Red envelopes. New Years eve dinner. Dumplings. Red. Lion Dancing. Why do we do these things during Lunar New Year? What other traditions are there?   Lunar New Years is more than just money in red envelopes or meeting distant relatives during an annual dinner. Just like how much of the Christian faith has to … Continue reading Taiwan Lunar New Year Traditions

It is that time of year, the time to refresh on the Chinese Zodiac. The past year was the Year of the Goat, with this year being the Year of the Monkey! Do you know which animal is your zodiac sign, or how the zodiac came about? If not, read on!

Taiwan is renowned for it’s food, from bubble tea to beef noodle soup. Not only are they filled with great taste, they are also filled with rich history. Check it out here. If there’s any missing, let us know here

The seventh month of the lunar calendar marks the Ghost Month in Taiwan. During this month, the gates of the underworld are open and spirits are allowed to visit their family, loved ones and or just roam around. The 15th of the month is Zhong Yuan Pudu Festival, or Ghost Festival. While being Taoist, the … Continue reading Ghost Festival

Celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, the mid autumn festival (中秋節) literally translates to mid autumn festival. It also sometime called the moon festival. The reason for this is that this day is suppose to mark a full moon. While the celebration of the full moon has been … Continue reading Mid Autumn Festival

The Double Ten Day is celebrated in Taiwan as a national holiday. However, it may be one of the most hard-to-understand days to explain to anyone not extremely well-versed in Chinese history (yes CHINESE history.) It is also the one day that may provoke the most rage and debate. Hopefully you’ll understand more with this. … Continue reading Double Ten Day

As the spring season draws to a close and as the dog days of summer approach, the Taiwanese get ready for the Dragon Boat Festival—one of the most popular annual festivals celebrated across East Asia from China to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Okinawa. The Korean Dano festival, Vietnam’s Tết Đoan Ngọ and Japan’s Kodomo no Hi all have historical links to the … Continue reading Dragon Boat Festival

Surprisingly, one of the biggest deities in Taiwan does not fall within the Buddhist or Taoist religion. Instead, Matsu (or Mazu) is a lady turned legend turned folklore. In Taiwan, there are over 3000 temples dedicated to Matsu for how special she was to the land and people. Starting in a fishing town in southern … Continue reading Matsu