What Are Taiwanese People Most Proud Of?

If there’s one thing that the vast majority of Taiwanese people have in common, it’s a fierce pride of their region. Take Double Ten Day, for example. It’s the holiday when locals take the opportunity to dust off their flags and wear their patriotism on their sleeves for the day. It’s an immense show of pride, but why is it that Taiwanese are so passionate about Taiwan, and what things are they most proud of?

Healthcare

The Taiwanese healthcare system requires people to pay a monthly contribution and a fee each time they visit the doctor or undergo a medical procedure. Fortunately, though, the monthly contributions and fees are so low that practically everyone can afford them.

The government-supported healthcare system is a relatively new benefit, and it has seen a huge improvement in hospital care and services. And having such easy access to high-quality medical care is a source of pride for many locals.

Public transport

Taiwanese cuisine

Make friends with a Taiwanese person, and within a very short time, you’ll find yourself sampling their favorite local dish. They really do love their food that much, but they love sharing even more.

Luckily, Taiwanese cuisine is some of the best in Asia, if not the world, so you can easily understand why it instills such a sense of pride in your newfound local friends. From delicious pineapple cakes to the national dish of beef noodles, Taiwanese are fiercely proud of their local dishes.

Traditional Chinese

It might seem like a strange thing, but most Taiwanese are incredibly proud of the fact that they still use traditional Chinese characters in all of their written literature, while China has made the change to simple Chinese.

The preservation of both local and Chinese culture

Taiwanese people love their customs and heritage and take great care to pass on traditions to younger generations. Whether it’s for cultural festivals, religious ceremonies, or even just family recipes, young Taiwanese people take their heritage seriously and maintain traditions and customs whenever possible. And this is just as true for ethnically Chinese as it is for the local aboriginal tribes.

Taiwan is also home to the world’s largest collection of Imperial Chinese artifacts, which you’ll find housed in the National Palace Museum. It’s a wonderful collection that the KMT government rescued from China during the Chinese Civil War.

National Palace Museum, 221 Zhisahn Road Section 2, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan

Puppetry

While there are many cultural arts that the Taiwanese hold close to their hearts, puppetry is probably the one of which they are most proud. Puppetry is so popular here that there are TV shows and movies that are incredibly popular, while the puppetry museums are always busy.

Attend a puppet show during ghost month, and you’ll notice that there are a few empty seats at the front of the crowd reserved for wandering spirits. Yes, that’s how important this wonderful performance art is.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.