Cultur al Discovery in Taiwan

BY KELLY KWONG (FS 2022/23, LINGNAN UNIVERSITY )

I had my exchange at National Central University (NCU), Taiwan for approximately four months. During the programme, I took unique courses on Hakka culture offered at the university. These have enabled me to understand more about the Hakka people in the Taiwanese community and how the different cultures are preserved in Taiwan. I have also acquired some basic Hokkien to have small conversations with older people in Taiwan who mainly speak Hokkien but not Chinese.

Another feature of my exchange is my leisure trips to different places, e.g., Keelung, New Taipei City, Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung. As a Sociology student, I have been observant of the different happenings in the local community. I stayed in Kaohsiung during Lunar New Year and noticed how Taiwanese people place great emphasis on traditions, with—many of them are wearing red clothing during the Chinese New Year. Also, the dishes they have for a new year meal are completely different from Hong Kong. The carrot cakes are eaten on New Year’s Eve; dumplings and hotpots are commonly prepared; mullet roe with either Taiwanese pear or white radish are served. The dining culture also differs from Hong Kong. In Taiwan, individuals tend to have meals with very large families so that the number of people can fill 3-4 big round tables.