Good to know
Good to Know
- Taiwanese culture deeply values 'face' and harmony; avoid embarrassing or contradicting others in public.
- Always greet the oldest or most senior person first in any group setting.
- Use both hands when exchanging business cards and gifts—this shows respect.
- Be punctual for business meetings; arriving early demonstrates respect and eagerness.
- Avoid discussing Taiwan-China relations unless you know the person well; this is a politically sensitive topic.
- Handshakes should be firm but not overly enthusiastic; look down briefly to show respect.
- Do not write names in red ink or wrap gifts in white paper, as these relate to death in Taiwanese culture.
- Avoid giving clocks, scissors, or knives as gifts due to negative cultural associations.
- During business dinners, wait for the host to discuss business unless they initiate the conversation.
- Taiwanse are generally very forgiving of foreigners' cultural missteps; genuine effort to respect customs is appreciated.
- Avoid loud behavior, public displays of anger, or overly casual dress at first meetings.
- Ask about someone's family—it's polite and reflects Taiwanese cultural values.
Greetings
Formal/Business
- Practice
- Taiwanese men now commonly practise handshakes, particularly in business circles. However, powerful or overly enthusiastic handshakes are considered aggressive and can cause considerable bewilderment.
Social/Mixed Gender
- Practice
- Men and women generally don't shake hands upon meeting, opting instead for slight nods of deference, although this is changing and urban businesswomen are increasingly likely to offer their hands when meeting foreigners.
Verbal
- Practice
- Many greetings include the question, 'Have you eaten?' as a polite inquiry.
Body Language
- Practice
- Most people beckon to each other with their palms facing down, waving towards the ground. 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.
Respect Gesture
- Practice
- Putting your left hand over your right hand and bringing it up to your heart is a way to respect and greet the elderly people of Taiwan.
Hugs are reserved for close friends and family.
- Greeting Type
- Physical Contact
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.
Death and Unlucky Numbers
- Sensitivity
- 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. The number 4 in Chinese sounds very similar to the word for death in Chinese.
Money and Personal Finances
- Sensitivity
- Conversations about money, especially salaries or bonuses, are sensitive topics.
Physical Affection
- Sensitivity
- Excessive human touch and body contact, such as hugs or kisses on the cheeks, are not welcomed.
Gift Giving
- Opening
- Gifts will not be opened in your presence.
- Wrapping
- 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.
- Presentation
- Use both hands when giving and receiving something like a gift, business card, or money. It's a sign of respect.
- Gifts To Avoid
- 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.
- Appropriate Gifts
- 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
- Expectation
- Punctuality is of great importance in Taiwan.
- Flexibility
- Punctuality is appreciated, but being a few minutes early or late is acceptable.
- Best Practice
- The best thing to do is to arrive a little early, which allows you some time for preparation, and demonstrates your eagerness to meet your partners.
- Business Context
- Arriving late to a scheduled meeting is viewed as a sign of disrespect.
Clothing Expectations
- Business
- 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.
- First Impressions
- Making a good first impression is vital. Avoid wearing t-shirts, jeans, and other casual attire to first meetings. Even while attending a casual activity, you should dress modestly.
Business Card Etiquette
- Reception
- Use both hands to offer and receive business cards, with the typeface facing the recipient. To demonstrate respect, take time to examine a business card before putting it away. It is typically believed that the way one handles another's business card is indicative of the value placed on the relationship.
- Preparation
- Keep extra business cards in your wallet at all times, and it's best to have cards with both Chinese and English.
- Presentation
- After shaking hands, present your business card with both hands to the other person. Do not throw your card on the table and always try to give a card if you receive one.
Dining And Entertainment
- Toasting
- Toasting is common and is often made before and during meals. Toasting is done with wine or liquor. The host begins by raising their glass with two hands, with one hand supporting the bottom of the glass.
- Conversation
- Do not discuss business at dinner unless your hosts bring it up.
- Dinner Culture
- Dining in Taiwan can be elaborate and exhausting with as many as twenty courses at a banquet, meaning that business dinners can go late into the night.
- Guest Of Honor
- The guest of honor is the first to sample any dish brought to the table. Be sure to taste the food immediately as everyone else will wait for you to finish before they eat.
General Behavioral Guidance
- Tipping
- 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.
- Food Waste
- Wasting food in Taiwan is a HUGE no-no and really disrespectful to the people who made your meal.
- Noise Level
- People do not shout in public in Taiwan, this is not in there nature. So try not to shout publicly.
- Emotional Expression
- Showing frustration or anger publicly is not done, if you do this people in Taiwan will look weird and will definitely not appreciate it.
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.roughguides.com
- 2.goldcard.nat.gov.tw
- 3.send.org
- 4.planetdepos.com
- 5.commisceo-global.com
- 6.navitaiwan.com
- 7.everlastying.com
- 8.lifeintaiwan.com
- 9.culturalatlas.sbs.com.au
- 10.meijiinternships.com
- 11.internsinasia.com
- 12.taiwanchamber.cz
- 13.tjc-global.com
- 14.eventflare.io
- 15.languagetrainers.co.uk
- 16.cyborlink.com
- 17.pop-rooms.com
- 18.tradingeconomics.com
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.