Immersed in the friendly and vibrant Taipei
By Eva Dam | Delegate NAHSS 2018, Taipei
For four weeks during the NAHSS I had the opportunity to explore the different sides of Taipei by studying here, visiting companies, doing research and, above all, by seeing the special culture and nature up close. I myself conducted research for the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science into digital developments in higher education in China together with my seven project colleagues.
Going out with the ‘sunshiners’ of National Cheng Chi University
Regular coffee spot on campus
A warm welcome
Our group was extremely diverse: some of us had never been outside Europe, while others had already studied in Asia for months. But no matter how much experience you have living or traveling in Asia or how much information you google in advance, it is only when you come face to face with the city that you discover what Taipei is actually like. Contact with local fellow students, professors and 'sunshiners' (our buddies who warmly welcomed us to the university by organizing various activities for us) opened my eyes to the different sides that Taipei has to offer. My initial preconception of the city revolved around its bustling and disorderly streets.
Although Taipei undoubtedly confirmed this prejudice, many aspects of the city also surprised me enormously, such as the beautiful nature and the relaxed and interested people. For example, I will always remember how extremely hospitable the Taipeis are. Countless times, with my still sceptical look, I was afraid that I would be scammed, while it turned out that the people actually wanted to show me the way or give me a useful tip. Enough reason to feel at home in this city very quickly. After two weeks you cycle on your YouBike through the busy traffic as if it were the most normal thing in the world, you are greeted in the morning at the street stall with the delicious coffee and you dumplings order in Chinese (whether or not it is broken).
Eating and dancing in the street
What you cannot avoid in Taipei is: lots of delicious food. You will find a bubble tea shop on every street corner and a street food market in every neighbourhood. Eating out is an important part of the Taipei's social life. We were taken out for dinner several times by the sunshiners and I and my classmates were even treated to a traditional lunch by our teacher.
In addition, I noticed that Taipeis not only like to eat out, but that public spaces in general are much more central. This may be due to the high rents, which means that the living spaces are a lot smaller than in the Netherlands. One of my favourite activities was to go to a park or to a historical monument late at night, where it was buzzing with energy. Young people come together in groups to create a new dance choreography and older people practice Tai Chi together. This makes the city really alive, during the day and in the evening.
Taipei people gather at the Chiang Kai Shek memorial hall in the evening for a free dance performance