It’s not a big place, but it’s definitely not a “small country”! Remember to feel proud of Taiwan.

Text and photos by Huang Yuyang, excerpted from “The Passionate Revival of Taiwan’s Hidden Attractions – Coming from the North”



Lately, Taiwan has been especially united. I’ve actually been thinking—when Taiwanese people meet “someone who knows about Taiwan,” theyget really excited and surprised, saying, “You know about Taiwan?” as if people shouldn’t knowit—it’s some kind of surprise. A few years ago when I was in Europe or Southeast Asia, I used to say the same thing. When someone knew where Taiwan was or even mentioned Taipei 101, I’d get super excited. But later I realized—Come on, who doesn’t know about Taiwan? Not knowing about Taiwan is really their problem.

Last year, a European friend visited Hong Kong and stopped by Taiwan. It happenedThey had an attitude of 'you should know this,' which I suppose is also a form of respect for others, isn't it?But if the other person looks really surprised, it makes me wonder if they originally thought I was stupid and shouldn't have known.”

Honestly, if we think about it, is it because we lack confidence? And yet, I can’t clearly put my finger on why. When traveling, almost no one I’ve met, after answering where they’re from, adds, 'Do you know where that is?' Some Brits, Australians, or Americans might even just say the name of their city or state, assuming you naturally know their country or city. I remember once meeting a Brit who said he was from Brighton. To be honest, Brighton isn’t a major city, but he said, 'If you don’t know Brighton, that’s your problem. What a loss—it’s the best city in the world.'

On a mountain over 3,000 meters high in Ethiopia, an Ethiopian immediately said 'Taipei 101' when I mentioned Taiwan. He also told me his friend got a scholarship from Taiwan to go to university. At the Sudanese border, there was a Sudanese person wearing a hat donated by Taiwan, with 'Go Taiwan' written on it. Once, a Ugandan asked me where I was from. I said, 'Guess. A small island in East Asia.''Taiwan? Taiwan isn’t small!' I mean, Taiwan may not be very large in area, but it’s not a small country.Do you know what I mean?

Even my Swiss friend said Taroko Gorge is really beautiful. My Dutch friend said that tiny Taiwan has so many outstanding directors—that’s really impressive. The French love Hou Hsiao-hsien so much, and my American friend’s favorite illustrator is Jimmy Liao. So many friends who’ve visited Taiwan have said that they feel...Taiwanese people have a kind of indescribably special warmth.Once, I took a minibus where everyone except two Taiwanese girls were mainland Chinese. Halfway through the ride, some elderly people got on, and when I made eye contact with the two Taiwanese girls, we both felt we should give up our seats for them. Everyone else suddenly seemed to have something urgent to do—some were engrossed in their phones, some were dozing off, and some were focused on eating vegetable buns.

So many people want the world to see Taiwan. When I went to Europe and met up with friends, I invited them to watch *Life of Pi*. We checked out two cinemas, but every screening was sold out. In the end, we barely managed to get seats near the front. During the end credits, every Taiwanese name was followed by '(Taiwan)' in parentheses. When my friend asked me why there were so many Taiwanese people involved in the film, I just said the director was Taiwanese. Actually, I really wanted to cry—I guess it’s because I’ve been away from home for so long.

I know Taiwan still has a lot of problems, but which country doesn’t?When I talked to a German about the nuclear power issue, I even knocked over my beer in excitement. When discussing how the Taiwanese government favors big corporations, he just smiled and said, 'You don’t actually think Germany is any different, do you?'

Of course, there are still people who don’t know where Taiwan is—they confuse it with Thailand or even think most Taiwanese live below the poverty line. Just like I did before I went to Africa—I didn’t realize African capitals could look so developed, and I didn’t know Ethiopian food could be so delicious. In the midst of conflict in the Middle East, I experienced the warmest moments, and it made me slap myself for my past ignorance.

Once, someone asked me, 'Do you Taiwanese people even have computers?' I stared in disbelief at him—he was typing on an ASUS laptop with his right hand and holding an HTC phone in his left—and said, 'No, we only have one computer per village. You can use it only if you have a special need. If you hunt food for the village that day, you can use it for an hour first.' He even laughed and felt a bit embarrassed himself.

We’re the world’s 19th-largest economy. We can go outside every day without worrying about bombs or tanks. At 3 a.m., you can walk to the end of the alley and find a convenience store where you can pay bills, book tickets, and buy New Year’s dishes all in one stop. The MRT is cleaner and brighter compared to those in European countries. Public transportation goes everywhere. We don’t spit on the ground. We queue up to get on and off vehicles. We can freely assemble and protest. Our population makes up only 2% of the global Chinese population, yet we’re the only Chinese-majority democracy in the world that practices party politics and has experienced a peaceful transfer of power. Remember to feel proud of Taiwan.*ETtoday Eastday News Cloud* welcomes submissions from Cloud Friends to share your articles with more people. Please send submissions to editor@ettoday.net.