r/taiwan

Normally I consider xinyi district as the heart and downtown at Taipei, since that's where most of the sky scrapers, financial companies, and shopping malls are. 大巨蛋 and 松山文創 is also pretty near. However recently I discovered 中山 and the area around the Taipei main station are starting to get more and more attention. Especially with the 雙子星 on the way. And when I'm looking around Google map, I just realized 西門町, NTU, 寧夏夜市, 迪化街, and 總統府 is also just in the area. Which part do you consider downtown Taipei?

Feel free to flag or delete this if the topic is inappropriate for this group. I recently married my partner after dating for almost 7 years. She's Taiwanese and I'm American. We live in the United States. Now that we're married she's wanting to move back to Taiwan, and she believes that I could make the same salary in Taiwan that I am making in California as long as I target American companies. But I can't really find any sort of data on average salaries in tech, other than her brother who's an engineer at a semiconductor company and his salary is about half of what I earn. So, my question is whether that's realistic, or if she's out of touch because engineering managers in Taiwan don't earn $400,000 USD annually.

I am running out of my 包種 supply and I must say, I don't want to go back to supermarket tea :D

Any advice?

Hi,

I was previously a 代理老師 in a public school in Taiwan and am now getting ready to teach in a public school in the US. However, there has been a problem with the direct translation of this term because it means "substitute teacher." Although, the role is actually for non-credentialed teachers, with the same responsibilities as a full-time credentialed teachers. Has anyone had the same experience or know someone who does. I would really like to get my experiences approved to raise my current salary!!

Thanks.

Hi i got few furniture from Taobao, they came in wooden pellets but I can’t find any info on wood material disposal, as I’m unsure is it okay to cut down to smaller pieces and dispose it in garbage bag or can I just bundle them up and pass it to the recycle truck?

Hi I'm a local Taiwanese.

Some claw machines are completely rigged. So first thing at a claw machine, you do one test run to see if it's rigged. If you get a good grip, but the prize doesn't "float" at all, it's rigged. If the prize floats but when it reaches the top it drops, it's normal, you have a chance. Don't expect the claw to cling on to the prize all the way to the hole, if so the owner would lose big money because that would be too easy.

Some claws, maybe most, are just set with very loose grip (Correction: They intentionally release when they reach the top). With some techniques, you can win some of the time. Skilled people may even, in the long run, win more value from prizes than the coins they put in.

One technique I know is to swing the claw, so that when it grips it is tilted and creates a horizontal force, and it causes the prize to move a bit horizontally rather than vertically up and down. Sometimes you need multiple moves to make it to the hole, because the horizontal movement is only a little bit.

There are YouTube tutorials actually:

1. The Basics - Mastering Claw Crane in Taiwan [OMG CRAFTS]

2. Observation - Mastering Claw Crane in Taiwan [OMG CRAFTS]

3. Swing - Mastering Claw Crane in Taiwan [OMG CRAFTS]

I first saw swinging from a YouTuber named 含羞草（草爺）, who was quite focused on claw machine content. He has a bunch of tutorials too, but it's all in Mandarin:

零食場很難夾!? 阿草無私教學!! 基礎飲料餅乾破解秘笈大放送!!【含羞草日記】

Disclaimer: I've never succeeded LOL because I haven't played a lot, it's gambling tbh.

I think I've succeeded once as a child.

Edit: Maybe it's a skill worth learning if you want to impress someone on a date LOL

I’ll be hiking Taroko and Shei Pa national park in August and was wondering how wary I should be of bears. I know there is a population of wild ones, and although endangered, I dont wna take any chances. Should I bring along bear spray?

I know it’s been said before but FYI the Wanhua/Longshan Temple area is not the same as traveling through the rest of Taipei. I’m staying here for a few days and there’s clearly more street activity and other issues here than elsewhere. Wouldn’t have posted anything and wouldn’t consider it unsafe physically but had a little incident at a coffee shop.

An older woman and 20s woman came in and sat next to me while I was working and the older woman kept inching for my phone, which was sitting next to me. I didn’t think much of it so just stayed in place and locked up my stuff. They sat there for a few more minutes and the younger woman made some very animated hand gestures along her face while staring at me so finally packed up to leave. The older woman started aggressively coughing and sat across from me to get in my way from leaving but I peeled off and they kinda just sat there staring at me. Don’t wanna put anyone off staying there because there is a lot to do and you aren’t gonna get hurt but just be vigilant with your belongings in the area!

Hiya, just wondering the average cost of getting teeth whitening done in Taiwan? I'm an international student from the UK studying here for a few months and figured I'd get a checkup, clean and perhaps whitening if it's a reasonable cost.

I'm located in Kaohsiung but plan on making a few visits to Taipei in the next month.

Hello,

A few years ago, I discovered a song that is maybe tawainese. I don't remember the title, all that i remember it is that in the music video there is a woman and two men. Maybe it was a group.
I discovered it between 2 years and 4 years ago.
It had kinda a rnb, rap feeling to it with a little bit of singing.
I remember that there was a car in the music video and that there was like a summer filter to it, and lots of pale color, lot of white, lot of blue, very summerish.
I hope that I am not mistaken and that it was indeed taiwainese, but i am 100% sure that the song was in mandarin.
I don't know if it rings a bell to someone, thank you !

In either the late 80s or early 90s, I visited Taiwan, and my aunt took my brother and I to watch this movie that sounds as crazy as I described. I think 2 friends fell down some hole and stumbled across a treasure chest with ancient poop. They ate it and got super powers! One scene I remember was one guy wanted to go pee in a public restroom only to find that his genitals had swapped places, so he was putting his ass into the urinal. It's that crazy and I'd love to be able to buy a copy of it to capture a funny childhood memory!

And no, my aunt does not remember the film.

Hi everyone!

I'll be doing a semester abroad at Taiwan Tech. According to the academic calendar, the last exams are on December 20, 2024, but the semester officially ends on January 31, 2025. Do you know if there any classes or activities I need to attend after the exams in December?

Thanks for your help!

I might move to Tainan for work soon and I would like to know which district has modern apartments and they range from. In addition, I would like to know what's the average pay for a foreign engineer working in startups(eVTOL industry)

Hi everyone will be in Taipei next week to chill and unwind. Can someone recommend a nice speak easy bar with good cocktails around Taipei?

Also, do you know of any exhibitions in the City for art or Anime for this month? Thank you in advance

Hi. I am considering in the future to possibly come to Taiwan to work as an expatriate in business. My mandarin is at the B2 level for listening, speaking, reading, and writing. I have visited Xinyi area and have seen many western corporate expats in presumably finance related firms. I wonder if there is a mandarin fluency requirement for such expatriate package. And also on the more social front, do most western expats in corporate jobs speak mandarin and if so, to what level?

Would you choose a politics related PhD at NCCU or at NTU?

NCCU is known to be good for politics (it's even in the name) but NTU is the most prestigious university in Taiwan generally.

Hi everyone - I am planning on ordering two eSims at TPE from Klook, but it says that you must be 18 years old? Does anyone know if there is an exception to the age limit if it is done in person? Thanks for any advice.

Hi again, headbangers, mosh-siblings and miscellaneous heavy melomaniacs!

Here’s what’s on my radar:

Weds, July 17:

Sacred Purge (tech death)

Hazenith (melo death)

Sour Jaws (nü)Venue - Cohesion Space

Time - 19:00 open

Fri, July 19:

Diepression (groove/Deathcore)

Aries Fall (prog Metal)

Slowing Oscillation (prog Metal)Venue - Cohesion Space

Time - 19:00 open

July 26, 2024:

Efflore 白華 

DiePression 

Obsequial Joy

**Venue:** Revolver
**Ticket Price:** At the door/450 (+drink)**Showtime:**

Doors open at 19:30, performance starts at 20:00

"I am human, not a dog.

Grief. Feeling grief.

The grief of feeling grief.

Not feeling grief.

'The grief of not feeling grief.

'Extremely sorrowful.

I am human, not a dog,

Now I'm accustomed to being a dog."

**Efflore (白華)**   - Efflore is a metal band from northern Taiwan.   - Their music is based on black metal, infused with various elements.   - They focus on creating a dark, evil atmosphere during live performances, often with a touch of black humor.   - In 2023, they released a mini-album titled "島國怪談" (Island Ghost Stories), inspired by Taiwanese urban legends and ghost stories.   - Join them and become part of the dark tribe!

**DiePression**   - DiePression is the most brutal Deathcore/Death Metal band in northern Taiwan.   - They play aggressively, fast, and have a strong dislike for Taipei.   - And yes, they enjoy a good shot!

**Obsequial Joy**   - Obsequial Joy started with DSBM (Depressive Suicidal Black Metal) and Post-Black influences.   - They continuously explore new musical chemistry, but their focus remains on melancholic atmospheres and painful sounds.   - They caught the attention of Talheim Records Germany, a renowned label for suicide black metal, and released their debut album "Show My Mercy."   - Despite lengthy intros and plenty of banter, their performances are rare, and their band name isn't the easiest to pronounce.

July 28, 2024

Not sure if this counts as “heavy music”, overall, but my friend’s band is playing and they’re hard rock. Anyway, whatever, right?

INFO:- **今夏最嚇趴音樂節** (This summer's most exciting music festival )-

**嚇西門音樂節 SHOCK XIMEN Rock Restival** (SHOCK XIMEN Rock Festival)-

**熱到融化的夏天 人類最基本生存需求已經是冷氣了** (The scorching summer has melted us, and air conditioning is now a basic survival necessity for humans.)-

**史上最涼音樂節 再也不用被太陽驚嚇** (The coolest music festival ever—no more sun scares!)-

**來西門杰克音樂聽團** (Come to Ximen Jack Music and enjoy the bands!)-

**爽爆一整天 又涼又好聽!** (It'll be a refreshing and fantastic day! )

**Event Details:**-

**Date:** July 28, 2024-

**Time:** Doors open at 12:30 PM, performance starts at 1:00 PM-

**Location:** Ximen Jack Music (76 Kunming Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City)-

**Ticket Prices:** Pre-sale tickets: 800 NTD, On-site tickets: 1000 NTD-

**Ticket Purchase Link:** [Get your tickets here]()

**Featured Artists:**-

Mango Street Papa-

Monomania-

Fifty Minutes Before Dawn-

yeewater-

Ain't no Rocker-

SteveWilliams n ResidentAliens-

GALIOZ (known for their tasty curry)-

Murder Hornet-

Barbarian-

ChillSome-

NeCorn (獨角貓)- 孤寂輔導室-

Thesameday-

...and more!

**Pre-sale Ticket Payment Method:

**Please transfer the ticket amount to the following account:-

Bank: China Trust (822)-

Account Number: 1075-3563-0631-

Account Holder: 董耀中 (Dong Yaozhong)

After the transfer, take a screenshot of the payment details and fill it in the form.

July 28, 2024
Performing bands:- Lastcall- Eüreka- First Time Again

Venue: Revolver (No. 1-2, Section 1, Roosevelt Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan)
Presale ticket price: 400 NTD (On-site tickets: 450 NTD)
(For presale tickets, please register on the ticketing website and pay on the day of the event.)

Doors open: 19:30- Show starts: 20:00

“The reborn wings symbolize unwavering faith. Lastcall will collaborate with the Gothic metal band Eüreka and the post-hardcore style band First Time Again for a joint performance. They are prepared to interpret various stories and insights through their songs, looking forward to a night of rebirth together in the eternal."

Hi all. I'm going to Taiwan this summer and I'll have to change my visa type while there (from visitor to resident) and want to ask the NIA if I need any extra documents. However, for some reason I am unable to reach them by phone, be it the headquarters or their local office in Kaohsiung. Is there another way? Are they reachable by email or the Line app or any other way? Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Please help, forgot what it was called. I saw it advertised on some trains, Taipei city mall and some other popular areas of Taipei. While I was there from February-early March. No search terms are yielding results

The background of the advert was blue, it seemed to depict medieval characters and a castle either on legs or wheels that could move? I think it was described as idle or adventure related.

I saw a bunch of ads but never downloaded it and randomly want to but can’t find it and it’s making me go crazy.

Anyone help appreciated, cheers

So I had to cancel an order I placed awhile ago and the seller is asking me to pay a fee since they are unable to cancel from their supplier. This was a cash on delivery order. Is this normal, against Shopee policy, etc?

Can't find an answer on Shopee since, while they're happy to offer buy and sell in English, all customer support is in Chinese.