What are the most distinctive customs and customs in Taiwan?

1. Shadow puppetry

Shadow puppetry originated in the Song Dynasty more than a thousand years ago and has been popular in Taiwan for two hundred years. It was born in Kaohsiung County and became popular in the early Qing Dynasty. It is commonly known as "shadow puppetry". Monkey play".

The performances are mostly performed at night. The stage is about ten feet high. A white cloth is hung at the front as a curtain, and lights are installed at the back to project the shadow puppets on the curtain. The leather sculptures are about one foot to one and a half feet tall. They are made of animal skins rolled into a translucent shape, then carved into human figures, colored, coated with tung oil to increase their transparency, and then smoothed.

The head is interchangeable and the figure is carefully crafted. The portrait itself is a kind of handicraft. The composition of the troupe is very capable, with one leading actor, one assistant, one singer each, and about four musicians.

2. Taiwanese Snacks

Taiwanese food culture has a famous "snack" culture. Night markets with various snacks are one of the representatives of Taiwanese people's life culture.

Common snacks include oyster omelette, fried chicken steak, stinky tofu, salt crispy chicken, pan-fried buns, rice blood cake, oyster noodles, sweet and spicy, braised pork rice, meatballs, and danzi noodles. , beef noodles, xiaolongbao, etc. Taiwanese specialty baked delicacies such as pineapple cakes and nougat are well-known souvenirs.

3. Confucius’ Birthday Ceremony

The most holy teacher Confucius has a very special status in Taiwanese folk beliefs. In the early days, the ceremony to honor Confucius was held in spring and autumn. Later, it was held on September 28th of the lunar calendar every year, the anniversary of the birth of Confucius, and this day was designated as Teachers' Day. There are only twelve Confucius temples built in Taiwan, the largest one is the "Taipei Confucius Temple" located to the west of Taipei Yuanshan Zoo.

On the day of the Confucius Commemoration Ceremony, a grand and solemn ceremony will be held. Not only teachers and students of the school must participate, but all government officials at all levels must also attend to show respect for teachers and education.

4. Ghost Festival Purdue Ceremony

July 15th of the lunar calendar, commonly known as "Hungry Ghost Festival", also known as "Ollan Festival" and "Ghost Festival", is It is a day for people to pay homage to the souls of their ancestors, and it is also a very important festival for Taoist and Buddhist believers.

In this big festival, every household in rural Taiwan kills pigs and sheep, prepares extremely rich meat and wine sacrifices, worships ancestors and ghosts in the underworld, and hopes to "purdue" all living beings and the souls of the dead.

In Taiwan, the most common legend is that in the early morning of July 1st of the lunar calendar every year, the underworld opens the ghost gate, allowing all the ghosts who have suffered in the underworld to return to the upper world to visit their hometowns and descendants. On July 15th, the people of the country unite to hold a big worship ceremony for all the ghosts and let the ghosts enjoy a feast. By July 30, the holiday is over and these ghosts return to the underworld.

5. Drinking tea

Tea is a traditional drink for Taiwanese people. Tea is produced throughout Taiwan, and famous teas include Dongding Oolong tea, Wenshan Baozhong tea, Oriental Beauty tea, and Tieguanyin tea. The main form of tea art is Kung Fu tea. Bubble black tea culture is a new development of Taiwanese tea culture, and the representative tea drink pearl milk tea is very popular.