# 10 Things Taiwan Does Better Than Anywhere Else > From street food to museums to service, here are 10 things Taiwan does better than anywhere else. Discover what makes this island so surprising. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/10-veshchei-kotore-taivan-delaet-luchshe-chem-hdelybo-eshche/ - Language: en - Published: 2024-12-29 - Categories: Culture, Leisure, Restaurants, Museums, Taiwan, Food & Drinks --- With 23 million people packed onto an island just over 36,000 square kilometers, Taiwan ranks among the 20 most densely populated places in the world. Although this hard-working island earned its global reputation for cheap electronics, it is one of the Asian tigers that offers far more than the stickers on the backs of calculators. Economically it has little left to prove, yet the Taiwanese remain a proud and determined people. As you plan your trip, keep in mind these 10 things Taiwan does better than anywhere else: ## 1. Night markets ![](/storage/image/prev/september-article-image-87-1-2024.jpg) For an island smaller than Switzerland, Taiwan is certainly rich in night markets, with roughly 300 scattered across the country. These open-air bazaars are especially beloved for their street food, which locals call xiao chi, literally "little eats." Perennial favorites include oyster omelets, stinky tofu, and an assortment of snacks on a stick straight off the grill. Signature drinks range from bubble tea to shots of snake blood. According to Taiwan's Tourism Bureau, about 70% of tourists who visit Taiwan stop by a night market. The three most popular Facebook check-in spots in Taiwan in 2013 were all night markets; the Tainan Flower Night Market (12th in the world) took the top spot, followed by the Luodong and Feng Chia night markets in Yilan and Taichung respectively. ## 2. Theme restaurants If literal toilet humor (food served in miniature urinals and toilet bowls) is your idea of fun, Taiwan will give you plenty to laugh about. Modern Toilet restaurants poke at the taboos around table manners by posing cheeky questions on their websites, such as: "To eat or to pee? That is the question." At the other end of the spectrum, you can overdose on cuteness at Hello Kitty cafes, where everything from burger buns to soup bowls is shaped like the mouthless cartoon cat. (Read more about the kitten obsession in number 9 below.) What? Can't get enough of pink and glitter? That's fine, because Taiwan is home to the world's first Barbie-themed restaurant, complete with Mattel-approved pink plastic and frilly tutus. Past theme restaurants in Taiwan have included a cafe modeled on the Airbus A380, with flight attendants serving food and drinks from a trolley, as well as prison, hospital, and school-themed spots. ## 3. Free Wi-Fi Since 2011, Taiwanese citizens have been able to connect to iTaiwan, the island's free Wi-Fi network. Taiwan is one of the first places in the world to offer free Wi-Fi on a massive scale. In June 2013, the service was extended to tourists in four of the five largest cities, using more than 4,400 hotspots. Visitors can register an iTaiwan account with their passport at Taiwan Tourism Bureau centers and offices at transport stations, then enjoy free Wi-Fi in Taipei, New Taipei, Taichung, and Tainan. ## 4. Chinese artifacts ![](/storage/image/prev/september-article-image-87-2-2024.jpg) You might assume it would be in Beijing or Shanghai, but the National Palace Museum in Taipei holds the world's largest collection of Chinese artifacts and artworks. Its remarkable permanent collection includes more than 650,000 pieces. Chinese history is told through bronze statues, jade carvings, calligraphy, lacquerware, and other historical objects, many of which belonged to Chinese imperial families, including an astonishingly lifelike meat-shaped stone and a jadeite cabbage. Despite several rounds of expansion to the building, only a fraction of the collection is on display (no more than 10,000 pieces at any given time), which makes the museum well worth visiting again and again throughout the year. ## 5. Animated news With an army of roughly 400 animators, Next Media Animation (NMA), a Taiwanese animation studio, can turn any news story into a cartoon in just 90 minutes (you can watch a behind-the-scenes video here). Even more impressive, the videos are usually satirical, outrageous, and hilarious. Founded by a Hong Kong media mogul, the studio takes infotainment to another level. Established in 2007 to create CGI-animated news videos without real footage for Apple Daily News in Hong Kong and Taiwan, the talents of Taiwan's animators were revealed to the world in 2009 with the release of their comical video imagining what might have happened during Tiger Woods' infamous car crash. In the video, now ex-wife Elin Nordegren chases Tiger Woods' car with a golf club after learning of Woods' infidelity. After the video went viral, the company decided to serve international audiences in Japanese and English. Some of the team's most popular recent work includes a video about the execution of Kim Jong-un's uncle and a rundown of five stories that should die in 2014. ## 6. Mock meat As one of the most vegetarian-friendly destinations in the world, Taiwan offers around 6,000 restaurants serving an impressive variety of tasty vegetarian dishes to feed the 10% of the population that avoids meat. But while it can't top India for the abundance and variety of its vegetarian cuisine, Taiwan is the best place to be when you crave meat but don't actually want to eat it. Yes, we're talking about mock meat. Given how central flesh is to the traditional Chinese diet, it's no surprise that Taiwanese fake meat, usually made from soy protein or wheat gluten, can fool even die-hard carnivores. Yes, there have been scandals that exposed real meat inside supposed mock-meat dishes. But it's a thriving industry here and is considered a staple all across Taiwan. Fried mock meat in particular is uncannily close to the real thing. ## 7. Little League baseball ![](/storage/image/prev/september-article-image-87-3-2024.jpg) Baseball may be the most popular sport in Taiwan, with baseball fields almost as common as dumplings across the island. Taiwan holds the record for the most Little League World Series championship titles (17), nearly double that of its closest rival, Japan. Adding to the trophy cabinet, a team from Taiwan won the Junior League Baseball World Series in 2013. ## 8. National health insurance Taiwan has what many call the world's best universal healthcare system. Legal residents can see any specialist in the country. Doctors anywhere can access your complete medical record through a smart card, offer consultations, and prescribe Chinese medicine and/or prescription drugs. Fees are billed directly and reimbursed by the National Health Insurance Administration, whose 2% administrative costs are the lowest in the world. ## 9. Hello Kitty obsession ![](/storage/image/prev/september-article-image-87-4-2024.jpg) Taiwan's obsession with the Japanese Sanrio character isn't limited to cat-themed restaurants. Taiwan holds the distinction of being the first in the world to be honored with a Hello Kitty branded beer. The beer, brewed by Taiwan Tsing Beer, purred its way onto store shelves this year. The light drink features fruity flavors, from lime to a distinctly avant-garde banana infusion. Eva Airways made headlines in 2013 with the revival of its themed planes, which feature the ubiquitous cat on everything from the exterior livery to headrest covers and fruit sliced into the shape of you-know-what. Eva Airways' special site dedicated to its Hello Kitty Jets offers mind-expanding facts, including Hello Kitty's height (five apples tall) and weight (three apples). The Grand Hi-Lai Hotel in Kaohsiung offers Hello Kitty-themed rooms, with the cat's signature bow and/or silhouette printed on everything in sight. Pink kitty curtains, kitty bath accessories, a kitty tea set, and a radio that plays Hello Kitty music, it's all there. Not yet reaching for the insulin shot? Then you can book breakfast with a "live" talking and moving Hello Kitty. ## 10. Little dumplings Yes, we admit xiaolongbao is a delicacy raised in Shanghai, but Taiwan is slowly taking over the dumpling world, one broth-filled bite at a time. Starting from a single shop in Taipei, Din Tai Fung now serves its famous xiaolongbao in destinations as far-flung as Australia, Thailand, and the United States. Its two Hong Kong branches have earned the coveted Michelin star, and its flagship Xinyi store in Taipei made it into the Miele Guide. Not bad for a chain restaurant, and not a "fancy" one at that. When Tom Cruise visited Taiwan in 2013, he joined in the 18-fold-per-dumpling ritual, taking a cooking class at the branch inside Taipei 101. Even better? Din Tai Fung was ranked 2nd on a list of the best franchises for travelers.