Hello faithful fans of the Foreigners in Taiwan website and blog.
I have some happy news! Our Facebook Page which was recently hacked and stolen has been recovered! You can find our recovered page here: https://www.facebook.com/foreignersintaiwanblog. Please follow this new page to keep up to date with our blog, and share content to help promote the amazing free country of Taiwan to the world. In this blog, I will tell you how I was hacked so you can avoid the same problem, and protect your business and assets that use Facebook Pages. I will also show you how our page was recovered (hint, it was not by using another hacker, those are all scams) and give you some ideas and effective methods you can try. The recovery process took about four months total for me (first hacked on September 30th, 2022, recovered on January 29th, 2023).
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Green World is an ecological farm in Beipu Township of Hsinchu County. It features over 70 hectares of open area, petting zoos, a reptile center, butterfly area, bird park, swan lake, and features animal shows. It is the largest and most diverse tropical rainforest ecological area in Asia and is definitely worth a trip.
Background: Green World Ecological Farm was established in 2004 and covers roughly 75 hectares of land, making it the largest and most diverse tropical rainforest ecological area in Asia. Over 50 hectares of land have been left as a nature preserve. The park features six main areas: swan lake, butterfly ecological park, discovery land area, bird ecological park, water plants park, and biodiversity adventure area. The park is popular with families and children and can get pretty packed on weekends and holidays. Price: 380 NT per person Hours: 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM Website: www.green-world.com.tw/en/about.php How to get there: By Car/Scooter: From Zhudong, take provincial highway three south until you reach the signs for Green World. You have to drive down a mountain road to get there. Parking is paid, even if you park on the side of the road. By Bus: Take bus 5608 from Hsinchu Station to Zhudong, then switch to bus 5626A which stops at Green World. The total bus journey takes about two hours. Map: Please see below: 
Update Jan 30th, 2023: our Facebook page was recoeverd! See how we recovered our Facebook Page here.
Hello faithful fans of the Foreigners in Taiwan website and blog. I have some sad news. Our Facebook Page was recently hacked and stolen. Whether or not we will ever get ownership and access to the old page remains to be seen. For now, the Facebook Support team has been no help at all. In this blog, I will show you exactly how I was hacked so that you can avoid the same problem, and protect your business and assets that use Facebook Pages. I own the Foreigners in Taiwan blog website https://www.foreignersintaiwan.com/ and I also have connected Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/foreignersintw/?hl=en), Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCeahPf5SIYB3KtQuFVS8bg), and Twitter accounts (https://twitter.com/foreignersinTW) which I fully control and have been running for years since the blog began. The entire Facebook Page was made for my website and blog, and everything I post is about life as a foreigner in Taiwan. 
Now that border restrictions are over, the long-awaited time for foreign Youtubers to make endless videos of family members trying out night market food has come. Foreign YouTubers in Taiwan have long utilized stereotypes, cliché's, and mindlessly yelling at the camera for views since the beginning of the internet. Many of them depend on YouTube to make a living, so they are afraid to stray away from the night market and stinky tofu bread and butter that has kept their views and likes through the roof.
Now I will list the top 5 clichés (aka volume hacks 流量密碼) that foreign Youtubers use to get likes, views, and clicks here in the open for the whole world to see. I think it is high time we called out these low-brow YouTubers. 
(Please note that the following questions and answers are for reference only and are not a comprehensive list of regulations. Local laws and regulations are constantly changing, and different cities, counties, and private property owners have differing droning rules. Please double check with Taiwan's Civil Aviation Bureau, local authorities, national parks, or property owners if you have any doubts about flying your drone in a certain area.
Flying a drone (quadcopter, RC helicopter, remote UAV etc.) in Taiwan can be fun, safe, and positively impact the community if you do it right. For some of our own drone videos in Taiwan, check out the video below, as well as my drone playlist on Youtube, and don't forget to subscribe to our Youtube Channel here. 
In Taiwan, funerals and death rituals are very different that funerals in the west. Taiwan's funeral rites are influenced by Buddhism, Taoism, ancestor worship, and folk religion. In this blog, we will explore the different funeral rituals and rites, and let you know what you can expect at a Taiwanese funeral.
Foreword: Please note this blog and FAQ section are written from the perspective of a long-term American expat married to a Taiwanese spouse. Part of the facts for this blog have been taken from personal experience attending multiple funerals in Taiwan, and also from research such as Chinese anthropology classes and other research. 
Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and was the capital of Taiwan for over 200 years. It is also said to be the culinary capital of Taiwan, with many traditional Taiwanese snacks that originated here. Surrounded by historical sites, from the Dutch, Koxinga, and Qing Dynasty, it is a great place to enjoy Taiwan's interesting history and its delicious cuisine.
Below I will list out some of the best places in Miaoli that I have visited. I will be sure to update this blog as I visit more places later. How to get around in Tainan? As always, we recommend renting a scooter as the best way to see Taiwan. Getting around in a car is also a convenient option as there is plenty of parking pretty much everywhere in this less crowded county. However, you can also a great deal of Tainan by taking the train, inter city bus, local bus, or bicycle (T-bike rental). When to go? Tainan is great year round, but it can get a little hot in the summer, and Typhoon season and heavy rain season lasts from about May to October. If you are afraid of the heat and rain then you can visit during winter when the temperatures are mild and the climate is dryer. You can see a map of all the places that we will visit in this blog below: 
Are you looking for a cheap foreign country to retire in? Look no further than Taiwan. Taiwan has been named as the number one best place for expats to live for multiple years. The local people are very friendly to foreigners in general, especially rich expats from western countries. Taiwan also has a low cost of living, one of the best healthcare systems in the world, a safe environment, convenient transportation, and a free democratic society. You will not regret spending your retirement in Taiwan.
Please note that this guide is written from the point of view of a heterosexual American marrying a Taiwanese National. For other types of marriages in Taiwan, double check with the your home country's consulate or office in Taiwan. For an experience of a foreigner marrying another foreigner, check out this blog by Sam.
Generally speaking, getting married in Taiwan is not that complicated. Typically, you should only require the following documents, and apply for marriage at the local house registration office:
Q: What documents do I need to get married in Taiwan? A: Marriage in Taiwan required documents:
Marriage agreement (結婚書約) sample below: 
There are roughly 750,000 legal foreign residents in Taiwan. All of them are individual people with different viewpoints and experiences. As a platform that calls itself "foreigners in Taiwan" we cannot represent every person at once. In fact, we are just Americans living in Taipei. Some people like to separate foreigners into different groups, but it is important to remember there is not just one type of foreigner, there are many of us and all of our voices should be heard.
Unfortunately, most foreigners in Taiwan are working in inhumane conditions, being exploited for cheap labor. Most of their hardships go unseen and unheard. 
Taiwan is one of the best places for expats to live in the whole world. It can be easy to enjoy your life here. However, sometimes differences in the culture, food, people, and environment can get you down. Therefore we have listed some advice for expats so that they can live their best life in Taiwan and enjoy every moment here.
Let's get started with the list. 
Coming to Taiwan as a foreigner can be a lonely and scary experience. Luckily most foreigners that come to Taiwan find out that it is easy to make friends with Taiwanese people, who are mostly friendly and curious towards foreigners in general. Here are the five main reasons that foreigners find it easy to make friends with Taiwanese people.
Hey all you Taiwan haters and long-term whiny expats, this is the article you have been waiting for. We are sick of writing Taiwan propaganda pieces, it's time to get down to the nitty gritty, why Taiwan sucks. Sure there are lots of good things about Taiwan, in fact, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, but to be fair and honest we must tell the whole story about the dark side of the best place for expats to live in the whole world.
Taiwan's outer islands are some of the most beautiful and scenic places in the whole country, and each of them can be considered a secret paradise. You can find the best beaches, snorkeling, and diving on these islands. You can also find rich and important historical sites here. Transportation may be difficult, but you will never regret visiting Taiwan's outer islands, and no trip to Taiwan should be complete without doing it.
In this blog, we will introduce the main outer islands in Taiwan that are open to tourists (there are 166 islands in Taiwan, this blog only covers a few), point out their unique traits, and compare them to each other. This way you can best prepare for your trip to the outer islands, and at the same time know what you are missing out on. All the outer Islands are great, and I highly recommend visiting them all if you can. Map: Please see a map of the islands covered in this blog below: 
"Scooter Waterfall" on the Taipei Bridge bridge between Sanchong and Taipei City.
Whether you are coming to Taiwan for three days or for three years, it can be hard getting used to a new country, and new culture, and a new way of living. To help you out, we have prepared this guide to help you survive and thrive in this amazing country.
I have had many friends ask me if I know where they can stay in Taiwan that rents month to month, or for only a few weeks at a time. Whether it be for a short time contract, short term work, a business trip, or a short time study, it can often be hard to find suitable accommodation that will not cost you a fortune. Therefore we have created this frequently asked question guide to help foreigner travelers find short term hotels that have what they need.
Your decision between an extended stay hotel and a regular hotel depends on your preferences and what amenities you anticipate needing. You can, however, enjoy more benefits with extended-stay hotels in terms of features, flexibility in booking, and prices. 
Liuhe Night Market in Kaohsiung is one of the most wide open I’ve seen, maybe because it was on a week night. It turned out there were lots of western and southeast Asian foreigners here.
It's no secret Taiwanese people love foreigners in general. Taiwan is one of the most foreigner friendly countries on earth, especially when it comes to western foreigners, and it has constantly been named one of the best places in the world for expats. Here we will list the main reasons why Taiwanese people love foreigners.
Renting an apartment in Taiwan can be confusing and frustrating. As a long term rental tenant and expat in Taiwan I have lived in over ten apartments and have dealt with all kinds of problems, from bad landlords to noise to bugs. I feel like my experience can help other expats searching for apartments in Taiwan, so I have created this guide and FAQ to help people avoid the mistakes that I have made in the past, and have a pleasant rental experience in Taiwan.
Taiwan is strange and new to foreigners. Many things in Taiwan take foreigners by surprise. As Americans we want Taiwanese people to know what kind of questions foreigners have when first coming to Taiwan. This is by no means a complete list, but is written with the intent to help Taiwanese and Foreigners have a better understanding of one another’s culture.
台灣對外國人很陌生，很稀奇。台灣有的東西會把外國人嚇一大跳。身為美國人的我們想要讓台灣人了解我們外國人對台灣常發生的問號。這不是一個很完整的列表，只是為了讓台灣跟外國跟了解彼此的文化。 10. Why are There so Many Scooters? 怎麽這麽多機車？ 
A few years ago, it was popular to make lists with answers to: "you know you have lived too long in Taiwan when..." and I never got around to making one until now. So here is a recent, up to date, modern list of items to tell if you have lived too long in Taiwan.
How do you renovate a house in Taiwan? With lots and lots of money. Blog over.
Just kidding. It is much more complex than that, and you will have to put in a lot of time, effort, planning, and decision making on your part. In this post, I will share with you in detail my personal experience renovating an old apartment in Taiwan for your reference. Hopefully this will be helpful to someone considering buying an old house or doing renovations themselves as a foreigner in Taiwan. 
Two weeks ago I asked all of my followers which products they missed from their home country, and these are the results. In the process, a lot of people gave great suggestions on where to buy these products in Taiwan. I am giving out this information for free to anyone that wants to use it as market research, or wants to know which products people are missing in Taiwan, so that someone will start importing these products to us!
Which products do you miss from your home country that you wish were sold in Taiwan? I'll go first: graham crackers, Pop Tarts, and Old Spice. It turns out that these three products have been found in Taiwan. 
Before you read this blog, for a general overview of house buying in Taiwan, check out the buying a house in Taiwan FAQ article here.
You can also see our experience renting houses before we started considering buying in this blog. Buying a house was easy, once I had enough money. Can I stop there? Okay first let me explain I am a middle aged American married to a Taiwanese national. I have lived in Taiwan about eight years already. 
I am done renting apartments in Taiwan. I hope. I just bought an apartment here, so I think it is finally time to chronicle my experiences here for all to enjoy. I hope that some new foreigner will learn something from these experiences and not make the same mistakes.
In total I have rented four apartments in Taiwan. During that process I learned a lot about what to watch out for when you are looking for an apartment, especially from landlords and “amenities” provided. 
Foreward: This blog has taken me countless hours over a few years to compile, so if you want to share the information or photos in this blog, please provide a link and proper citation back to this web page.
The New Taiwan Dollar is the national currency of Taiwan (ROC), and it includes five main bills and five main coins that are currently in circulation. It is one of the sure signs that Taiwan is a free and independent nation. Have you ever wondered what the meaning or significance of the designs on these bills? Well in this blog we will explore these in depth. History: Old Taiwan Dollar: Ever wonder what happened to the old Taiwan Dollar? It was the official currency of Taiwan after 1945, replacing the Japanese Yen that had previously been used at roughly the same price. It was discontinued in 1949 due to hyperinflation that hit China after WWII due to the Chinese Civil War, which also affected Taiwan and the Taiwan Dollar. To help solve hyperinflation, the New Taiwan Dollar was created June 15, 1949 as the official currency of Taiwan, after the ROC lost the Chinese Civil War and retreated to Taiwan. The currency was valued as 1 New Taiwan Dollar to 40,000 Taiwan Dollars. New Taiwan Dollar Beginnings: The New Taiwan Dollar currency was adopted as the official currency of the Republic of China only in 1961. Before that, Kinmen and Matsu had their own special currency notes, which have been discontinued. In 2001, the New Taiwan Dollar currency stopped being printed at the Bank of Taiwan, and is now printed at Taiwan's Central Bank. The New Taiwan Dollar bills and coins have gone through many changes over the years, but most of them have included either Chiang Kai-shek or Sun Yat-sen on the face of the notes. After 1976 until 2001, most notes were either 10 NT, 100 NT, 500 NT, and 1000 NT. From then until now, there have been five generations or series of notes and coins. This blog will focus on the current fifth series. For a full list of historical notes, click here. Previous Versions: Before the year 2000, prior generations of bank notes were easily copied, as they lacked special marking and printing techniques. Counterfeit bills were often used in night markets and vegetable markets because they would not be scrutinized for their authenticity. In addition, former bills were less durable and could be ruined even if just put through a washing machine cycle. Although current bills can also still be ruined in a washing machine...sigh. Also the fourth generation of bills(which began circulation in 1982) did not include a 20 NT coin or a 200 or 2000 NT bill; and people normally only used 1 NT, 5 NT, 10 NT, 50 NT, 100 NT, 500 NT, and 1000 NT. Because this was not very long ago, part of the reason the 20 NT, 200 NT, and 2000 NT are not widely used is because people are still used to using only 10 NT, 100 NT, 500 NT and 1000 NT. Current Version: Starting in the year 2000, the central bank began printing the modern fifth generation version of New Taiwan Dollar notes that we use today. The current 100 NT note was first printed in 2000, the 200 NT and 2000 NT notes were first printed in 2001, and the current 500 NT and 1000 NT notes were first printed in 2004. In 2001, the 20 NT coin was introduced, but other coins remained the same. New Taiwan Dollars can be denoted as TWD, NTD or NT$. Common symbols on the New Taiwan Dollar:
Current coins and bills in circulation (fifth series of the new Taiwan Dollar): |
Author 作家We are US Expats that have extensive experience living, working, and travelling in Taiwan. In our day, we had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But we have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. Our blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. We are just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Archives 檔案
February 2023
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