Yesterday, Taiwan was named the best place in the world for expats to live, and having spent over four years of my life out there I absolutely agree. While I love Shanghai and think it's a great city, there are just some things that Taiwan does better. Here are just a few of the ways in which Taipei shits all over The Hai.
People in Taiwan are often much politer
Anyone visiting Taiwan for the first time will get a shock as they notice a distinct lack of pushing, shoving and spitting out in public.
Sure you get a lot of nice folk in China that'll gladly sacrifice their only child to the Yangtze just to help a Laowai, but how many times have you had to fight your way out of a metro or dive out of the way of someone's spittle. There are some customs here that we』ve all come to hate that just don't exist out in the other China.
Convenience stores are surprisingly convenient
In the center of Taipei you』ll find a convenience store nearly every 20 meters, the highest convenience store density in the world. Sure it's excessive and at points humorous but hey, it's also fantastic for consumers.
While convenience stores are sill fairly common in Shanghai, you tend to find that when you need one the most they're nowhere to be found, or the only store in sight is a Quick K (快客). I once went out to the middle of a remote mountainous area in Taichung for a holiday and the village I stayed in had no less than three 7/11s...
As if that wasn't enough the stores out in Taiwan generally have everything from nose scissors and underwear to bags of ice. You can also buy plane/train tickets, pay bills, print out documents and much, much more at the machines in 7/11. The food they serve is also pretty good. The microwavable meals and snacks vary from pasta/pizza and sandwiches to potato wedges and Mapo Tofu and are great for a quick bite when you just don't have time to find a restaurant. You could easily survive off the breakfast, lunch and dinner selections available at just one of these stores. If you compare this to Mainland China where convenience stores are just like shitty supermarkets, good for cheap beer and crappy food there's no comparison. Can you imagine trying to have breakfast lunch and dinner at All Days (好的)?
Not an uncommon sight in Taiwan, as every convenience store competes to be more convenient.
And another note on convenience:
Everywhere is a five minute walk from a metro station
This is generally just the difference in size between the two cities, Taipei’s metro is actually surprisingly large for a small city, and probably has more stations than is necessary, but it makes getting anywhere much more convenient. In Taipei city most places are within a 5 minute walk of a metro station, it’s pretty rare that you』d have to walk over 10 minutes to get somewhere, and if so then there's always a bus stop to hand.
There were 3 different metro stops within a 10 minute walk of my University campus (NTNU) in Taipei, now that’s what I call convenient.
The metro doesn't look that extensive at first glance, but when you realize Taipei is over 10 times smaller than Shanghai then you begin to see just why it's so convenient.
Night Markets
Cause what's better than having a road full of cheap foods that pair amazingly with alcohol and that won't give you uncontrollable shits the day after. Taiwanese style night markets are not really found anywhere else in the world, and are definitely something you need to check out if you ever head out there.
I recommend you avoid the tourism trap that is Shilin and head to one of the more food abundant markets such as Tonghua, Raohe or Miaokou.
If you've got no plans to travel out to Taipei in the near future you can preview the night markets at Shanghai's very own version of the Shilin Night Market here.
Everything is easy to find
In Taiwan I had a shop just 5 minutes from my apartment that sold everything you ever could ever want, shampoo, cutlery, stationary, cleaning equipment, soy sauce, alcohol. They even sold cupboards and cheap coffee tables.
In Shanghai, I have to travel 40 minutes to get to Ikea in order to buy some basic household items, I've then got to spend 30 travelling to Carrefour minutes to Carrefour. Journeys that take up nearly half a day compared with my 10 minute walk in Taipei.
It's much easier to find an uncrowded destination
Although crowds are not exactly rare in Taiwan, especially in recent years, those willing to venture south out of Taipei will notice spaces open up and the masses start to dwindle.
Compare that with somewhere a few hours drive from Shanghai like Huangshan, you』d think you could escape the crowds climbing over 1000 meters up a mountain, but no.
You want to go the gym? It’s crowded. Want to go to a restaurant? It’s crowded. Want to go to East Nanjing on the weekend? Don’t even think about it.
No Internet restrictions
After an amazing day of touring around Taiwan, when you finally get back to your hotel, you're able to post your selfies on Facebook without needing to mess around with a VPN. Netflix, Facebook, Google, Youtube, you name it, everything works after making the journey across the Taiwan Strait. And being able to use google maps is a godsend.
History and culture
Although China is full of a wide range of cultures, from the Uighurs in the west to Manchus in the North, the cultural revolution did away with a lot of Chinese culture that was preserved over in Taiwan and down in Hong Kong.
History buffs or just people with a vague interest in Chinese history and cultural should check out Taipei's National Palace Museum, which is packed full of old antiques, paintings and more that were taken over to Taiwan from China when the Nationalist government fled the Commies in 1949.
"Break down the old world and build up a new world." Motto of the Cultural Revolution.
Another point to consider:
Lovers of Japanese cuisine will enjoy the offerings in Taipei, the city is full of Japanese restaurants both cheap and high end, due to the 50 years colonial control of the island from 1895 to 1945. Check out the Beitou area, which is full of hot springs built during the colonial Japanese period.
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