Eastern Asia · AsiaTaiwan
Discover Taiwan - a mountainous island of night market feasts, cutting-edge technology, ancient temples, and some of the friendliest people in Asia.
Where Is Taiwan?
Taiwan is in Eastern Asia. Its capital is Taipei.
- Capital Taipei
- Population 23.3M
- Area 36,193 km²
Taiwan is a small island that punches absurdly above its weight. Roughly the size of Belgium, it is the world's most important semiconductor manufacturer, the birthplace of bubble tea, and home to some of the best street food on the planet. Its night markets are legendary - hundreds of stalls sizzling with oyster omelets, stinky tofu, pepper buns, and shaved ice, all for a few dollars. Taipei's skyline is dominated by the bamboo-shaped Taipei 101 tower, once the world's tallest building, but the real action happens at street level.
But Taiwan is far more than tech and food. The island's eastern half is a wall of mountains reaching over 3,900 meters, cloaked in ancient forests and slashed by marble gorges so dramatic they seem computer-generated. Taroko Gorge alone would be a national treasure for any country. Indigenous Austronesian peoples have lived here for thousands of years, and their 16 recognized tribes maintain distinct languages, traditions, and a deep connection to the mountainous interior. Taiwan also preserves traditional Chinese culture in ways that the mainland often does not - its temples, tea ceremonies, calligraphy traditions, and festivals carry the unbroken thread of thousands of years of practice.
The Taiwanese are consistently ranked among the friendliest people in Asia by travelers. There is a culture of warmth, helpfulness, and civic pride that makes the island feel remarkably safe and welcoming. Whether you are hiking through cloud forests, eating your way through a night market, or soaking in a mountain hot spring, Taiwan has a way of making you feel at home.
At a glance
Largest cities in Taiwan
Taipei
Kaohsiung
Taichung
Tainan
Hualien
Famous people from Taiwan
Morris Chang
TechnologyFounder of TSMC, the world's largest semiconductor foundry, whose chips power the vast majority of the world's advanced electronics
Ang Lee
FilmOscar-winning director of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Brokeback Mountain, and Life of Pi, one of the most versatile filmmakers alive
Teresa Teng
MusicThe most iconic Chinese-language singer of the 20th century, whose voice was so beloved across Asia that people said Deng ruled by day, Teng by night
Yani Tseng
SportYoungest golfer ever to win five major championships, who was ranked world number one for 109 consecutive weeks
Jay Chou
MusicMandopop superstar who revolutionized Chinese pop music by blending hip-hop, R&B, and classical Chinese elements into a genre-defying style
Traditional cuisine of Taiwan
- Bubble Tea
- Taiwan's gift to the world - chewy tapioca pearls in sweet milk tea, invented in Taichung in the 1980s and now a global phenomenon
- Beef Noodle Soup
- Taiwan's unofficial national dish - braised beef in a rich spiced broth over hand-pulled noodles, with an annual festival dedicated to finding the best bowl
- Xiao Long Bao
- Delicate soup dumplings filled with hot broth and pork, perfected at Taipei's legendary Din Tai Fung restaurants
- Oyster Omelet
- Night market staple of small oysters in a starchy egg batter topped with sweet chili sauce, found at every Taiwanese market
- Stinky Tofu
- Fermented tofu deep-fried until crispy outside and custardy inside, smells terrible but tastes incredible - the ultimate night market dare
Nature and landmarks in Taiwan
- Taroko GorgeCanyon
- Spectacular marble canyon carved by the Liwu River through towering cliffs, with hiking trails cut into sheer rock faces
- Yushan (Jade Mountain)Mountain
- Northeast Asia's highest peak at 3,952 meters, taller than Mount Fuji, rising from subtropical forest to alpine terrain
- Sun Moon LakeLake
- Taiwan's largest natural lake in the mountainous center, sacred to the indigenous Thao people and surrounded by misty forested hills
- Kenting National ParkNational Park
- Tropical paradise at Taiwan's southern tip with coral reefs, white sand beaches, and the only tropical ecosystem on the island
- AlishanForest
- Ancient cypress forest reached by a historic narrow-gauge railway, famous for its sea of clouds and spectacular mountain sunrises
Sports in Taiwan
- Baseball
- Taiwan's most popular sport, the national team is consistently among Asia's best and has produced multiple Major League Baseball players
- Basketball
- Hugely popular with a professional league and passionate fan base, Taiwan's national team competes regularly in Asian championships
- Badminton
- Taiwan's strongest Olympic sport, with Tai Tzu-ying ranked world number one in women's singles for extended periods
Did you know?
Taiwan produces over 90% of the world's most advanced semiconductors - the chips in your phone were almost certainly made here
Taipei 101 was the world's tallest building from 2004 to 2010 and has the world's largest tuned mass damper to withstand typhoons and earthquakes
Taiwan has more convenience stores per capita than almost any country - there is a 7-Eleven roughly every 500 meters in Taipei
The island has over 200 peaks above 3,000 meters, making it one of the most mountainous islands on Earth relative to its size
Bubble tea, invented in Taiwan, has become a multi-billion dollar global industry with dedicated shops on every continent
Taiwan's national health insurance system covers 99.9% of the population and is consistently ranked among the best in the world
The traditional Chinese characters used in Taiwan preserve the original forms that were simplified on the mainland in the 1950s
Can you find Taiwan on a map?
Drop a pin where you think it is and see how close you got. A few rounds and you will place Taiwan and its neighbours without a second thought.
