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TAIPEI, TAIWAN
Date Established: June 1963, under Mayor Lewis Cutrer
GEOGRAPHY Location: Taiwan is about 160 miles off the southeast coast of China. Taipei is near the northern end of the island, on the east bank of the Tan-shui river. Description: Capital and Taiwan's largest and fastest growing city. It's a busy, bustling city that contains government offices as well as the headquarters for many of Taiwan's industrial and commercial companies. Taipei is a special municipality and has the same status as a province.
PEOPLE Ethnicity: Chinese Language: Chinese (Mandarin is official; Southern Fukienese and Hakka also spoken) City Population: 2.7 million Religion: Buddhist, Taoist, Confucianism, Christian
ECONOMY Natural Resources: Hydroelectricity and coal Industries: Electronics, textiles, fishing, construction, chemicals, electrical machinery Exports: Electronics, clothing, chemicals, fish Imports: Oil and raw materials Currency: New Taiwan dollar (NT$)
HISTORY Taipei has historic structures that include the late 19th century city wall and gates, and the ornate, colorful Lungshan Temple, some 250 years old, but largely rebuilt after WW II. In 1969, the Central Government upgraded Taipei to a municipality, and in 1968, the City was expanded to include six nearby towns and townships in order to meet the urban development.
FACTS * The United States is Taiwan's leading trading partner * Taipei means "North Taiwan" * Taipei is not only the administrative seat of the government for the island, but it is also the principal cultural and economic center and transportation hub.
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT Head of State: President Li Teng Hui Type: Multi-party democracy administered through 16 counties, five municipalities, and two special municipalities, Taipei and Kaohsuing. The President acts as chief of state. The primary law-making body is the Legislative Yuan.
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT Head of City: Mayor Ma Ying-Jeou since Jan. 1999 Term: Four years
Educational Packet
Taiwan is a small island in the East China Sea, 100 miles from China. It is south of Japan and north of the Philippines. It is very mountainous, and only a small part of the land is available for people to live on or farm. The majority of the people and agriculture are in the west. Many of the people immigrated from China so their language, culture, and traditions are very similar to the Chinese. With over 20 million people living in such a small island, Taiwan is one of the world’s most densely populated countries. The official language of Taiwan is Mandarin Chinese, but many Taiwanese also speak English. Taipei (pronounced tie-PAY) is the capital and largest city of Taiwan. It is located in the northern tip of Taiwan. In Mandarin Chinese,”Tai” means Taiwan and “Pei” means North, so Taipei actually means “North Taiwan”. Like Houston, Taipei is a modern city with many large skyscrapers and lots of people. But unlike Houston, Taipei is surrounded by mountains! Taipei is an interesting city because it combines many years of history and tradition with a very modern lifestyle. It is a city with many manufacturing plants that send products all over the world. Taipei was Houston’s first sister city. Our two cities have been paired since 1963! As sister cities, Houston and Taipei exchange cultures, business, and friendships. The city of Taipei donated the Chinese Pavilion located in Herman Park so that Houstonians could enjoy a piece of Taipei in Houston. The sister city volunteers also give classes on Taiwan’s culture and food to Houstonians who want to learn more about our sister city.
This is the National Palace Museum in Taipei. This museum holds the world’s largest collection of Chinese art
Taiwanese Cuisine
The food of Taiwan is very similar to the food of China. There are many different types of flavors, but in general, the food is simple and fresh. The most popular cooking utensil is the wok, which has existed for over 1,000 years. The Chinese use chopsticks to move the food around the wok while it is cooking. They also use chopstics to eat the food when it is done, much like we use a fork and knife.
 One
of the main ingredients in Taiwanese cooking is rice.
In some dishes, noodles are used.
The traditional meal in Taiwan has a variety of choices, including
chicken, fish, beef, vegetables, and soups.
There may be five or six small dishes to choose from.
Have you ever eaten Chinese food here in Houston?
What are some dishes you are familiar with?
Here’s a recipe for a Chinese dessert that is eaten to celebrate the New Year. Be sure and have an adult help you! NIAN
GAO The Chinese New Years Cookies
2-1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar 1/2 cup vegetable oil 4-1/2 cups sweet rice flour (glutinous flour), found in Asian markets 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt sesame seeds Heat the brown sugar and the vegetable oil together on low heat in a small pan, stirring constantly until the sugar melts. Cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir the cooled brown sugar mixture into the flour. Drop the batter by the spoonful into a bowl of sesame seeds. Coat each ball completely. Place the balls in a steamer, and cover and steam them for 50-60 minutes.
Did you know?
The Taiwanese believe that eating snakes can cure them of some illnesses
Did you know?
“Chir-fan le may-yo” is a common greeting in Taiwan. This is a nice way of asking someone how they are doing, but it translates to “Have you eaten yet?”. That’s because the Taiwanese believe that if someone has recently eaten, they must be doing well!
Free Time and Festivals The people of Taiwan work very hard. After much hard work, they like to relax and enjoy themselves.
One way the Taiwanese relax is through physical activity. Many Taiwanese rise early in the morning to practice tai-chi or another form of martial arts in the New Taipei Park. Often, the great masters will lead large public classes in the park for anyone who wants to participate.
The people of Taiwan also like to spend their free time at barber shops and bath houses. The barber shops provide haircuts, massages, and a variety of beauty treatments. The bath houses have hot pools, cold pools, saunas, and whirlpools to relax in. When they’re not working or relaxing, the Taiwanese people are often celebrating! Taiwan has hundreds of festivals throughout the year. These are times of special joy, and they include many important customs and traditions. Some of the largest festivals are the Dragon Boat Festival, the Chinese Food Festival, the Lantern Festival, the Double Ten, and the Chinese New Year.
Did you know…?
Jumping rope is a very popular activity for Taiwanese children. They also enjoy spinning tops made of wood, plastic or metal
You can make your own dragon costume and have your own dragon dance.
How
To Make Your Parade Dragon Puppet
Supplies 2 - 9" paper plates Stapler Construction paper in bright colors Markers Craft stick Scissors Dragon face pattern Glue
Directions:
Cut construction paper strips, one-inch wide and approximately 12" long. Fan fold strips for added effect. Glue paper strips around the edges of the front of one plate Glue the second paper plate to the first plate with the craft stick, handle in between. Staple for reinforcement. Cut out "ruffly" part of head (to hide the plate) and glue to back of paper plates which are stuck together. Color dragon face coloring sheet with bright colored markers. Cut out and glue to center of back of paper plates, on top of "ruffly" part. Add horns or bells or noise makers to the dragon puppet.
The Chinese Language On the island of Taiwan, the most commonly spoken language is Mandarin Chinese. This is one of the oldest languages in the world today! The Chinese written language is very different from English. Chinese does not use letters like we do. Instead, they use pictures, or characters, that stand for things or ideas. In the English language, there are 26 letters in the alphabet, but there are over 50,000 characters in the Chinese language! Chinese writing is so beautiful, that it is considered an art and is compared to paintings. Practice drawing some of the Chinese characters below:
Made
in Taiwan The people of Taiwan live very comfortably and have what is called a “high standard of living.” This means that the majority of the citizens make enough money to buy what they need or want. For example, they can afford to eat out in restaurants frequently and to have things such as television sets and cars. Many of the people that live in countries around Taiwan do not have a “high standard of living” like the people of Taiwan. The people of Taiwan can have this kind of lifestyle because the economy is very strong. Taiwan produces a large amount of products that they sell to other countries around the world. These products, called exports, not only help make the Taiwanese economy strong, but they also provide other people with things they may not be able to make in their own countries.
Did you know? Taipei has lots of fun things for children to do. They have a zoo, a Sea World and a park called Wonderland, which is like Disney World
ACTIVITY: How many objects around you are made in Taiwan?
Did
you know…?
Bibliography
Culturgram 2000 – Taiwan. Millenium Star Network and Brigham Young University, 2000.
Insight Guides – Taiwan. Sixth Edition. Edited by Paul Zach, 1993 APA Publications (UK) Ltd. Various websites on the World Wide Web, including:
www.geocities.com/Tokyo/7031/taiwan.htm
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In
the past, Taiwan traded mostly agricultural products such as fruits and
vegetables.
