Pack Taiwanese Culture for Your Trip Abroad and Practice People-to-People Diplomacy!

What does Taiwan look like in your mind? What do the friends you meet abroad think of when they think of Taiwan? You may well be the first Taiwanese person they really get to know. Here are some methods I've tried: small, thoughtful touches that let you share the big beauty of Taiwan with friends all over the world!

Share small gifts and introduce Taiwanese culture

• Traditional snacks: buy some before you leave, and when you first meet new friends abroad, introduce the culture and share a taste of Taiwan! For example, I order nougat made by people with disabilities from a social enterprise. Not only can I tell the story of how nougat came to Taiwan and was adapted there, I can also talk about how social enterprises have developed in Taiwan! (Online you can also find charity walnut-date cakes, dried fruit and so on made by sheltered workshops. They all give a small snack an extra layer of meaning!)

• Small gifts: little charms with traditional patterns and souvenirs, to give on friends' birthdays abroad, or as thanks when you meet someone who helps you on your travels! (Clearing out the cupboards at home, you may find plenty; even things that usually feel too folksy turn out to be a great fit.)

• Cards and postcards showing Taiwan's landscapes and culture: on a friend's birthday, at the end of a course or before saying goodbye, don't forget to write a card to say thank you, and invite them to come visit Taiwan!

Introduce Taiwan through music

• Put together a playlist of Taiwanese pop songs to share! The most iconic party songs, ballads, indie music or your own favorite tracks: note down their English titles or save the links, and slip them in whenever you get the chance! (When my partner and I were WWOOFing in Spain, we put on "You Are My Flower" (你是我的花朵) and got our European and American friends dancing along.)

• You can also bring an instrument and prepare a few traditional pieces and the stories behind them. (I brought a light ocarina and played "Bang Chhun-hong" (望春風) and "Flower in the Rainy Night" (雨夜花); when I borrowed a guitar, I sang "The Olive Tree" (橄欖樹) at an olive farm…)

FAQ: think ahead about how you'd answer these in English.

• What is Taiwan like?

• What’s the difference between Taiwan and China?

• What’s your favorite thing about your hometown?

• Why did you choose this city for the exchange?

Introduce yourself with your Chinese name

During my exchange, I always introduced myself with my Chinese name. At first my friends abroad found it hard to pronounce and hard to remember, and I had to make an extra effort to explain: In Taiwan, we don’t say our given names first, instead, we say our family name (last name) before our given names. It led to quite a few funny mix-ups. But as we spent more time together and got closer, my friends remembered it. (The ones who really remember your name are true friends!) (Things got more complicated once I started job hunting, though...)

Even better, it gave me the chance to explain the meaning of each character in my name, and to share Chinese character culture, naming customs, the differences between Traditional and Simplified Chinese and more with friends from abroad. It's a great topic for cultural exchange! Quite a few friends even told me they envy how much meaning our names carry.

Related article: Why take an English name? We've all missed the point

If a foreigner asks you, "Why do Taiwanese people take English names?", here's what you can say…..