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Chinese Culture - The Culture of Taiwan by Mandarin Morning
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Chinese Culture - The Culture of Taiwan |
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Art and Culture
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Chinese Culture - The Culture of Taiwan Mandarin Morning examines culture of Taiwan. Taiwan means 'terraced bay' and this name was given by the Chinese immigrants, who landed on the island 300 years ago. They heard the natives calling out the word 'Taiwan' and assumed the name of the island to be Taiwan. Taiwan is also called 'Formosa' (meaning beautiful island) and this name was given by the Portuguese sailors in the 1600s. Taiwan is a collection of many islands and is shaped like a tobacco leaf (narrow from both ends). It is situated 120 kms off the southeastern coast of mainland China. To its north are Japan and Okinawa, and Philippines to its south. People Taiwan has been an island that opened its arms to immigrants of different religions, nationalities and cultures. Today, Taiwan houses a population of almost 23 million people, of which a majority correspond to Han Chinese (descendants of the immigrants from several territories of China). Han Chinese are divided into three types: Taiwanese, Hakka, and Mandarin on the basis of language spoken by them. Besides the Chinese, Taiwan is also dabbled with Dutch, Japanese, Spanish and Portuguese. Most of the people in Taiwan reside in the cities, thereby making Taiwan one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Aborigines: According to most anthropologists, the original inhabitants of Taiwan belonged to Malaya-Polynesian ancestry (coming from North Luzon in Philippines). These aborigines influenced the country's culture considerably with their artistically constructed houses and beautifully embroidered clothes. In the 1600s, the Han Chinese (natives of China) migrated in large numbers to Taiwan, and overshadowed the ab original inhabitants by their huge numbers and through intermarriage. Today, about nine aboriginal tribes exist, constituting two percent of Taiwan's population and happen to live in the remote mountainous terrains of Taiwan. The aboriginal people are physically more well-built and darker in complexion as compared to the Han Chinese. Language: The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese which is spoken as the mother tongue by majority of the people. Hakka and Taiwanese Chinese are the other popular languages in the country. English is the most popular foreign language which has been included in the school curriculum. Cuisine The integration of different cultures into Taiwan is reflected in its cuisine as well. Compilation of different cuisines of different regions has given birth to the unique culinary culture of Taiwan. Noodles, soups, shrimp rolls, etc. are some of the most relished and popular meals in the country. Rice and soy are widely eaten across Taiwan. Rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, pickled mustard greens, peanuts, etc. are commonly used seasonings in Taiwanese dishes. Sea food and Meat: Fish and meat play a significant role in Taiwanese cuisine and are common in festive dishes. In the fish category, various crustaceans, fishes (tuna, grouper), cuttlefish and squids are amongst the most commonly relished. In the meat category, pork is widely eaten, however, beef is not as popular in the country. The Buddhist Taiwanese refrain from beef, since they disapprove the slaughter of animals used for agriculture. However, surprisingly the Taiwanese beef noodle soup is very popular despite this traditional belief. Tea: Taiwan was introduced to tea by the Chinese immigrants, not just as a beverage but also as an ingredient that possessed medicinal properties. Tea trees of Taiwan are known to produce some of the best teas in the world. Even though the Chinese are responsible for introducing tea to Taiwan, the method of tea preparation for the Chinese and Taiwanese are different. Tea making in Taiwan is considered as an art and the standard of tea prepared is based on the elegance of the aroma, purity of taste and clearness of tea color. Communication Style: People in Taiwan have high regards for contextual understanding and consider brief, abrupt messages as rude and impolite. They give and expect deep, broad contextual messages to gain better understanding of the core message, blended with gestures and facial expressions. People from countries where context is not given much importance have to be careful in this regard. Dining Customs: The Taiwanese entertain their guests at home only when they build a relationship with a person. Until then, they entertain their guests at restaurants, etc. Chopsticks are used to eat with and are returned to the chopstick rests after every few bites, while drinking and while speaking. The food is usually served on revolving trays and only after the host starts eating the guests begin. There is no hard and fast rule about finishing the food in the plate. In fact, if one is done with the meal one must leave a little in the plate to indicate so. Molly Wang Marketing Mandarin Morning Chinese language School Website:www.mandarinmorning.org
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