SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

Daily life in Taiwan is to a considerable extent oriented toward one’s family, job, and
education. The degree of each depends on a person’s age, status in the society, and
individual circumstances. Women and children are closer to the family, although with a
larger number of working women that has become less the case. Children spend much
of their time studying, much more than children in the West. Competition to get into the
best universities begins early. Stability within the household is of great importance.
Ritual and role-playing are stronger than in most other cultures. Respect for elders is
considered vital, as is loyalty toward the family.Eating is a central part of the culture,
and people in Taiwan are proud of their cuisine. At home, meals bring the family
together and last longer than in many other societies. Citizens also like to dine out and
spend more of their time and money at restaurants than in most cultures. Taiwan’s
cuisine is considered to be one of the best in the world. Its variety is also notable, as
dishes from all parts of China can be found on the island.As Taiwan modernized, and
especially as it became democratized, more people began to take an interest in politics.
Many have participated in various ways, including joining campaigns, voting, and
protesting. Large numbers of people have also begun spending more time at events in
their companies, schools, and social clubs and at national events.

BURIAL
Many Taiwanese follow traditional Chinese customs to honor gods and ancestors.
Cremation is become more popular in cramped urban areas. Bodies are allowed to stay
in graves for seven years. see Singapore. Funerals are big business in Taiwan. In the
1990s an average funeral cost more than $10,000, about 40 percent of the average
annual income. Grieving relatives hire Buddhist monks to read scriptures for weeks to
help the souls of the dead. After an auspicious date for the funeral has been selected ,
processions are held in streets and ceremonies are held in temples and homes to help
the dead on their journey to the afterlife. Funerals are often symbols of status and
wealth. Paper objects are burned. Sometimes striptease shows are featured and songs
are sung by scantily clad women. People are sometimes hired off the street to cry into
loudspeakers as an expression of grief. A funeral procession for an influential
businessman might have a two-mile long procession with more than 100 Mercedes
Benz cars.

WEDDING
Weddings are occasions to celebrate no matter what country you are in. But each
culture has its own wedding customs, and while these may change with the times, they
reflect different social values.
Setting off firecrackers
Firecrackers are lit along the groom’s way to pick up the bride at her home. It is meant
to ward off evil and to let the bride know the groom is near. The bride’s family also sets
off firecrackers to welcome the groom.
Splashing water
Water is usually splashed outward by the bride’s family as she leaves with the groom.
This signifies that she is no longer a member of the family. However, this practice is
nowadays less common as gender equality has developed and women are free to
return to their families whenever they want to.
Flinging a fan
A fan tied with red envelopes is thrown as the bride prepares to leave her family home.
The fan is then picked up by a male member of the bride’s family. This signifies the
bride has left her family name (the word fan in Taiwanese is a homophone for surname)
behind and taken her husband’s name; it also signifies leaving behind her bad habits
and tempers.
Crossing a charcoal fire and cracking a clay tile
Upon arriving at the groom’s family home, the bride crosses over a charcoal fire before
stamping on a clay tile and cracking it. This is believed to prevent bad luck and is also
done to hope for a baby boy. Hot coals represent “vigor” and crossing over a charcoal
fire is believed to encourage childbirth. However, pregnant brides do not take part in
these practices for safety reasons.

Eating sweet rice dumplings

Sweet rice dumplings are eaten by the bride and groom after the couple enters their
bridal chamber. The rice dumplings are also given to family, friends and neighbors to
spread joy. The sweet dessert signifies a happy and “sweet” marriage, while dumplings
cooked with lotus seeds, peanuts, dried longan or black dates are thought to encourage
childbirth.

CULTURE
Meeting and Greeting
Greetings are formal and the oldest person in a group is always greeted first.
Handshakes are the most common form of greeting with foreigners.
Many Taiwanese look towards the ground as a sign of respect when greeting someone.
You need not follow their example as they understand that westerners tend to smile
warmly when introduced.
Most greetings include the rhetorical question, "Have you eaten?"
The Chinese traditionally have 3 names. The surname, or family name is first and is
followed by one or two personal names.
Chinese women do not change their names when they marry other Chinese, and the
children’s last name will generally follow that of the father.
Often their personal names have some poetic or otherwise significant meaning, so
asking about the meaning is a good way to break the ice.
When you are first meeting a person, address the person by their academic,
professional, or honorific title and their surname.
If those you are meeting want to move to a first name basis, they will advise you which
name to use.
Some Chinese adopt more western names in business and may ask you to call them by
that name.
TRADITION
The Fear of Four
There are unlucky numbers in every culture, but here in Taiwan, they take it to the next
level. The number 4 is considered one of the unluckiest digits as in Chinese it sounds
similar to the word for death. For this reason, hospitals have no 4th floor, and quite often
apartments on the 4th floor are cheaper than those on other levels. People will even
refuse cell phone or car registration numbers if four makes too regular an appearance.

BELIEF
Confucianism
The teachings of Confucius describe the position of the individual in society.
Confucianism is a system of behaviours and ethics that stress the obligations of people
towards one another based upon their relationship. The basic tenets are based upon
five different relationships:

LANGUAGE IN TAIWAN
The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese, but because many Taiwanese are
of southern Fujianese descent, Min-nan (the Southern Min dialect, or Holo) is also
widely spoken. The smaller groups of Hakka people and aborigines have also
preserved their own languages. Many elderly people can also speak some Japanese,
as they were subjected to Japanese education before Taiwan was returned to Chinese
rule in 1945 after the Japanese occupation which lasted for half a century. The most
popular foreign language in Taiwan is English, which is part of the regular school
curriculum.