Good to know
Good to Know
- You will still find English in many hotels, airports, major tourist sites, and central areas of Taipei or Kaohsiung, but English is less reliable in rural areas, traditional eateries, small shops, and local markets.
- In Kaohsiung, people value order and respect queues. When waiting in line for public transportation, always join the end of the line and wait for your turn.
- Don't snap your fingers to get a person's attention. Instead of snapping, politely call out to someone to get their attention.
- Most people beckon to each other with their palms facing down, waving towards the ground, and travellers are well advised to emulate this – calling people towards you by rolling your fingers back with your palms up is widely considered to be crudely suggestive, particularly when a man is motioning towards a woman.
- Wasting food in Taiwan is a HUGE no-no and really disrespectful to the people who made your meal.
- After eating, unless they explicitly state that tipping is allowed, it's considered rude and may make people feel that you think of them as low or poor.
Gift Giving
Presentation and Acceptance
- Description
- Present and receive gifts with both hands and do not open them in front of the giver. Recipients may refuse a gift to be polite, but politely persist until the gift is accepted.
Items to Avoid
- Description
- Avoid giving knives, scissors or cutting tools as they symbolize the cutting off of friendships. Clocks are considered a no-go gift as giving a clock as a gift relates to the Mandarin phrase of saying goodbye to the deceased. And you definitely do not want to suggest that the recipient's time is running out.
Home Visits
Shoe Removal
- Description
- Respect the custom of taking off your shoes before entering someone's home. Shoes do not belong inside the home. It's considered dirty with a lot of outside bacteria.
Gift Bringing
- Description
- If you're invited to someone's home, it's a good idea to bring a gift, usually something simple such as flowers, a tin of biscuits or cookies, or a box of chocolates.
Punctuality
Business and Social Settings
- Description
- Punctuality is appreciated, but being a few minutes early or late is acceptable. However, punctuality is expected and Taiwanese value the meeting of deadlines by the set time.
Sensitive Topics
Taiwan-China Relations
- Sensitivity
- Topics related to Taiwan and China can be extremely sensitive. It doesn't matter who you're with, don't ever talk to people about the relations between Taiwan and China — UNLESS you're super close to the person. People can get offended because it's a sensitive topic.
Politics
- Sensitivity
- Politics can be a sensitive topic in Taiwan. Avoid discussing sensitive or divisive political topics, especially if you're not fully knowledgeable about the issue.
Death and Numbers
- Sensitivity
- The number 4 in Chinese is sì (四), which sounds very similar to the word for death in Chinese, which is sǐ (死). In Taiwan, police often cruise around with their lights flashing — it's normal! It doesn't mean you're getting pulled over. Death is a taboo topic, even in a sarcastic or jokingly way, so avoid talking about death or accidents because its a sort of bad luck in Taiwan. Furthermore when giving gifts don't wrap them in white paper or use a white envelope, it means that the writer is gonna die very soon. White flowers are also a no go when it comes on giving as a gift because they are related to death.
Communication Style
Harmony and Indirectness
- Description
- Taiwanese communication often values harmony. Being polite, avoiding embarrassment, and not putting people on the spot are important parts of social interaction.
Public Behavior
- Description
- People do not shout in public in Taiwan, this is not in their nature. Furthermore, showing frustration or anger publicly is not done, if you do this people in Taiwan will look weird and will definitely not appreciate it.
Respect And Hierarchy
Social Hierarchy
- Description
- Social hierarchy exists in Taiwan, and it's important to show respect to those in higher positions. Use titles (such as 'boss' or 'teacher') appropriately, and avoid addressing someone by their first name if they hold a higher position than you.
Greetings and Order
- Description
- Greetings are formal and the oldest person in a group is always greeted first.
Loss of Face
- Description
- The best working rule is to avoid behaving in a way that causes someone to be embarrassed in front of others, or in front of you. Pointing out other people's mistakes or shortcomings, especially in public, is rarely appreciated and will usually precipitate the proverbial 'loss of face'.
Business Card Etiquette
Presentation and Receipt
- Description
- When exchanging business cards, gifts or tokens of esteem, presenting them with both hands tells your counterpart that you are offering them unreservedly, as a wholehearted expression of yourself. To the contrary, passing business cards with one hand or flipping them across tables is uniformly viewed as uncultivated, flippant and even disrespectful.
Reading and Storing
- Description
- When receiving another's business card it's considered respectful to read their name and title and, when appropriate, to praise them for their position on the career ladder. Avoid immediately putting cards in your wallet or pockets – even if you're only trying to secure them, such action is likely to be interpreted as a sign of uninterest.
Writing on Cards
- Description
- Writing on business cards – especially in red ink, which is typically reserved for letters of protest or angry remarks – is still a major faux pas in Taiwan.
Clothing And Dress Code
General and business
- Description
- The Taiwanese place a heavy emphasis on dressing neatly and conservatively. Men tend to wear suits, while women wear conservative business attire, such as a loose skirt and blouse. Making a good first impression is vital. Avoid wearing t-shirts, jeans, and other casual attire to first meetings.
Temple visits
- Description
- When visiting temples, keep it modest — think covered shoulders and knees. It's a sign of respect in sacred spaces; some places won't let you in otherwise.
Greetings And Introductions
First meetings
- Norms
- A nod or a slight bow is considered polite for the first meeting, while handshakes are generally only for males who are friends. A handshake is the common greeting, though handshakes are not as firm as in many other countries.
Verbal greeting
- Norms
- Say 'nǐhǎo' (你好) for a formal greeting to elders or people who are older than you, or 'hālōu' (哈囉) for a more casual one to younger Taiwanese or people who are the same generation as you. Many greetings include the question, 'Have you eaten?' as a polite inquiry.
Eye contact and posture
- Norms
- Many Taiwanese look towards the ground as a sign of respect when greeting someone. You need not follow their example as they understand that 'Westerners' tend to smile warmly when introduced.
Religious And Cultural Context
Religious Diversity
- Description
- Taiwanese people predominantly practice Humanistic Buddhism, Confucian principles, Taoist traditions and local practices. Taiwan's religious environment is characterised by tremendous diversity and tolerance. There's some competition between sects but almost no friction.
Confucian Influence
- Description
- Confucianism, while not a formal religion, profoundly shapes Taiwanese values around family, education, hierarchy, and social conduct.
Buddhist Temples in Kaohsiung
- Description
- Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Kaohsiung stands out as the largest temple complex, known for its extensive grounds and educational offerings.
Physical Contact And Personal Space
Touching
- Description
- Do not touch anyone, especially a baby, on the top of their head. Be sure to avoid physical contact, such as hugging or handshaking, unless the other person initiates it.
Affection
- Description
- Affection for the opposite sex is not shown in public.
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this culture & etiquette research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
- 1.languagetrainers.co.uk
- 2.tripjive.com
- 3.ediplomat.com
- 4.goldcard.nat.gov.tw
- 5.everlastying.com
- 6.commisceo-global.com
- 7.navitaiwan.com
- 8.roughguides.com
- 9.pop-rooms.com
- 10.en.wikipedia.org
- 11.lifeoftaiwan.com
- 12.taiwanmerch.co
- 13.buddhistchannel.tv
- 14.taiwanreview.nat.gov.tw
- 15.likeitformosa.com
- 16.theamazingtaiwan.com
- 17.taiwan-panorama.com
- 18.tibetanbuddhistencyclopedia.com
- 19.religion.fandom.com
- 20.cyborlink.com
- 21.polylocal.eu
- 22.culturalatlas.sbs.com.au
- 23.internsinasia.com
- 24.rivermate.com
- 25.eventflare.io
- 26.kathrynread.com
- 27.meijiinternships.com
- 28.joinhorizons.com
More About Kaohsiung
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.