Taipei Local Customs

The Wuchang Uprising (武昌起義, pinyin: Wǔchāng Qǐyì) of October 10, 1911,
started the Xinhai Revolution,
which triggered the collapse of the Qing Dynasty
and establishment of the Republic of China (ROC).
Sun Yat-sen's statue standing at the "First Uprising Plaza" of Wuhan,
in front of the office building of the Hubei military government of ROC,
the organization of revolutionaries established one day later after
the uprising.

In 1900, the ruling Qing Dynasty decided to create a modernized army,
called the "New Army". At the time, the city of Wuchang, on the Yangtze River
in the province of Hubei, had the most modernized military industry,
so it became the site where weapons and other military equipment for the
New Army was manufactured. The revolutionary ideas of Sun Yat-sen
extensively influenced officers and soldiers of the New Army in Wuchang,
and many participated in revolutionary organizations.

The uprising itself broke out largely by accident. Revolutionaries intent on
overthrowing the Qing dynasty had built bombs and one accidentally exploded.
This led police to investigate, and they discovered lists of revolutionaries
within the New Army. At this point elements of the New Army revolted rather
than face arrest. The provincial government panicked and fled. Initially, the revolt was
considered to be merely the latest in a series of mutinies that had occurred
in southern China, and was widely expected to be quickly put down.
The fact that it had much larger implications was due to the fact that the
Qing dynasty delayed acting against the rebellion,
allowing provincial assemblies in many southern provinces to declare
independence from the Qing and declare allegiance to the rebellion.

Shihlin Night Market is the one of the largest night markets in Taipei. The market is centered on Yangmin Theater and Tsicheng Temple. The night market is formed by many prosperous shops on Wenlin Road, Datung Road and Danan Road, etc. Among them, Shihlin Market was built as early as in 1899 and the market is famous for various snacks and eatery. Many visitors have come to Shihlin Night Market to enjoy the delicious foods, such as large pancake enfolding small pancake, hot pot on stone or Shihlin sausage. Shihlin Night Market has become a renowned place for great foods.
Because the night market is close to many schools, students are the main customer group. Goods are sold at less expensive prices as compared to regular stores. There are special areas for furniture, clothing, photo shops or pet shops. The finery shops and cold dessert shops in "lover's lane" attract most student customers.
Shihlin Night Market covers a large area. When one walks in the turning lanes and alleys, he (she) would often find something unexpected. The night market is packed with many people during holidays. We can often see families carrying many things from shopping and enjoying good meals. Their satisfaction is fully shown from their happy expressions

Everywhere you go in Taipei you will see cram schools, every day after state school, huge numbers of children are sent to the English language centres. Childrens workloads are quite heavy in Taiwan but many love to speak English here.

The betel nut or areca is a favourite among men in Taiwan, chewed for its mildly narcotic effects, you can frequently see men with red stained teeth, who have just taken it. The so-called betel nut beauties sell them from thousands of little booths all over Taiwan with lots of neon lights, most wear skimpy outfits to attract trade.

Taipei only has a population of 6 million people, but it is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, as a result many Taiwanese live in tiny apartments, buildings are tightly packed together and space is at a premium.

When I was there, taking the underground trains around the city, I was quite taken aback by how discipline and considerate they are.

All of the people there queue to board the train in an orderly manner.

When you are taking the escalators, keep to the right if you are standing, and the left is for people who are walking up or running up.
If you are in the left lane, you gotta constantly move up and do not stop to jam and block the people behind you.

In the walking tunnels, keep to the right constantly. The on coming people will do the same and the centre lane are for those in a rush.
Talk about consideration.

They've really done it.

If you are up early in Taipei (and you could be if you just arrived from North America), get out of bed and visit a nearby park. THere you are certain to see the local citizenry out practicing Tai Chi, either alone or in groups. These calestenics are very popular with the older demographic (or so it seems from my observation) and many people swear it helps keep them young.

In January 1887, the 21-year-old Sun was transferred to the Hong Kong
College of Medicine for Chinese. He graduated 5 years later.
This was the period that greatly influenced Sun's revolutionary and career pursuits
In Hong Kong, Sun Yat Sen, Chen Shaobai, Wang Lie and Yang Heling often
discussed political affairs at Yang Heling's shop, Yao Ji. Their debates about
revolutionary ideologies and problems lasted over the years they were at medical school
These discussions gave much inspiration to Sun Yat Sen. The foursome was known
as "the 4 Desperadoes".

During that era, Hong Kong was orderly and honest compared to China under
Manchu rule. The British and European systems of administration were better.
This led Sun Yat Sen to realise that a reform in the government will lead to
a better society. China has been without a good government for many years.
Hence, Sun Yat Sen decided to launch his revolutionary career after graduation
and give up his chances of becoming a doctor. He mentioned,
"All my revolutionary thoughts originated from Hong Kong."