Taiwan's Unique Quirks

Convenience Store Culture

Taiwan’s convenience stores transcend their Western equivalents entirely. 7-Eleven and FamilyMart outlets appear every few blocks in cities, operating 24 hours. These aren’t mere snack shops but rather comprehensive service centres. Beyond food and drinks, they offer hot meals, postal services, bill payment, ticket booking, ATMs, toilets, and even luggage storage at some locations. You can buy transport cards, arrange package delivery, photocopy documents, and purchase event tickets. The food quality often exceeds expectations: tea eggs, onigiri, and various ready-meals provide reliable, inexpensive options. Learning to navigate convenience stores makes independent travel significantly easier. They’re also air-conditioned refuges during hot weather and provide free hot water for filling travel mugs or instant noodles.

Scooter Culture and Traffic Patterns

Scooters dominate Taiwan’s roads to a degree unfamiliar to most Western visitors. Hundreds of scooters queue at traffic lights, creating a distinctive sight and sound. This creates specific traffic patterns: right turns (Taiwan drives on the right) at lights often have designated waiting boxes where scooters mass before the light changes. Pedestrians must watch for scooters even when crossing at designated crosswalks: riders sometimes fail to yield properly. If you’re considering renting a scooter yourself, understand that Taiwan’s traffic requires experience and confidence. For first-time riders or those inexperienced with Asian traffic, hiring a scooter may prove more stressful than convenient. Consider your comfort level honestly. Walking, public transport, and taxis often suffice for urban areas, whilst inter-city travel is well-served by public options.

Night Market Experience

Night markets form an essential part of Taiwanese social and culinary life, but they aren’t uniform experiences. Each market has different characteristics: some focus on food whilst others mix in clothing, games, and household goods; some cater to tourists whilst others serve primarily local communities. Rather than seeking specific “must-visit” markets, understand how to evaluate them yourself. Large tourist markets like Shilin in Taipei offer variety and spectacle but also crowds and higher prices. Smaller local markets provide more authentic experiences with less English signage but better prices and more adventurous food options. Visit different types to understand what appeals to you. Arrive with an appetite but don’t eat a large meal beforehand: the point is sampling multiple small dishes rather than sitting for one big meal. Cash is essential, and you’ll need smaller denominations. Expect crowds, noise, and some jostling, especially on weekends. If you’re sensitive to strong smells, be prepared: markets combine cooking aromas, including some pungent offerings like stinky tofu.

Temple Etiquette and Religious Sites

Taiwan’s temples remain active places of worship, not mere tourist attractions. Understanding basic etiquette shows respect and enriches your experience. Before entering the main hall, temples often have incense urns: locals purchase incense (usually a small donation), light it, and offer prayers before placing it in the urn. You’re welcome to observe or participate, but photography should be done respectfully and without flash. Shoes typically stay on except at specific shrines. Temples usually have multiple halls or shrines dedicated to different deities; locals often pray at several in sequence. The main deity occupies the central altar, with secondary deities in surrounding halls. Rather than rushing through temples like museums, spend time observing how locals worship: it provides insight into daily spiritual life. Don’t be surprised to find locals burning joss paper (ceremonial offerings), shaking divination sticks, or leaving food offerings. These are normal practices, not performances for tourists.