political holidays are scheduled accordingly. However, the year in Taiwan does not correspond to the year in the West. Rather than beginning from the birth of Christ (the ad system), the Chinese traditionally begin a new year system for each dynasty or republic. The current republic officially began in China under Sun Yat-sen in 1912. Therefore, 2000 is the year 88 in Taiwan.

The first of Taiwan’s two main holidays is the Chinese New Year, which usually falls in late January or early February and is celebrated with days of feasts, worship, and fireworks. The second is Double Ten Day (10 October), also known as Chinese Independence Day. This commemorates the abdication of the last Ch’ing (Manchu) emperor in China in 1911 and the subsequent founding of the Republic of China (ROC). The summer Dragon Boat Festival and the Autumn Moon Festival are other much-celebrated occasions. Official holidays include the ROC’s Founding Day (1 January), Youth Day (29 March), Chiang Kai-shek’s death (5 April), Labor Day (1 May), the Birth of Confucius and Teacher’s Day (28 September), Sun Yat-sen’s Birthday (12 November), and Constitution Day (25 December).

Source: Encarta Interactive World Atlas

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