Cultures

A) Cultures of the place

Religion
Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism are the main religions on the island. They were brought about centuries ago by the early Chinese settlers.

Confucianism – a code of ethics concerning proper behaviour, was derived from Confucius‘s teachings. He was a philosopher who supported a set of ideals that included respect for authority & one’s ancestors and strict moral behaviour. These are very important ethics in part of a everyday Taiwanese life.

Buddhism – teachings from Siddhartha Gautama, who founded the faith in India during the 6th century B.C. This includes search for enlightenment, giving up valuable possessions, and living a life of virtue and wisdom.

Taoism – Similar to Confucianism, it is more of a philosophy than a religion. It also adopted many features of Buddhism. It emphasizes simple lifestyle, free from social obligations, and rejection of greed and desire.

Other than these religions, there’s also an estimated 1 million or more Taiwanese who identified themselves as Christians.

Literature
Chinese literature was derived from the local influences and the formation of Republic of China (ROC). During the initial years of the ROC’s formation, some people followed Chiang Kai-Shek, the leader of the ROC from the mainland to Taiwan. These people then went on to write about these tremulous times. One example is Li Ang, a contemporary novelist who focuses on feminist themes. Her most famous novel, The Butcher’s Wife, was written in1983.

Poetry also plays a significant role in Taiwan’s literature. Lin Heng-tai is one of the most important Taiwanese poets who wrote socially critical poems in the 1940s.

Located in Tainan, The National Museum of Taiwanese Literature contributes to Taiwan’s literary output by researching and showcasing manuscripts and other literary artefacts.

The National Museum of Taiwanese Literature

Visual Arts
A lot of Taiwanese art uses ideas passed down centuries ago in China. Young artists were also encouraged to develop new styles of painting. Hu Nien-tsu, a prominent figure in the Taiwanese painting world, combined traditional Chinese forms and styles with more Westernized style of vibrant colours.

Calligraphy, a traditional form of art writing is still being practiced and modernized today. It has various shapes and forms. Calligraphers have to change the thickness, length and shape of the strokes to come up with new designs.

Calligraphy

Also, traditional Taiwanese handicrafts are popular among the modern society. It includes wood, bamboo and stone carvings. Others are paper fans, cloth, feathers, kites, bamboo lanterns and embroidery. Modern-day artists also create works of porcelain. They followed the ancient porcelain makers who worked during the Tang, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

Music, Theatre, and Movies

Music
The Taiwanese music is being loved in the country. It is a mix of classical Western and Chinese music plus the traditional styles taught in schools. This is brought about by the local, Chinese and Western influences, whether new or old. The difference between the Taiwanese and Western music is: Chinese and Taiwanese music is based on a five-note scale instead of the eight-note pattern found in Western music.

The Taiwanese uses traditional instruments such as: a seven-stringed lute called qin, a bamboo flute, and the san xian (a three-stringed guitarlike instrument) to play music. Other instruments include gongs, drums, flutes and horns. These are used to perform folk music, which is indispensable in many festivals.

San xian

Moreover, contemporary music brought about by the younger generation has become the hit in the modern society. One example is Jay Chou who has gained a large number of listeners in Taiwan, the mainland China and throughout Asia.

Theatre
Chinese operas played an important role in traditional Taiwanese music. Taiwanese dialects of Chinese are often used in these operas. Dress and facial makeup depicts the role of each actor. These operas require few props but largely depend on the movements and expressions of the actors.
Other traditional entertainments are folk dances and puppet shows.

Chinese Opera

Film

Film is a popular way to showcase the local artistic talents in Taiwan. The early island’s moviemakers used the Amoy dialect in their productions. However, from 1965 onwards, most actors speak in Mandarin. The movie themes usually revolve around historical subjects of the China’s imperial era.

From the New Wave period, movies focused on everyday scenarios and realistically looked into the Taiwanese life and society. An example of successful director from this period is Hou Hsiao-Hsien, whose works are known for being emotional and visually beautiful.

Beginning of the 1990s, it was when the 2nd generation of New Wave directors emerged. The most well-known director of the Second New Wave is Ang Lee. His famous productions which attracted international fan base were Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), Hulk (2003) and Brokeback Mountain (2005).

Cuisines
For cuisines, Taiwan has different food cultures derived from the various parts of the mainland such as Zhejiang, Hunan, Guangdong, Yunnan, Shanghai, Beijing, Sichuan etc. There is also the local Taiwanese cuisine, with many mouth-watering specialties from different parts of Taiwan.

Its main ingredients are rice, pork, and soy products like soy sauce and tofu. It is very common to see noodle dishes and soups with pork and vegetables in restaurants and roadside stalls.
Pork meat is usually used as the filling for many delicacies such as ba wan, a dumpling that is an all time-favourite snack, steamed and fried buns called Xiao Long Bao. Seafood also makes up the key part of the Taiwanese diet.

Taiwanese chefs used seasonings such as chili peppers, soy sauce, sesame, oil, ginger and pickled radishes to spice up the dishes.

During the period with warm weather, fresh fruits are eaten as dessert. An example is mango which is also used in pudding and shaved ice. Custards and pastries are also typical ways of eating desserts.

Mango Shaved Ice

There are many counties in Taiwan who have their own specialties. Hsinchu, for instance, is known for its soup with pork meatballs while Taichung’s signature dish is flaky, filled pastry called the sun cake.

Night markets are also very popular among the locals and tourists. It is a must-go for everyone who visits the island. They usually operate in the evening till dawn, serving xiao chi, which means finger food.

The Sporting Life
Schools encourage physical fitness and thus, sports are popular islandwide. Taiwanese athletes excel in Track & field, archery, table tennis, Taekwondo, and weight lifting. Many sportsmen and sportswomen also take part in local sporting events such as basketball and soccer.

Professional golfers in Taiwan are also well-known in international tournaments. Baseball is considered the leading sport in Taiwan. One prominent figure in this sport is Wang Chien-ming, who is the country’s pride as he is currently playing for New York Yankees.

Wang Chien-ming