As a Taiwanese (if there is any here), what tips would you give early on to an exchange student? My university offers an exchange program and I've decided on Taiwan, because... why not. My great grandparents were from there before they migrated, my cousins and aunt that I haven't talked to since I was 8 are there as well, and my parents already agreed since they figured out Taiwan is quite safe. I'm also really interested in Taiwan as it's the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage , moreover... bubble tea!! Language won't be a problem because I speak decent Mandarin and Hokkien, it's just that I think there should be more that I should prepare myself for other than just being able to speak their language. For example, what payment methods are more easily accessible for non-natives like me? Do they have ShopeePay there or should I get a credit card instead? Do I still need to prepare for winter clothes if I leave in February? How do I hunt for student promo??? Yeah you get it, some advice, do and don'ts, tips and tricks so I can survive a whole semester in Taiwan Will patiently wait for your replies, thank you in advance!
Isn't the political situation between Taiwan and China quite tense nowadays? The news I heard almost saying like China is planning a military invasion or something
I'm not Taiwanese, but I've lived here in Taiwan for over a decade. I don't know where you're from or which part of Taiwan you're going to, but I live in the south and it never really gets that cold here. If you're currently in a place that does get cold then you won't have a problem. You can buy a jacket here if needed but you wouldn't need to prepare a bunch of winter clothes. It starts getting warmer here in March, usually (this year was a bit later). LINE is the preferred phone app for texting and paying for things. You can look into that. I think Shopee Pay is here but not sure, I still use cash to pay for stuff, lol. There's really not much to prepare for. People here are super nice and everything is pretty convenient. If you can ride a scooter, even more so. If you're going to Taipei, be warned that it gets muggy as hell there in the summer. Sabre rattling with China has been going on here for decades. There's such and such political talk all the time, but no one here is scared. Taiwan IS safe.
Taiwan is under a lot of political conflict, but non-natives will be safe as long as they stick to their business.
It depends on where you're going to be in Taiwan. Credit card is probably the easiest payment method, and I think they've simplified the system a lot for non-natives to get them. (But don't quote me on that -- I'm a citizen.) Or actually invest in an EasyCard, especially if you're in Taipei. Makes getting around super easy, since it's used on all public transport systems, and you can also use it at convenience stores. Taiwan's also pretty big on LINE/LINE PAY, though I've never used it myself. Also, there's been talk of an all-out war between Taiwan and China for literal decades, since the Civil War probably, and it hasn't happened yet. Doubt it's going to anytime soon, despite what all the doom-and-gloom old guard keeps saying on TV. EDIT: As for weather, Taipei at least never gets really cold. (By that I mean: it doesn't snow here, though we do get heavy rains in both the winter and the summer.) I'm not sure where you're from, though, and what you're used to in terms of temperature. But I'd say it never gets as cold as, say, Northern California in the winter. Don't know if that helps you at all, though. Invest in a good umbrella, and maybe a raincoat if you need it, and you should be good, in Taipei at least.
try contact your school or embasy which surprise may give you introduction to diaspora from your country on Taiwan community~ yeah time to bother them~
I've heard about this news for quite some time now but hopefully, both countries can settle on this matter nicely. It would be terrible if that matter affects normal citizens and any other people I would like to stay positive ahahha Hoho I'll keep that in mind! Shouldn't be a trouble for me since I'm pretty sure I will only focus on my study... and bubble tea!
I heard they even print a different political world map in china. Taiwan isn't a separate country there, but belongs to china. Also did you all hear the controversey between vtuber coco and chinese (fans) netizens? Coco dared to read the youtube analytics. She wanted to know, where her fans are coming from and youtube analytics listed Taiwan as a separate country. Her crime was only to read the analytics during her live stream. She gets death threats until this day. She can't even cooperate with other vtubers, because they don't want to spread the hate to other vtubers etc. Her chat is a mess with chinese trolls, but at least it is a lot less than in the beginning. The angry mob also made a lot of plans and guides for the netizens, on how to cancel her. If even such a harmless thing gets this serious, I can't imagine the real political situation between the 2 countries. Stay safe and be careful.
I am indeed heading to Taipei so I'll totally check out the EasyCard and LINE Pay, I've used LINE for years but never knew it could be used to pay for stuff I'm from a tropical country in Asia so I've never experienced cold weather at all, but seems like adapting won't be too much of problem! Hopefully the situation between Taiwan and China can be settled nicely thank you for the information! I'm heading to a university in Taipei (actually haven't got the acceptance letter from my uni yet tho hehe). I live in a tropical country so it never gets cold as well, but it seems like it won't be a problem since my stay will be from February to June. I use LINE daily but I never knew it had a paying feature, will totally check it out later! I'm just more prone to using e-wallets because it offers a lot of promos Can't really ride a scooter (ever since it hit me in the shin I've hated scooter), but I can ride a bicycle : D Thank you for the information! I'm also positive that nothing will happen between Taiwan and China, but it would be a lot better if the two countries can settle things nicely
Eh, that's a China-side thing though. And I think it has less to do with Taiwan itself than the Mainland Chinese government's need to control its information flow to its citizens, what with the censorship and all that. Like, I'm not saying that it couldn't break out into full-on armed conflict, since the political situation is complicated, but it's not something that's going to happen in the immediate future, I should think, especially not with COVID still being such an issue. (Things are pretty good in Taiwan on that front, though.) Oh, if you're from the tropics, you might want to invest in a jacket or two for those earlier months. Taipei does start to get pretty darn hot and humid once late spring/summer kicks in, but it can be slightly chilly earlier for those who've never experienced cold before. Though if you're from the tropics, spring/summer in Taiwan shouldn't be such a big difference than whatever you're used to, haha. As for EasyCard: it's basically a train/bus pass, but with the additional cool feature of being accepted at convenience stores, supermarkets, and taxis. You can get them at any train station or convenience store. Last I checked (which is like four years ago so don't quote me on this) it was about NT$500 for students to get a card -- and you get the money back if you return the card before you leave!
Finally, a legitimate reason for me to buy winter clothes! Not sure whether the summer in Taiwan would be super hot or not, but during the dry season in my country it would be around 31-36°C, hopefully Taiwan doesn't exceed this Oh! I thought I would need to apply for an EasyCard from the bank, now that's very helpful and affordable. Thanks a lot!
Aah~ I've always wanted to go to Taiwan on a student exchange. No words of advice here but I hope you have a wonderful time!!
Well, it is a Chinese country so the usual rules apply. For example, don't behave like an arrogant young master. No matter how powerful you think your clan is. Don't go around asking people if they are courting death. Remember, No Zuo No Die.
I've never been to Taiwan but I heard their food is cheap and tasty. You should go there and gain some weight before going home.