Taiwan, ROC

MSU/Taiwan
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General Information

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Brief History
Location and Topography
Population
Religions
Language
Electricity & Water
Vaccinations
Tipping
Public Holidays
Telephone
Transport, Airlines, Trains, Buses, Car Rentals
- Brief History
  
  Taiwan has a rich, colorful history. It becomes a protectorate of the Chinese Empire in 1206, the year the great Mongol conqueror Genghis Khan founded the Yuan dynasty. The island was made a prefecture(country) of the coastal mainland province of Fukien in 1684, and in 1885, during the Ching or Manchu dynasty (China's last reigning house), Taiwan was proclaimed a separate province of China.
  
  For centuries Taiwan has been familiar to the West as Formosa, a name derived from the 16th century Portuguese mariners who, on sighting the island from a galleon, named it "Ilha Formosa!" (Beautiful Island!). The official Chinese name for the Pescadores (Fishermen's Isles), a name also given by Portuguese mariners, is Penghu. The archipelago is located in the Taiwan Strait, and forms one of the 16 counties of Taiwan province.
  
  The Dutch invaded Taiwan in 1624 and remained as colonists for 37 years. The Spanish invaded and occupied northernmost Taiwan in 1626, but were driven out by the Dutch 16 years later in 1642. The Dutch were finally dislodged in 1661 by invading forces from the mainland led by the Ming dynasty loyalist Cheng Cheng-kung, whose latinized name, Koxinga, derives from his ennoblement by the Ming court as Kuo Hsing Yeh, or lord of the Imperial Surname. Koxinga hoped to use Taiwan as his base in the fight to overthrow the Ching dynasty and restore the Ming dynasty.
  
  In 1884 the French occupied northernmost Taiwan following a dispute with China over, the Yunnan-Indochina border. In March 1885 they also occupied the Pescadores, but withdrew from both the Pescadores and Taiwan three months later under the terms of a treaty with China.
  
  The Japanese went to war with China in 1894 following a dispute over Korea. By the treaty of Shimonoseki, concluded in 1895, Taiwan and the Pescadores were ceded to Japan. Under another provision, Korea, over which China had exercised suzerainty, was declared independent and, as expected, was subsequently annexed by Japan. Taiwan and the Pescadores were restored to Chinese rule at the end of World War II in 1945.
  
  The principal city of Taiwan is Taipei, which since December 7,1949, has been the provisional capital of the Republic of China.
  
  The Republic of China(ROC) was born in the Wuchang Revolution which erupted on October 10, 1911. The ROC was formally established on January 1, 1912 and brought the republican form of government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" to replace the weak, corrupt bureaucracy of the Ching dynasty.
  
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- Location and Topography
  
  Taiwan is situated in the Pacific Ocean about 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the southeastern coast of the Chinese mainland. Located about midway between Korea and Japan to the north and Hong Kong and Philippines to the south, Taiwan is a natural gateway for travelers to and within Asia.
  
  Shaped roughly like a tobacco leaf, Taiwan is 394 kilometers(245 miles) long and 144 kilometers(89.5 miles) wide at its broadest point. The Central Mountain Range bisects Taiwan from north to south and about two-thirds of the island is covered with forested peaks. The rest of the island is made up of foothills, terraced flatlands, and coastal plains and basins.
  
  Taiwan province includes the Penghu Archipelago--a group of 64 islands previously known as the Pescadores--and 21 other islands.
  
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- Climate
  
  Taiwan's climate is subtropical, with average annual temperatures of 21.7C (71.2F) in the north and 24.1C(75.7F) in the south. The rainy season, in May and June, typically heralds the start of summer. Summers, which last from May through September, are usually hot and humid with daytime temperatures from 27C to 35C(in the 80's and 90's F). Winters, from December through February, are short and mild;snow falls only on the island's higher mountains.
  
  In general, visitors should wear lightweight clothing from April through November;sweaters and coats are necessary only from December through March and in air-conditioned restaurants, cinemas, etc.
  
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- Population
  
  At the end of 1990 (the latest year for which statistics are available), Taiwan's population exceeded 20 million, which makes the island one of the world's most densely populated places. Except for the approximately 350,000 aborigines, the people of Taiwan originate from the Chinese mainland, most from the coastal province of Fukien.
  
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- Religions
  
  The Chinese religious belief system has a guardian deity for almost every aspect of human life. The Chinese deities revered in Taiwan, notably Kuan Yin, Goddess of Mercy, and Matsu Godness of the Sea, all had their origins on the Chinese mainland, Taoism and other indigenous Chinese religions, and such imported religion as Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, also came to Taiwan via the mainland, Today Buddhism and Taoism are the predominant religions in Taiwan, along with signification numbers of Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Moslems.
  
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- Languages
  
  Mandarin Chinese is the official language in Taiwan, though other dialects are also spoken. Many people can speak some English, but most taxi drivers do not speak English.
  
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- Eletricity & Water
  
  Electric current is 110 volts, 60 cycles, AC. Drinking water served at hotels and restaurants is distilled or boiled.
  
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- Vaccinations
  
  Persons who have been in cholera-infected areas must be inoculated more than seven days but less than six months before arrival. A smallpox vaccination is no longer required.
  
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- Currency
  
  The Republic of China's unit of currency is the NEW Taiwan dollars (NT$). Foreign currencies can be exchanged at government-designated and private banks and hotels. Receipts are given when currency is exchanged, and must be presented in order to exchange unused NT dollars before departure.
  
  Major credit cards are accepted and traveler's checks may be cashed at some tourist-oriented businesses and by room guests at most international tourist hotels.
  
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- Tipping
  
  The standard tips is about NT$50 per piece of luggage. A 10% service charge is automatically added to room rates and meals. All other tipping is optional.
  
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- Bussiness Hours
  
  Banks are open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, while most commercial firms are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
  
  Government offices are open from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Saturday.
  
  Department stores are open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. and most other stores are open from 9 or 10 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m.
  
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- Telephone
  
  Overseas Calls
  
  On private phones, the Overseas operator may be reached by dialing "100," and direct dialing is available as well. Person-to-person and station-to-station calls are accepted. For information call the Telecommunications Administration at (02) 321-2535. Overseas call may also be made on public facilities at ITA office. Rates for international direct dialing are calculated every six seconds.
  
  AT&T USA Direct Service World Connect Service is available from almost 90% of public phones in Taiwan by dialing 0080-10288-0. You can simply pick up the handset of any public phone and dial the access number with no need to insert a phone card or coin, wait a few seconds and you will be connected to AT&T USA Direct Service. Use your AT&T calling card or call collect--easy and fast.
  
  Domestic Long Distance
  
  These may be made on private phones or pay phones directly, or through the telephone bureau.
  
  City Pay Phones
  
  The rate for public pay phone is one NT dollar for three minutes and approximately NT$10 for domestic calls. You can buy telecards which cost NT$100 each to save trouble finding coins to make phone calls.
  
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- Transport
  
  Airport limousine buses are available from CKS International Airport to Taipei every 15 minutes, and tickets cost around NT$111 per person.
  
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- Airlines
  
  China Airlines, Far Eastern, Formosa, Trans-Asia, Taiwan, Great China and Makung airlines operate daily flights between main cities, with many flights a day between Taipei and Kaohsiung, and other serving Tainan, Taichung, Chiyi, Hualien and Taitung. Nearby Green island, Lanyu(Orchid Island), Makung and Chimei on Penhu and Kinmen are among the smaller islands linked to one or more of these cities daily.
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- Trains
  
  The Taiwan Railway Administration provides fully electrified round-the-island services from Taipei to the main cities both on the west and the east coasts. The trains are frequent, comfortable, efficient and inexpensive. Express trains, depending on comfort and speed, are divided into three classes with slightly differing prices. Sleep service is also available on night trains beween Taipei and Kaohsiung, and the travel time is five to six hours. Reservations should be made at the main railway statio
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- Buses
  
  Highway bus services connect Taipei with all major cities and scenic spots. The government-owned Taiwan Motor Trasport and private United Highway Bus Corp., both providing inter-city, air-conditional express buses to different destinations. Fares are reasonable. For information and reservations in Taipei, call North Bus Terminal,(02)536-5698; West Bus Terminal,(02)311-9466; Chunglun Terminal,(02)711-9627; United Bus,(02)995-8735.
  City buses in Taipei are plentiful and frequent, and the fare differs according to the distance traveled. One section fare is NT$12 for air-conditioned buses, and you pay when boarding, or sometimes when getting off. The name of the destination and route number are indicated on the front and rear windshields of buses. A route guide can be obtained form sidewalk newstands.
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- Car Rentals
  
  Self-drive cars are not recommended in big cities in view of the heavy traffic and limited parking space, but in rural and other less populated areas, they are more suitable. Credit cards or sizable deposits are required in addition to an international or Taiwan driver's license. Chauffeur-driven cars are also available.
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- Public Holidays
  These are the official civic and religious holidays, when banks, offices and most shops are closed. Most holidays fall on a fixed date every year, but some traditional holidays change according to the Chinese lunar calendar from year to year.
  Founding Day: Jan. 1-3, 1994 *Chinese New Year : Feb. 9-13 Youth Day : March 29 Tomb Sweeping Day : April 5 *Dragon Boat Festival : June 13 *Mid-Autumn Festival: Sept. 20 Teachers' Day : Sept. 28 National Day : Oct. 10 Taiwan Retrocession Day : Oct. 25 Chiang Kai-shek's Birthday : Oct. 31 Sun Yat-sen's Birthday : Nov. 12 Constitution Day : Dec. 25 * According to the Chinese lunar calendar
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