In honor of my trip to Taiwan one year ago today, I’m going to be sharing some posts about this oft-overlooked travel destination! And with Donald Trump highlighting the fact that for all intents and purposes, Taiwan actually is not part of China, it seemed like a good time to highlight some of the differences between these two countries!
English is More Common
Note that I say “more common,” not “common.” Everyone in Taiwan speaks Chinese first. You will find menus, street signs, and hellos made in Chinese first. This isn’t Europe, where you are just as likely to be greeted in English as you are in the local language—if you don’t speak Chinese, you will feel out of your element in Taiwan. But a concerted effort has been made in the younger generation to learn English. Because of this, any Taiwanese person you talk to under the age of about thirty is likely to have at least some English— and often they’re thrilled to be able to use it.
The Taiwanese are super friendly
As a white person in Taiwan, you’ll stand out. This is unavoidable. Even in Taipei, the capital, you will be lucky to see a handful of other foreigners in a day—unless you’re hanging around a big tourist site like the Taipei 101. Because non-Chinese travelers present as so exotic, you’ll often find people are eager to talk to you, learn about where you’re from and why you’re in Taiwan.
Visa-free Entry
To visit mainland China, US citizens need to apply for a visa in advance of their trip. This is a bureaucratic hassle, and additionally, a Chinese visa costs $140! Not a small chunk of change. (Non-US citizens can get their Chinese visa for only $30). US citizens (and citizens of many other nations) who want to visit Taiwan can get a free 90-day visa exemption upon arrival in Taiwan. No wait, no processing time, no hassle! Just show up at the airport, get your stamp, and go!
(Slightly) Less Pollution
Let’s be clear here: many areas of Taiwan suffer from air pollution and haze issues. The country is, after all, where your iPhone is made. You will have the opportunity to witness some of this industry on your 40-minute bus ride into Taipei from Taoyuan International Airport.
But compared to mainland China, Taiwan’s pollution is small potatoes.
The Food is Amazing
Street pancakes
The food in Taipei (and Taiwan as a whole) is amazing and oh, oh so cheap. Check out my photo essay on the foods of Taipei!
No Internet Censorship
For digital nomads, or even those of you who can’t go a day without updating Facebook, access to free and uncensored Internet is extremely important. China restricts access to many websites with a “Great Firewall”—meaning that without the use of a VPN, you can’t access many popular websites. In Taiwan, the Internet is free, uncensored, and usually—very fast!
Conclusion
That’s just scratching the surface of what makes this tiny island nation so great! I’ll be dropping a few more posts about Taiwan over the next few weeks, so be sure to follow on WordPress or sign up for e-mail updates using the box in the sidebar!
Best.
thisisyouth 
I live between Tianjin, China and Taichung, Taiwan and I loveddd your post. I can totally relate to it all. I prefer Taiwan over China any day! Sorry China, I love you but not as much as Taiwan lol
These are all so true! Lol. I’ve just come back from Taiwan and witnessed all this. Also.. The food is amazing! I love the night markets.
the food is unmatched imo. so good, so cheap, so abundant. Love it!
Oh wow, I read your title and wondered about it. I lived in Taipei for a summer and now in China so it was interesting to hear your opinion. I would like to say that Mainland China people, especially those from Tianjin are very friendly and helpful. Depending on what city you visit many people speak English, just as much as people I had encountered in Taiwan. The food is great in Taiwan but I would not say it is better or more diverse than China. There is a 72 hour no visa entry for Tianjin and great for a short stay on your way to other countries and enough time to visit main attractions. I feel that your post title might come across to say that in China people are not friendly, they don’t speak English and the food isn’t so tasty. I hope you will give a visit to China a second look. It’s a huge country with a rich background of many facets to learn about. Although I did enjoy Taiwan, it is not to replace a visit to China or a “better” place, just different and much smaller. Best to you on your next adventure.
This is a nice introduction to Taiwan. I’ve been to Taiwan as well, and I thought it was beautiful. So far I only have one post on my blog, but I’ll be working on more. Maybe you’ll check it/them out. I just followed your blog 🙂 I’m looking forward to reading more about your trip!
I’m considering going to Taiwan this summer (mainly because of not needing a visa – for UK citizens it costs even more than US citizens for the visa 😥 which is a bit ridiculous for just a one month visit to mainland China) – wondered if you had any comments on the climate? I struggle a lot with hot, sticky climates (e.g. last summer I was in Shanghai, SOOOO hot!) so was a bit worried about that. Also, any recommendations on the best places to visit and good places for studying Chinese?
It will be super hot and sticky in the summer although you might find some respite in the coastal areas. Hong Kong is vaguely more doable in the summer because of their (extreme) love of aircon.
Great, thanks for the advice! Hmmm, not sure I would be able to cope then – even HK was unbearable for me 😥
Heading to Taiwan soon so it was interesting to read your post.
Point on! Taipei is one of my fave cities in Asia❤️
On my 2nd year living on the Main Land… still need to make it over ❤
You should definitely go! Great place, and a slightly different flavor to the mainland!
Nice~! 😉
I’m not a US Citizen and my visa, from the UK, cost £175, which is about 213 USD.
But either way you’ve made me feel a little silly for spending the last 3 weeks in Beijing, will definitely consider Taiwan next time!
Maybe Donald can get the price of the Visa down. Just saying 👍. Thanks for sharing
You’ve made me want to go. 🙂
You should! It’s great! 🇹🇼