Partner Country of the Month: Taiwan*
Taiwan, that's Taipei and nothing else? Far from it. In addition to modern cities, Taiwan offers a wide variety of landscapes with forested mountain ranges, beaches, hot springs and rainforests in an area only roughly the size of the Netherlands. Not for nothing did Portuguese sailors in the 16th century call the island Ilha Formosa, beautiful island. Also worth mentioning: Due to efficient and early regulations, Taiwan has so far mastered the Corona crisis extremely well and with less restrictions than most other parts of the world.
With the "Partner Country of the Month" campaign, we want to shine a spotlight on the countries, regions and partner universities of TU Dresden that our exchange students don't necessarily think of first.
* The term “country” in the list includes states, provinces and territories. Its usage is not indicative of the German Government’s position on the status of any given country or region.: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/en/aussenpolitik/laenderinformationen/taiwan-node/taiwan/233988
Table of contents
General facts and figures about Taiwan
Capital: Taipei
Population: 23.6 million
Official languages: Mandarin Chinese; further recognized as national languages are Taiwanese Hokkien, Hakka and several indigenous languages
National holiday: 10 October (Wuchang Uprising)
Currency: New Taiwan dollar (NT$). 1 € = ca. 34 NT$
Further facts and figures can be found on wikipedia, on the official info website of Taiwan or e.g. at Taiwan's tourism bureau.
Small language excursion:
Which language is spoken in Taiwan? The answer is not that simple. The official language is Mandarin Chinese, which prevails in the education system, the economy and the media. Speaking Mandarin, you should easily get around everywhere in Taiwan.
However, other languages are also spoken, especially Taiwanese Hokkien. This southern Chinese language variant is used a lot informally in everyday life. Language preference also varies by region. In Taipei and other urban centers, people tend to speak Mandarin, while in the south of Taiwan a lot of Hokkien is spoken. The generations under 60 years old have mostly grown up bilingual.
A special feature of Taiwan is that traditional Chinese characters are used to write Mandarin, while in mainland China, the characters are simplified. Hokkien, on the other hand, is a mainly oral language. It doesn't have a standardized writing system - some people use Chinese characters to write it, others an alphabet-based system, or even both mixed together.
In our little language course, you will first find the translation in Mandarin, and then in Hokkien as well.
- Hello - 你好 nǐ hǎo / lí-hó
- How are you? - 你好嗎? nǐ hǎo ma? / lí hó-bò?
- My name is ... - 我姓 ... wǒ xìng ... / góa kiò ...
- What costs ...? - 多少钱 duō shao qián / lōa-chōe
- Thank you - 謝謝 xièxie / to-siā
- Bye - 再見 zàijiàn / chài-kià
The young and urban population of Taiwan tends to speak English very well. However, it's always helpful to have basic knowledge of the national language. In Dresden, you can study Mandarin at the East Asia Center or, for example, at VHS (courses are in German). The East Asia Center also offers regional studies on the larger Chinese cultural area, including a course on Taiwanese politics and society.
Many Taiwanese universities offer a wide range of courses in English for exchange students. However, before you apply, please check the exact requirements of the partner university.
Did you know that ....?
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Karaoke is very popular in Taiwan? If you order a cab in Taipei via app, you can filter for cabs with a karaoke box (KTV), in addition to options such as an English-speaking driver.
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Some people in Taiwan officially changed their names to "salmon" in March 2021? As a promotion, a sushi chain had offered free all-you-can-eat for up to 6 people to any person whose name contained the characters for salmon. What the chain hadn't considered is that in Taiwan you can easily and cheaply change your name for up to three times. Local media reported names like "Salmon Prince" "Meteor Salmon King" and "Explosive Good Looking Salmon."
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Bubble tea was invented in Taiwan in the 1980s? Since then, it has become a veritable symbol of Taiwanese culture and identity. In 2020, a bubble tea design was even proposed as a new cover for the passport.
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the world's largest tuned mass damper is installed in the Taipei 101 skyscraper? Compensating vibrations, it protects the building's structural integrity from the frequent earthquakes and typhoons. The 660-ton gold-plated steel pendulum is suspended between the 92nd and 87th floors and open to public view. It even has its own mascots, the Damper Babies.
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Taiwan is also called the realm of butterflies? Over 400 different species of butterflies live here, 56 of which are found only in Taiwan. To overwinter, some of the species are carried by northern winds to the south of the island in an annual butterfly migration. To some of the indigenous peoples, butterflies also traditionally have symbolic meanings.
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the crime rate in Taiwan is one of the lowest in the world? It is not uncommon for finders of lost valuables to go to some lengths to find the owners. This fits in with the culture of rén qíng wèi - meaning, among other things, friendliness, generosity and helpfulness toward strangers.
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in Taiwan, garbage trucks play music? The music signals to all residents that it's time to bring down their garbage - which they themselves throw into the collection truck. Often, classical music gets played, and a typical song is Beethoven's Für Elise.
Cooperation with TU Dresden
You can find an overview of all cooperations of TU Dresden that you can use for your exchange in our database. It is also often worth your time to ask professors in your own faculty who might have direct contacts to your partner university of choice.
Interdisciplinary TUDworldwide cooperations with Taiwanese universities
- Taipei: National Taiwan University of Science and Technology (Taiwan Tech)
- Hsinchu: National Tsing Hua University
Don't miss...
Rainbow Village. Like many of its kind, this former military dependents' village was supposed to be demolished. To save it, one of its last residents, the pensioner Huang Yong-Fu, began to paint the houses and streets with bright colours and a lot of imagination. This earned him the nickname Rainbow Grandpa. His project was successful - rainbow village has since become a popular art park.
Taroko National Park. Here you can explore rocky gorges, mountains, caves and waterfalls surrounded by rich nature. Taroko Gorge and the Shrine of Eternal Spring are particularly famous and picturesque. But don't forget the lesser-known trails like Baiyang Waterfall Trail, where you can walk through waterfalls in cave tunnels.
Tainan. While Taiwan is very modern for the most part, you will find its historical side in Tainan. The atmosphere of the former capital (during the Qing Dynasty) is shaped by hundreds of temples. Among Taiwanese people, Tainan is known for excellent street food. Also worth seeing: Anping Tree House, a former warehouse completely overgrown by a giant banyan tree.
Xuěhuā bīng (雪花冰) - snowflake ice cream. This is a special Taiwanese version of the dessert Bàobīng, shaved ice, which is popular in the larger Chinese cultural area. The base of xuěhuā bīng is frozen condensed milk, which takes on a snowflake-like consistency when shaved. The shaved ice is accompanied by toppings such as fresh mango or strawberries, and often also a scoop of ice cream.
Let's get cooking...
As in the larger Chinese cultural area, food is a central part of life in Taiwan. At mealtimes, people often greet each other with "Have you eaten yet?" and mostly mean a casual "How are you?". Much of Taiwan's food culture (as well as the population) originated in the southern provinces of mainland China. But Taiwan's food culture is quite diverse, with influences from the cuisine of indigenous peoples as well as from Japan and Southeast Asia.
Going hungry in Taiwan might be a difficult thing to achieve. At any time of day (and night) you can find cheap food at the many street food stalls and night markets. At the night markets, xiǎochī are especially popular. These are larger snacks that rarely get prepared at home and are often local specialties. Other xiǎochī can be found almost anywhere, for example xiǎolóngbāo or stinky tofu. Like cheese, stinky tofu is said to be very tasty despite its smell. Small pineapple cakes are extremely popular as souvenirs and holiday gifts.
Cōngyóubǐng (蔥油餅): Scallion Pancakes
These scallion pancakes originally come from Fujian province in China. They are a very popular street food, but can also be found in restaurants, and are commonly eaten for breakfast. The ingredient list is short and simple. But the secret of these pancakes lies in their texture, and in Taiwan, a pleasant texture is valued almost as much as good flavor. On the outside, the pancakes should be crispy, while the soft and chewy inside reveals a layered structure.
Ingredients:
For the dough:
- 300 g flour
- 180 ml hot water
- 1/2 tsp. salt
Additionally:
- 1 bundle of spring onions / scallions
- peanut oil
- some salt for sprinkling
Preparation:
Step 1: Dissolve the 1/2 tsp. of salt in the hot water. Then mix the water with the flour and knead into a smooth dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for at least 30 min.
Step 2: Chop the spring onions or scallions into rings.
Step 3: Knead the dough again and divide it into 3 equal pieces.
Step 4: Roll each piece of dough until it's very thin and roughly in the shape of a rectangle. Coat the dough evenly with peanut oil and sprinkle generously with scallions and a little salt. Take care to leave out the edges, so the dough can stick together and won't spill the filling when it's rolled up.
Step 5: Roll the pieces of sprinkled dough up tightly, starting from one side (preferably a short one). Then shape each resulting roll into a spiral. Carefully flatten out the spirals for the desired pancake shape.
Step 6: Heat a generous amount of peanut oil in a frying pan. To get crispy pancakes, it's important to use enough oil. When the oil is hot, put in a pancake. Cook on high heat first, then turn down to medium heat, so the inside of the pancake can cook properly. Turn the pancakes around frequently. They are done when both sides are golden brown.
(Many thanks to https://www.xuehua.tw/a/5ec84718868e1a463e3ef462?lang=zh-tw)
Contact and further contact persons
Have you had great experiences in Taiwan? Successfully spent a semester abroad in Taipei, took a boat tour on Sun Moon Lake, and sipped large quantities of bubble tea? We would be happy to share your experiences either here, on Facebook or, if you like, in a digital information event with other TUD students. Get in touch with us:

Advice on studying abroad
NameMs Federica Serra
Infocenter/ Study abroad; TUDworldwide: America
Send encrypted email via the SecureMail portal (for TUD external users only).
Visiting address:
Fritz Foerster Bau, Office 161 Mommsenstraße 6
01069 Dresden
Postal address:
TUD Dresden University of Technology International Office
01062 Dresden
Office hours:
- Tuesday:
- 09:30 - 11:30
- 12:30 - 14:30
- Thursday:
- 09:30 - 11:30
Please register at the SCS (FOE, floor 0).
Office hours by phone:
Keine Sprechzeit zwischen 20. - 28.02.2025
Do you want to get first-hand information?
Would you like to know more about Taiwan? Ask our regional ambassadors - TUD alumni who are active in many countries around the world and can give you tips and advice for your stay.
Getting in touch is very easy: On the interactive world map, markers indicate the cities where the regional ambassadors live. A short profile is stored for each one - so you can easily get in touch with them: https://tu-dresden.de/regionalbotschafter/weltkarte
Partner Countries Archive
Have you missed a partner country? No problem! Here we collect all pages of the previous months for you to read up on:
Argentina Australia Austria Belgium Brazil Bulgaria Chile China Colombia Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland Greece Hungary India Indonesia Iceland Israel Italy
Japan
Kenya Latvia
Mexico Netherlands
Poland Portugal Romania Sweden Slovakia Slovenia
South Africa South Korea
Taiwan
Thailand
Ukraine Vietnam