Living in Taiwan, Social Customs and Interaction

Taiwan is an ancient society with deeply rooted traditions and customs, and if you thinking about going there it is very important you learn about how the social interactions and traditions are, while living in Taiwan.

Food and eating in Taiwan brings people together, and the eating and exchange of food define social groups. Dinner is a secular ritual that reinforces family relationships. Sharing food in the home signifies quality, and people of higher rank are never invited to dine in one's home. It's also normal that larger groups of kin, neighbors and temple members come together less frequently to share meals and reinforce their social connections.

Although many old traditions are important for the Taiwanese, they are a modern consumer society in which status is measured by wealth and marked by the commodities one can afford to buy. Such as automobiles, clothes, and homes, as well as one's lifestyle.

Social relationships and cultivating them are considered important, Taiwanese people are friendly and courteous. Social relationships gain importance from the belief that everyone requires cooperation fro others. The exchange of business cards, cigarettes, or small gifts is a quick easy way to overcome initial shyness. Although people are interested in friendship, they understand that friendship has utilitarian benefits, as friends are expected do each other favors and help each other get things done.

In practically every Taiwanese home, guests are requested to remove their shoes even though the host may insist that you don't have to (but that is just a false courtesy). The host has slippers lying right at the door after you remove your shoes! Taiwanese pride themselves in maintaining a clean floor at home.

The concept of 'face' or 'lien' in Chinese is similar to the western idea of prestige. The opposite being to 'lose face' or 'dio lien' in Chinese sheds more light on the concept and can be more closely translated to mean 'shame'.

Face is very important in Eastern cultures, and is especially so in Chinese society. What may simply seem like an obsession with materialism to the western observer is really an integral part of gaining face.

The big black Benz, the designer clothing, even the private English Teacher, all add to one's face in modern Chinese society. Yet, in apparent contradiction to all this, it is part of social protocol to be self deprecating and to flatter others.

Avoid talking about accidents and death;talking about it implies that it might occur. In Chinese, the sound of "four" is similar to death; so hospitals never put patients on the fourth floor and some people do not like to live or have an office on the 4th floor of a building.

In Chinese, white is associated with death. In giving presents, never use white wrapping paper or white envelopes. Chinese are usually hesitant to leave a will because it indicates the writer is going to die soon. Generally, death is a forbidden topic of discussion.