MOVING TO TAIWAN

Our Moving to Taiwan Guide is available from upon request.

The Moving to Taiwan Guide is available online and has been created to help expatriate families moving to South Korea.

The following pages are a sample of the type of information provided in the Moving to Taiwan guide:

Receive The Full Moving To Taiwan Guide

The following web pages are a stripped down version of the full information that you can access as an Interdean customer.

To receive your Moving to Taiwan Guide for your relocation, make sure that you request your complimentary copy as part of your move quotation.

KEY FACTS

Official Name: Taiwan, Republic of China (R.O.C.)

Capital City: Taipei

Type of Government: Democratic Republic

Official Languages: Mandarin Chinese

Area: 36,179 sq. km/13,969 sq. mi.

Population: 23 million

Religion: Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, and Muslim

Currency: New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)

Number of Time Zones: 1

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) plus 8 hrs., Eastern Standard Time (EST) plus 13 hrs. Daylight savings time is not observed.

Weights and Measures: Metric system; some traditional Chinese measurements also are used.

Country Domain: .tw

Country Tel Code: 886

AT A GLANCE

Standard of living

Expatriates in Taiwan enjoy one of the highest standards of living in Asia. The economy is strong, the country is technologically advanced, inflation and unemployment are low, and the culture is rich. Taiwan has become a major investor in mainland China, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

On the other hand, the country is densely populated with people living fast-paced lives. Taiwan’s infrastructure, though extensive, cannot easily support metropolitan traffic. Taipei’s roads are congested and the railway system is generally overbooked at peak travel times.

International relations

The defining characteristic of Taiwan’s international relationships is it’s lack of diplomatic ties with most nations of the world. Taiwanese authorities call their administration the “Republic of China,” and for many years claimed to be the legitimate government of all of China. Foreign nations wishing to establish diplomatic relations with a government of China could recognize either the Republic of China – Taiwan – or the People’s Republic of China (PRC) – mainland China. They could not recognize both, and most chose the PRC.

Taiwan’s authorities no longer insist that they are the sole legitimate rulers of all of China. Instead, they admit that Taiwan is part of China and they seek recognition as one of two political entities in China, along with the PRC.

Note that, despite political tensions, China is Taiwan’s largest export market.

Taiwan’s political strength evolves

Taiwan’s constitution provides for an executive with a president elected for a four-year term and a prime minister and cabinet selected by the president but responsible to Parliament. There is a 225-member unicameral legislature, the Li fa Yuan. A constitutional amendment has been proposed that would reduce the legislature to 113 seats in 2007.

Taiwan’s first direct presidential election was held in 1996, causing increased tension with the PRC. The election was won by the KMT and the tension subsided. However, in the second presidential election in March 2000, the opposition party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), defeated the KMT. Because the DPP has advocated full independence for Taiwan, tension with the mainland escalated again. Since that time, and with the pro-independence Chen Shui-bian winning a second presidential term in 2004, it has become more acceptable to discuss Taiwan’s independence publicly.

In parliamentary elections held on December 1, 2001, the KMT lost its parliamentary majority for the first time in 50 years and the DPP became the largest party in the legislature. This strengthened the hand of those opposing evenual reunification with mainland China. In June 2005, a reform was passed that would allow changes to the constitution by public vote.

UNDERSTANDING THE PEOPLE

Taiwan has a population of over 21 million people. Only two percent are the original inhabitants, the rest are ethnic Chinese. The largest group, the native Taiwanese, is descended from Chinese immigrants from the coastal mainland areas of what are now Fujian and Guangdong provinces. People from these provinces knew of the islands and their Malayo-Polynesian aboriginal population by the beginning of the 7th century. Major Chinese settlement, however, occurred between the 17th and 19th centuries. Another wave of Chinese immigrants from the mainland settled after World War II and the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China.

Ethnic makeup

The country is made up of Taiwanese, mainland Chinese, and Polynesian/Malay aborigines. The Taiwanese make up 84 percent of the population, with the Han Chinese the largest ethnic group. Mainlanders who arrived in 1949, when the Communists established control over the mainland, make up about 14 percent of the population. Known as wai sheng ren/”people from other provinces,” they are still resented by some native Taiwanese because of the many years in which they maintained control of the government. Time and intermarriage have eased much of this initial antagonism, and native Taiwanese are now active in politics, outspoken in their support for Taiwan culture, and feel no hesitation about criticizing the mainlanders, who are a steadily diminishing segment of the population.

The aborigine population makes up about two percent of the total population and is distributed among nine major tribes.

Confucian values

Family and social beliefs

The people of Taiwan are a family-oriented, cordial people who adhere to the principles of Confucianism. Proper social and family relationships underlie the whole social fabric. Respect for the elderly, appropriate public conduct, “saving face,” and high moral standards are valued tenets in Taiwan.

Confucian values are paramount and include the importance of education, family loyalty, morality, group harmony, respect for elders, and trusting relationships among people. The Chinese have extended family relationships that are very close- knit. Of utmost importance is filial piety meaning respect for elders and for their wisdom. Being hospitable, which includes offering food, is also a very important value.

Relationships

Another important element of Confucianism is the ethic of proper social behavior and relationships. The main concern is with “saving face.” The Chinese strive to avoid embarrassment and shame and to allow others to avoid embarrassing situations and to recover from them with their dignity intact.

Work

Taiwanese are hard working, industrious, and adaptable with a tenacious independent streak. One popular saying is “better to be the boss than work for someone else.”

Culture

Although the Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish, and Japanese controlled Taiwan over the centuries, they left little impact and the predominant culture of the country is Chinese. The fine arts, folk traditions, music, and dance are all derived from Chinese traditions. Aborigine tribes, who make up a small percentage of the population, retain their indigenous culture and language.

Education

Taiwanese place a high value on education; the overall literacy rate is over 90 percent. Mandatory, free education is offered for nine years until age 15. Examinations are given every July to determine entrance into the 130 universities and colleges. The exams are demanding and require intensive preparation.

Religion

Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution, and members of any religion may publicly meet and proselytize in Taiwan.

The predominant religions are Buddhism and Taoism. Few people make any sharp distinction between the two religious traditions and practice a blend of the two. About 4.5 percent of the population are Christians of different denominations.

The teachings of Confucius, a philosophy of private and public life and not a religion, are the foundation for government and commerce on the island.

Language

The official language is Mandarin Chinese, but Taiwanese (Hokkien), a dialect similar to that spoken in Fujian and sprinkled with some borrowings from Japanese, is used by many Taiwanese at home. Taiwanese and Mandarin, despite many similarities, are two different languages and are not mutually intelligible. Taiwanese is written in the same characters as Mandarin.

Chinese is a tonal language in which the same written character may have different meanings, depending on the way it is spoken.

Westerners have developed several systems of romanization for reading and sounding out Chinese names. These systems have led to different western (Roman) spellings for the same Chinese word; the spellings usually are similar enough that the reference is clear.

Aborigines speak their own native tongues.

English is used in international business, but Japanese, imposed on the Taiwanese between 1895 and 1945, is spoken widely and used frequently in business, especially in light of the recent large influx of Japanese investment.

The level of education is high, and everyone with a high-school diploma can understand at least some English. Since most students are taught the language by rote, they are generally more proficient in understanding and reading English than in speaking it.

Social welfare

Taiwan has one of the highest standards of living in Asia. The entire population is covered by some form of national health insurance.

The percentage of persons over 65 years is steadily increasing, and soon Taiwan will qualify as an “aged” society, according to United Nations criteria. Taiwan has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world. An ever-increasing birth rate has resulted in government programs to encourage birth control and family planning.

Life expectancy is an average 77 years for the entire population, 74 years for males and 80 years for females.

CITIES

Taiwan has one of the highest population densities in the world – about 592 persons per square kilometer. Half the people live in cities and suburbs.

Kaohsiung

With a population of approximately 1.5 million people, this sprawling industrial center is Taiwan’s second largest city. Located on the southwest coast of Taiwan, it is a major business and manufacturing center. It is Taiwan’s largest harbor, and the world’s third-largest container shipping port after Hong Kong and Singapore.

Kaohsiung is also home to the world’s largest ship dismantling yard. Its main industries include chemicals, plastics, food processing, tool and machinery manufacture, and shrimp cultivation.

Cheng Ching (Crystal) Lake is a pleasant oasis in the metropolitan area.

Keelung

Only 24 km/15 mi southeast of Taipei on the East China Sea, Keelung is a busy container port and the second largest port in Taiwan. It has also been a naval base.

Keelung’s population is just over 400,000. Taiwan’s international trade continues to enrich the city and it has a pleasant atmosphere with green hills surrounding the city.

Taichung

Taichung is located on the west-central plain, approximately 150 km/90 mi southwest of Taipei. It is Taiwan’s third largest city and a cultural and educational center, with several universities. Over a million people live there.

Taichung is also a major manufacturing area, producing such items as processed food, footwear, furniture, paper, rubber goods, textiles, and wood products. One of the country’s three major export-processing zones is located in Taichung.

Taichung’s international seaport is located 25 km/15 mi west of the city.

Two of Taiwan’s most popular tourist attractions, Sun Moon Lake and Taroko Gorge, are located a short distance from Taichung.

Tainan

This southwestern city is Taiwan’s fourth largest. It is the oldest city on the island and was Taiwan’s capital for more than 200 years. It is presently the center for Taiwanese culture and the site of over 200 temples. Nearly 750,000 people live in Tainan. Its picturesque streets are inviting for leisurely exploration, and Buddhist parades and ceremonies are frequent.

Tainan is also a manufacturing center. Some of its products include clothing, chemicals, electronics, machinery, and wood and bamboo products.

Taipei

The capital and main metropolitan region of Taiwan, Taipei itself has a population of approximately 2.7 million. A bustling city with soaring skyscrapers and numerous government offices, Taipei is also a hub for a wide range of business enterprises, making it the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan city in the country. A large earthquake in late 1999 demolished a portion of the city center.

The city lies in a valley at the northern end of the island, surrounded by mountains, with the Tanshui and Keelung Rivers flowing through the valley.

At first glance, Taipei seems a crowded urban center, packed with cars and people and beset with pollution. However, the city has been revitalized, with a rebuilt downtown area and an entirely new section in the eastern part of the city. The northern suburbs attract expatriate families, and the spectacular mountain national park of Yangmingshan dominates this part of the city.

Taipei is understandably the top tourist destination for overseas Chinese. Among the major cities of the Far East, it is the most quintessentially Chinese, with its strong emphasis on Chinese culture and lifestyle.

CLIMATE

The climate of Taiwan ranges from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south, with a wet and exceedingly humid climate governed by the monsoon winds and surrounding warm ocean currents.

The seasons

Summers are hot and wet. June is generally the wettest month, but the rains can continue from spring to August. Winters in Taipei are gray and unpleasantly cold and damp, although it never freezes and winters are usually short. The north and east sections of the island are the coldest regions. Spring is warm and mild, but characterized by the “plum rain,” or monsoon. The brief autumn arrives in October and is definitely the best season. Autumn days are pleasant and dry – unless interrupted by a rare typhoon.

Typhoons

Typhoons, which are the Asian equivalent of the Western hurricane, are storms with high winds and extensive rainfall. They occur three to four times a year, usually between July and September. Residents of major cities like Taipei are usually not in danger and need only to stay indoors until the winds abate; a system of storm warnings broadcasts information.

Heavy rains from typhoons can cause dangerous mudslides, such as the one that hit south-central Taiwan in August 2009. The town of Hsiaolin sustained fatalities estimated at 500, with entire sections of the village buried in mud. The flooding also knocked out 34 area bridges and cut off more than 200 of sections of road. Helicopter evacuations were necessary for thousands, and rebuilding will take years in some areas.

Information provided in association with Living Abroad