More Interesting Facts About Taiwan

In a recent article we discussed a few noteworthy facts about Taiwan that came as a surprise to many. It seems that many of you enjoyed that article, so we have gathered some more facts about this great country and have included them here.

Flying High

Despite being a small country, there are a total of 37 airports across Taiwan, the biggest of which are in Taipei. The biggest airport in all of Taiwan, and the one you might pass through if you visit from overseas, is Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in Taipei.

Musical Garbage

The garbage trucks in Taiwan play music as they ride up and down the streets, much like an ice cream van, only with less flavorsome content.

Equal

As far as gender equality goes, Taiwan is considered to be the best country in Asia. This is because men and women generally get the same chances and opportunities, and there are also no huge discrepancies regarding the salaries of the sexes. We’re not talking small margins either, Taiwan is well in the lead when it comes to gender equality in Asia, as reported by the Gender Inequality Index from the United Nations.

High-up

Taiwan is an elevated island and is actually listed as the fourth-highest island in the world. This is because of its many mountains, including Mount Yu, which is close to 4,000 meters in height.

America’s Pastime

Whilst often considered to be America’s Pastime, baseball is not actually the most popular sport in the United States (with both football and basketball attracting bigger audiences). However, it is the most popular sport in Taiwan. It has produced many top players for the MLB, competed in many International events and has also won more Little League World Series Titles than any other country, including the United States.

Superstition

Many Taiwanese are superstitious and they believe many things that would seem strange to Westerners. These include the fact that if you whistle at night then it will attract ghosts, which is why you will not find anyone doing this. There are also reports that the Grand Hyatt Hotel, which is located in Taipei, is haunted. This hotel was built on an old military prison and it is the ghosts of this prison that are said to haunt the hotel to this day. Whether this is caused by whistling or not, is anyone’s guess.

Many Names

If you are wondering why you have never seen the name “Taiwan” at the Olympic Games, it is because they actually compete under the name “Chinese Taipei”. In a previous article we mentioned why the name Taiwan is not even recognized by many countries and how the Republic of China is often used to refer to it. But to add to the confusion even more, Taiwan used to be known as Formosa, which is what the Portuguese called it when they first discovered the island. This name was still in use around the time of the Second World War.