Taiwan Culture & Travel Facts
15 Taiwan Facts and Travel Tips to Know Before You Go
Why receipts double as lottery tickets, why even water is restricted on the Taipei Metro, and why garbage trucks play music. These practical facts make Taiwan easier to understand and more rewarding to explore.
Before You Go
A little context changes how you see Taiwan
Some parts of Taiwan may feel familiar, while everyday systems and customs can work quite differently. These facts are selected not just as trivia, but as useful context for real situations during your trip.
Transport rules and public systems may change. Always follow the latest signs and staff instructions on site.
Language & Calendar
Facts about language and dates
Once you recognize the writing system and calendar, signs and receipts become much easier to decode.
Taiwan uses traditional Chinese characters
Written Chinese in Taiwan generally uses traditional characters. Some resemble Japanese kanji in shape or meaning, which can help Japanese readers make sense of station names and menus.
Save hotel names and addresses in traditional Chinese so you can show them to drivers or staff.
You may hear several languages in one city
Mandarin is widely used alongside Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka, Indigenous languages, and other community languages. This linguistic variety is an important part of Taiwan.
English and Japanese help in some tourist areas, but a translation app and written Chinese address remain useful.
Minguo year 115 means 2026
Taiwan uses the Gregorian calendar and the Minguo calendar. Year 1 began in 1912, so adding 1911 converts a Minguo year to the Gregorian year. You may see it on official notices and receipts.
Before reading a date, check whether the year is Gregorian or Minguo.
Everyday Life
Surprising details of daily life
Convenience stores, receipts, and rubbish collection reveal some of Taiwan’s most distinctive everyday systems.
Shopping receipts double as lottery tickets
Taiwan’s uniform invoices carry numbers, with winning numbers generally announced every two months. A receipt is therefore both proof of purchase and a possible lottery ticket.
Foreign visitors may be eligible to claim prizes. Check the Ministry of Finance for current identification rules and deadlines.
Convenience stores are service hubs
Beyond food and daily goods, stores may offer ATMs, transit-card top-ups, ticket collection, parcel services, and bill payment. Their density makes them useful travel bases.
Some kiosks operate mainly in Chinese. Show your booking number or confirmation screen to staff if you need help.
Music can signal the garbage truck
In places including Taipei, residents may bring household rubbish directly to collection trucks at scheduled stops. Music announces the truck’s arrival, creating a familiar evening street scene.
Public bins are not always easy to find. Dispose of travel rubbish at your hotel, the shop where you bought an item, or another appropriate location.
Transport
Facts that make getting around easier
Public transport is convenient, but knowing clean-system rules and card usage prevents avoidable mistakes.
Even water is restricted inside Taipei Metro no-food zones
Eating and drinking are prohibited beyond the yellow line that marks the no-food area, including in stations and trains. Water, chewing gum, and sweets also require care.
Finish drinks before entering the gates and close any takeaway cup securely inside your bag.
Transit cards work beyond transport
Stored-value cards such as EasyCard and iPASS can be used on metro systems, buses, parts of the rail network, and at participating convenience stores, shops, and attractions.
Acceptance is not universal, so carry some cash as a backup for small purchases.
You can collect rail tickets at convenience stores
Reserved Taiwan Railway tickets can be collected at stations, post offices, and participating convenience-store kiosks. Advance booking is useful on weekends and holidays.
Collection may require your booking details and passport number. Keep the confirmation screen available offline.
Food Culture
Facts about food and drink
Understanding ordering choices and table habits makes Taiwan’s food scene much easier to enjoy.
You choose both sweetness and ice
Drink shops commonly ask for a sweetness level and an ice level, with options such as full, half, light, or no sugar and regular, less, or no ice. Choices vary by shop.
Light sugar and less ice are approachable starting points when you are unsure.
Many meals are designed for sharing
When dining in groups, it is common to order several dishes for the table rather than one plate per person. Adjust the number of dishes to the group and sample more flavors.
Use serving chopsticks or communal spoons when provided, and follow the table’s lead.
Cash remains useful at night markets and local shops
Cards are common at hotels and larger businesses, but night-market stalls, small eateries, and traditional markets may still be cash-only. A mix of cash, cards, and a transit card works best.
Keep NT$100 notes and coins accessible for faster payment at busy stalls.
Temple Culture
Facts to know before visiting a temple
Taiwanese temples are visitor attractions and active places of worship. Understanding the background makes a visit more meaningful.
One temple may enshrine many deities
Buddhist, Taoist, and folk-religious traditions often overlap in Taiwan, and one temple may contain many deities. Longshan Temple centers on Guanyin while also enshrining numerous other figures.
Worship order and incense practices vary. Check temple signs or ask staff rather than assuming every temple follows the same procedure.
People visit different deities for different wishes
Deities are associated with areas such as relationships, study, work, health, and childbirth. Reading the temple map first helps you understand whom local worshippers are visiting and why.
A common practice is to introduce yourself clearly in your mind before stating a specific wish.
Red moon blocks are used to ask for divine guidance
Pairs of crescent-shaped Jiaobai blocks are cast, and the face-up combination is interpreted as an answer. Fortune drawing may involve confirming a number with the blocks rather than simply taking the first slip.
Procedures vary by temple. Use this site’s worship guide when drawing a fortune at Longshan Temple.
Useful Phrases
Three useful phrases in Taiwan
Even a short phrase can make everyday interactions easier.
Thank you
Excuse me / sorry
May I ask...?
Taiwan Trivia FAQ
Taiwan facts and travel etiquette FAQ
What basic etiquette should I know before visiting Taiwan?
Do not eat or drink, including water, inside Taipei Metro no-food zones; let passengers exit before boarding; and follow local signs without disrupting worshippers at temples.
Can I use English or Japanese in Taiwan?
English and Japanese may be understood at major tourist sites and hotels, but not everywhere. Keep destinations written in traditional Chinese and use a translation app. Short phrases such as xie xie and bu hao yi si are helpful.
Can foreign visitors check Taiwan receipt lottery numbers?
Winning uniform-invoice numbers are published by the Ministry of Finance. Foreign visitors should check the official rules for accepted identification, collection locations, and claim deadlines.
Is drinking water really prohibited on the Taipei Metro?
Yes. Eating and drinking, including water, are prohibited inside marked no-food zones beyond the yellow line. Ask station staff for assistance if you have a medical or medication-related need.
How are Taiwanese temples different from Japanese temples?
Taiwanese temples often combine Buddhist, Taoist, and folk-religious traditions and may enshrine many deities together. Incense, Jiaobai blocks, and fortune-drawing procedures also differ, so follow each temple’s guidance.
Official references
Public systems and travel rules can change. Check the latest information on each official website before departure.
- Taiwan Tourism Administration: Useful Tips
- Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation: Metro regulations
- Ministry of Finance: Uniform-invoice winning numbers and rules
- Ministry of Culture: Development of National Languages Act
- Taiwan Tourism Administration: Culture and heritage
- Taipei Department of Environmental Protection: Garbage collection