Taiwan - Transit and Language

The transit system is clean, fast, and easy to use. We always found night markets, major landmarks, public buildings, monuments, shopping districts and malls, and all sorts of recreational facilities accessible through more than one mode of public transit. We observed a high ridership in the various transit options, partly because of the high standards of maintenance, cleanliness, and reliability. Almost all train and metro stations feature convenience stores, shopping stores, and all kinds of eateries. It felt like a mini-mall of a kind.

We did not take a single flight within Taiwan but managed to travel around the island country via trains. The THSR (Taiwan High-Speed Railways) and TRA (Taiwan Railways Administration) present a wide range of timings, travel time, and costs to its patrons with connections to almost all the major cities in the country. Most train stations provide connections to the local metro/bus network from the stations themselves, branching out to the farthest point of their jurisdiction.

Culturally, Taiwan values its language a lot. Most signage, menus, hoardings, public notices and information boards/screens are in Taiwanese Mandarin. We found that English was not popular or spoken widely even in the touristy parts of Taipei. Small talk with locals in English may prove to be difficult; we could barely manage to strike up a conversation with a few younger adults throughout our trip, most being at reception areas of hotels and restaurants catering to foreign cuisine and crowd. Hence, the need to have access to the internet is vital and Google Translate was a lifesaver.

People in Taiwan are tech-savvy, irrespective of age. You can expect a prompt response as text on their mobile phones if you present a question after translating your query through an app on your device. Navigating the country was easy, thanks to Google Translate and a strong cellular network.

Whether you like history, nature, art, or entertainment, there is a diversity of activity options in Taiwan. the country projected a strong community spirit with a liberal outlook, politeness in their manners as well as speech, and a society enjoying the perks of high-density neighborhoods with bustling local shopping districts and night markets, vibrant festivals, and appetizing cuisine.