Taiwan Background Essay Example

significant economic value are found in Taiwan these days. Many of the natural resources are being challenged by foreign imports since Taiwan’s accession to the World Trade Organization in 2001, the countries agriculture now depends in the promotion and exportation of specialty fruits such as guava, banana, wax apple, high mountain tea and lychee. The country still posses an adequate amount of energy resources such as coal, oil and gas deposits. However, the countries transportation consumption of energy resources are imported.Existing energy resources are used to generate electricity, with 55% coal based, 17% natural gas, 18% nuclear power, and oil and renewable energy contributing 5% each.

Due to its heavy dependency on imported energy resources for its transportation energy consumption, Taiwan is highly sensitive to fluctuations in energy prices. As the resources of Taiwan is getting scarce, the fact that the country experiences typhoons and stormy weathers has given the country a source of energy that is derived from wind which is rich both on-shore and off-shore.The country is currently focusing on the research and development on renewable energy and hopes to develop it into an export market. Recent History of Taiwan Taiwan has been colonized by several countries in the past, such as the Dutch in 1624, the Qing Dynasty (China) in 1662 and the Japanese in 1895 that ruled Taiwan for 51 years until they lost in World War II and removed themselves from the country. The country was then ruled by the Republic of China led by ‘Chiang Kai-shek’ in 1945 also known as the Kuomintang Martial Law period.Many complex internal conflicts which consist of corruption and communism rein the lands of Taiwan

for over a decade.

But later on the country slowly started to prosper into a dynamically economic country with an authoritarian single party government and becoming one of the Asian’s Four Tigers. In the 1980’s, his successor – ‘Chiang Ching-kuo’ began to liberalize Taiwan’s political system with the establishment of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) which was formed illegally became the first opposition party to go against the Kuomintang.The party manages to lift the marital law in a year period. The country later became a truly democratic country in the 1990’s as they underwent a process of localization by allowing and handing government authority to the native Taiwanese.

On 30th September of 2007, the DDP approved a resolution asserting a separate identity from China and called for the enactment of a new constitution. The use of “Taiwan” should be use to refer the new identity without the abolishing the formal name – The Republic of China Technological AdvancementsWith its rapid growth and being one of the Asian 4 tigers; Taiwan certainly has numerous edges in terms of technological advancements. To name a few: - Semiconductor device fabrication, Biotechnology and Medical services. Semiconductors device fabrication is the process used to create chips of integrated circuits that are present in everyday electrical and electronic devices. It consists of multiple steps and sequence of photographic and chemical processing which electronic circuits are gradually created on a wafer made of pure semi conducting material. Silicon is the most widely used material today.

Biotechnology is based on biology that is heavily used in agriculture, food science and medicine. The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity defines biotechnology as any technological application that uses

biological systems, living organisms or derivatives thereof, to make or modify products or processes for a specific use. It is widely used to refer to genetic engineering technology of the 21st century. With the development of new approaches and modern techniques, biotechnology industries are on the edge of improving the quality of their products and productivity.Medical travel has emerged as a trend in the tourism market.

People around the world are traveling around the globe in search of medical treatments such as organ transplants and cosmetic surgery. Recently, Taiwan’s government has been active in promoting medical tourism, bringing together many local government and non-government organizations, along with 20 leading hospitals is the driving force behind spreading the news about Taiwan’s excellent healthcare services to people oversees who are facing long delays and/or high costs in seeking home-country health services. According to Dr.Wu, Director of the Taiwan Task Force on Medical Travel (TTFMT), Taiwan provides prompt and highly qualified medical services at comparatively low cost. Six key competitive advantages that the island brings to the table: high quality, affordable cost, high technology, warm and personalized service, professional teams, and comprehensiveness. A number of hospitals even cooperate with five-star hotels to provide high-end customer-centered medical services for select tourists/patients.

Incorporation of traditional Chinese medicine and alternative treatments are also a specialty of Taiwan Healthcare services.

Ethnic groups & Language Spoken

There are many ethnic groups of the population of Taiwan; the main population is made out of “Han Chinese ethnicity which contains 2 subgroups – “Min-Nan” & “Hakka”. This ethnic group is referred as ‘Mainlanders’. The minority ethnic groups in Taiwan would be the aborigines which are made out of 13

groups.

The influx of foreign ethnic groups from foreign such as neighboring Asian countries and men from the western hemisphere are also on the rise in recent years. The main language spoken in Taiwan would be mandarin which is recognized by the Republic of China as the national dialect.However, there is a smaller percentage of the population which is made up of aboriginal minority groups still converse in their native language and different variant of the mandarin language. English is a common second language.

English is taught in schools and education bodies in Taiwan utilize the English language in several education exams. As of the ruling of Japan over Taiwan during the beginning of the 19th century till mid of it, some of the older generation of Taiwanese only speaks Japanese as they are taught and learned that language at school during those times.Religion Taiwan’s population’s religions are mostly a combination of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism totaling 93% of the population. Only small fractions of the population are adherents of Christianity (4. 5%). The remaining 2. 5% are of other religion such as Islam.

Culture

Due to recent globalization previous colonization by foreign countries, Taiwan has a mixture of different culture. Japanese, American and European cultures are shared by the population. However, much of it still has a heavy influence of a hybrid blend of Confucianism.

A strong Chinese culture such as calligraphy, traditional painting and Chinese opera is shared by Taiwanese as this effort put forth and had been promoted by the government. However there exist a distinct difference in certain areas of culture and traditions shared by Taiwanese and population of China due to over a century of political

separation. Sports that are popularly participated by the population would include Basketball, Baseball, Badminton, Cheerleading and Billiards. Other popular activities include Karaoke also known as KTV are drawn from the Japanese culture.Unlike most western countries, where downtowns are often deserted by night, the centers of Taiwan's major cities bustle and hum with people, cars, and motorcycles/scooters until midnight or even later. One reason for this is the weather.

Straddling the Tropic of Cancer, Taiwan has a hot and humid climate that for much of the year encourages people to stay in air-conditioned buildings during the day and to venture out only when it cools down after dusk. Another is the long working day many locals put in. Visitors should not be surprised to find the sidewalks crowded at 9-10 p.m. Many boutiques and bookstores are still open at that time; when they do close, the action shifts to night markets, eateries, and pubs.

Taipei Seen from On High Taipei is visually striking when seen from on high, especially in the evening. The obvious choice for enjoying an eagle-eye's view of the city is the tallest building in the world V the Taipei Financial Center, also known as Taipei 101 on account of its 101 stories. This is the 508-meter-high steel-and-glass skyscraper located in the chic and modern eastern part of the city.Visiting the enclosed viewing deck on the 89th floor and the outdoor-viewing platform on the 91st floor has become one of Taiwan's hottest tourist attractions. The observatory is open from 10 a. m. to 10 p. m. , and tickets cost NT$350 per person.

If the weather is favorable, also consider hiking the mountains and foothills close to

the city in the late afternoon to take in the twinkling lights of Taipei and itssuburbs. Favorite spots are in Yangmingshan National Park, including the summit of the 1,120- meter-high Seven Stars Mountain and Chinese Culture University.You can also hike the trails of Sihshou (Four Beasts/Animals) Mountains, situated on the south verge of the East District, or take in the evening views from one of the many hillside teahouses at Maokong, located in the southern city district of Wenshan (Wunshan). Night Markets Back on street level again, it's time to mingle with the masses at a night market.

Close to Taipei 101 is Raohe Street Night Market, where there are snacks aplenty, inexpensive clothes, trinkets, and many other types of goods. However, the sprawling mini-city that is Shilin (Shihlin) Night Market attracts far more people, and having covered-over and air-conditioned sections it's an all-weather affair. To get there, take the MRT to Shilin District's Jiantan station. Night markets typically run from dusk to about midnight. If jetlag or sheer curiosity is keeping you up later than that, there are still several culturalexploration options, including some that do not revolve around alcohol. 24-Hour Service Convenience stores are ubiquitous in Taiwan's cities; almost all stay open around the clock and provide local-style hot foods.

In Taipei, a far more elegant option for combining printed-word browsing with food and liquid refreshments can be found on the corner of Dunhua South Road and Anhe Road , location of the former flagship 24-hour branch of Eslite Bookstores, the leading local chain. A new and much larger flagship outlet officially opened in January this year on the East District's Songgao Rd., Comfortably appointed

and boasting an impressivelyeclectic selection of books in Chinese and English, it's easy to linger here until dawn.There is a cafe on the premises.

English-speaking visitors to Taiwan are fortunate in that Western movies are almost always shown in their original language, with Chinese subtitles. Details on current showings, along with theater names and addresses in Chinese (useful when hailing a taxi), are posted in all three locally published English-language newspapers. If you can't find a copy of one of these newspapers which are also good for restaurant reviews and live-music listings at your hotel, you should be able to pick one up at a convenience store.

Pubs and Bars

Western notions of nightlife tend to revolve around drinking and dancing. A good start to that kind of outing can be made in the area around National Taiwan Normal University. Perhaps the single most popular watering hole here is 45, so named because it is at 45 Heping East Road, Sec. 1. The Combat Zone a cluster of bars dating from the Vietnam War, when the main U. S. base in Taipei was nearby can be found on Shuangcheng Street, not far from Minquan (Mincyuan) West RoadMRT station.

Despite its name, the neighborhood is not especially raucous.Several of the pubs here also do good Western grub especially noteworthy in this respect is Malibu West (9, Lane 25, Shuangcheng Street). In the last few years, two newer establishments have made quite a splash: Carnegie's (100 Anhe Road) and The Tavern (415 Xinyi [Sinyi] Road, Sec. 4). The former attracts hordes of men and women looking to let their hair down; the latter is very much a sports bar, with satellite TVs

showing events from around the world.

Lounge bars burst onto the scene a few years back, and their popularity seems to be holding.This is perhaps because Taiwanese tend not to guzzle beer, and are willing to pay higher prices for drinks if the ambiance is right. Bliss (148 Xinyi [Sinyi] Road, Sec. 4) has won plaudits from both Western and local clientele. Karaoke KTV (short for "Karaoke TV") is a quintessential East Asian experience. Even if you never sing outside the shower cubicle, and have no desire to belt out a few numbers in front of your friends/clients/suppliers/coworkers though their cajoling and a few drinks will probably change your mind do accept at least one invitation to join a KTV party.

You'll almost certainly have a good time! The KTV provides private rooms, so you won't have to sing in front of a large group of tipsy, heckling strangers save those in your own group, of course. There are so many KTVs, and they vary so much in terms of comfort and cost, that it's best to ask for some recommendations before selecting one. Headed South Kaohsiung and Taichung The nightlife scene in Kaohsiung and Taichung Taiwan's second- and third-largest metropolises, respectively may not be quite so hip as Taipei's, but there's still more than enough to fill one's plate of desires.Kaohsiung An evening in Kaohsiung could begin with a stroll through Liouhe Night Market, and then perhaps a taxi ride to the Han-Hsien International Hotel for drinks at the Skyline Bar. Situated on the 42nd floor of one of the city's tallest buildings, this cozy little watering hole (open from 6 p. m. to 1 a. m.

) offers tremendous views over downtown Kaohsiung and the harbor.

The hotel is located at 33 Sihwei 3rd Road. The Love River, Kaohsiung's main waterway, has been beautified in recent years, and the lower section ?V in particular the area around Wufu 4th Road and the Municipal Film Archives is perhaps the best place in the city for an evening promenade. Wufu 4th Road remains the heart of Kaohsiung's nightlife scene, but there's no shortage of places in other parts of the city. One notable establishment is Roof Lounge (15F, 165 Linsen 1st Road;), which has an enticing menu of Southeast Asian dishes, a dance floor (completely sound-insulated from the spiffy lounge area), and an outside balcony ideal for a romantic rendezvous.