David's Guide to Taiwan

Information in English about Taiwan.

About David's Guide to Taiwan

David on Formosa's Guide to Taiwan is David's personal guide to Taiwan that's been running for a few years, helping those looking for information about travelling, teaching English or studying Chinese in Taiwan.

This guide aims to provide useful information in English for anybody planning to come to Taiwan or already in Taiwan. Many people come to Taiwan to teach English or study Chinese so there are pages dedicated to these topics. You can also find pages about travelling, cycling, Buddhism in Taiwan, and other useful information to help make your stay in or visit to Taiwan fun and enjoyable.

The guide has moved here from the previous location at http://taiwan.8m.net.

BLOG: David on Formosa - commentary on all things Taiwanese.

PHOTOS: David's Formosa Photo Gallery - photos from Taiwan.

David's Guide at Taiwanderful

David's Guide to Taiwan had its beginnings back in 2002. It was a small site created using simple HTML coding.

Over the years the site grew and developed. However, after I returned to Taiwan in 2006 I didn't update the site as much as I would have liked to. Part of the reason for this was the inconvenience of writing HTML and the other reason was I was putting more time and effort into my blog and photos.

Most of the content of the old David's Guide to Taiwan has been imported into Taiwanderful. I have updated many of the pages and also added some new ones. I have lots of ideas about things to write and I will slowly add new pages over time.

The navigation of this site is a little different to the old site. Hopefully people who used the old site will familiarise themselves with it. If there is something you can't find try the search box in the top left corner.

I would also like to point out some of the interesting content in David's Guide to Taiwan.

The section with the largest amount of content at the moment is the travel section. This is divided into several sections, the main ones being Day trips around Taipei and Interesting places in Taipei. I will add more places to this as I visit them and gather information. All the information is very much centered on Taipei. I would like it to have a much wider coverage and this is where I hope other users at Taiwanderful contribute.

The Studying Chinese in Taiwan section has a couple of articles which intend to correct some of the common misunderstandings about Chinese characters. See Writing Taiwanese using Chinese characters and the newly added Understanding Chinese characters.

I just added an article Lessons from another island to the Taiwan's environment section. I wrote this article, which compares Taiwan and Sri Lanka, several years ago. Environmental issues are a major interest of mine and I hope to expand this section of the site. Others are welcome to contribute too.

I really like the way it is so easy to update this site and I am sure I will update it and add new content far more frequently than I did at the old site. I will also use the blog here to alert people to new content I have written.

 

Food in Taiwan

Food in Taiwan

Drinks translation

Adopted from Life In China (converted simplified Chinese into Traditional Chinese, some might be only China based) :

中國酒　　Chinese Alcoholic Drinks
黃酒類　　Yellow Wine
白酒類　　Liquor
啤酒　　Beer
葡萄酒　　Wine

洋酒　　Imported Wines
開胃酒　　Aperitif
白蘭地　　Brandy
威士忌　　Whiskey
金酒　　Gin
朗姆酒　　Rum
伏特加　　Vodka
龍舌蘭　　Tequila
利口酒　　 Liqueurs
清酒　　 Sake
啤酒　　Beer
雞尾酒　　Cocktails and Mixed-drinks
餐酒　　Table Wine

飲料　　Non-Alcoholic Beverages
礦泉水　　Spring Water
咖啡　　Coffee

茶　　Tea
茶飲料　　Tea Drinks

果蔬汁　　Juice
碳酸飲料　　Sodas
混合飲料　　Mixed Drinks

其他飲料　　Other Drinks
冰品　　Ice

黃酒類　　Yellow Wine

8年香雕紹興酒 ：Xiangdiao Shaoxing Medium Sweet (8 Years)
Sweet
5年香雕紹興酒 ：Xiangdiao Shaoxing(5 Years) Medium Sweet
紹興花雕10年 ：Shaoxing Huadiao(10 Years) Medium Sweet
紹興花雕20年 ：Shaoxing Huadiao (20 Years) Medium Sweet
紹興花雕及清酒 ：Shaoxing Huadiao and Sake Medium Sweet
三十年花雕 ：Huadiao Shaoxing (30 Years) Medium Sweet
紹興加飯 ：Shaoxing Jiafan Medium Dry
女兒紅12年 ：Nu'er Hong (12 Years)
女兒紅18年 ：Nu'er Hong (18 Years)
古越龍山 ：Guyue Longshan
青瓷五年 ：Qingci Huadiao(5 Years) Medium Sweet

白酒類　　Liquor

北京醇 ：Beijing Chun
二鍋頭 ：Erguotou(Superior 500ml 56°)
精裝二鍋頭 52度 ：Red Star Erguotou (500ml 52°)
藍花珍品二鍋頭 ：Lanhua Zhenpin Erguotou
紅星珍品二鍋頭(500毫升52度) ：Red Star Zhenpin Erguotou (500ml 52°)
牛欄山經典二鍋頭(500毫升52度) ：Niulanshan Jingdian Erguotou (500ml 52°)
青瓷珍品二鍋頭 ：Qingci Zhengpin Erguotou（500ml 46°）
京酒 38度 ：Jing Jiu(500ml 38°)
三品京酒(500毫升38度) ：Sanpin Jing Jiu (500ml 38°)
三品京酒(500毫升52度) ：Sanpin Jing Jiu (500ml 52°)
酒鬼 38度 ：Jiu Gui（500ml 38°）
酒鬼 52度 ：Jiu Gui（500ml 52°）
小酒鬼（250ml） ：Xiao Jiu Gui（250ml 38°）
Niang (Moutai Liquor Series)

貴州醇 ：Guizhou Chun
國窖 38度 ：Guo Jiao (500ml 38°)
國窖 52度 ：Guo Jiao (500ml 52°)
國窖1573 ：Guo Jiao 1573 (The First Cellar in China)
瀘州老窖 38度 ：Luzhou Lao Jiao（38°）
瀘州老窖 52度 ：Luzhou Lao Jiao（52°）
Qian Imperial Crown (400ml 50°)
劍南春 38度 ：Jiannanchun （38°）
劍南春 52度 ：Jiannanchun（52°）
蒙古王 44度 ：Mongolian King（ 44°）
三星金六福（高、低） ：Jinliufu Three-Star (High/Low)
三星金六福（三兩） ：Jinliufu（150ml）
五星金六福（高、低） ：Jinliufu Five-Star (High, Low)
金六福（五星）52度 ：Jinliufu (Five-Star) (52°)
水井坊 39度 ：Shuijingfang (39°)
水井坊 52度 ：Shuijingfang (52°)
水井坊 53度 ：Shuijingfang (53°)
五糧液 39度 ：Wuliangye (39°)
五糧液 52度 ：Wuliangye (52°)
五糧液一帆風順 52度 ：Wuliangye Liquor Yi Fan Feng Shun (52°)--Symbolizing Plain Sailing
小糊塗仙 52度 ：Xiaohutuxian (52°)
小角樓 ：Xiaojiaolou

啤酒　　Beer

青島啤酒 ：Tsing Tao Beer
青島扎啤/青島生啤 ：Tsing Tao Draught
燕京啤酒 ：Yanjing Beer
燕京生啤 0.3升 ：Yanjing Draught (0.3L)
燕京無醇啤酒 ：Yanjing Alcohol-Free
燕京扎啤 ：Yanjing Draught
雪花啤酒 ：Snow Beer
北京生啤 ：Beijing Draught Beer
哈爾濱啤酒 ：Harbin Beer
百威啤酒 ：Budweiser
嘉士伯啤酒 ：Carlsberg
喜力 ：Heineken
朝日啤酒 ：Asahi Beer
老虎啤酒 ：Tiger
藍帶啤酒 ：Blue Ribbon

葡萄酒　　Wine

Cavernet
張裕香檳 ：Changyu Sparkling Cider
長城1995（長城紅葡萄酒，中國） ：Great Wall Cabernet Sauvignon (Year 1995)
長城2002（長城紅葡萄酒，中國） ：Great Wall Cabernet Sauvignon (Year 2002)
長城A區（長城紅葡萄酒，中國） ：Great Wall Cabernet Sauvignon
華夏95年長城 ：Great Wall Vintage Red Wine (Year 1995)
華夏長城赤霞珠 ：Great Wall Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine
華夏長城葡萄園A區 ：Great Wall Region A Red Wine
White Wine
華夏長城特選 ：Great Wall Selection Red Wine
Red (Three-Star)

雷司令（龍徽，中國） ：Dragon Seal Riesling
龍徽赤霞珠 ：Dragon Seal Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine
Red
龍徽懷來珍藏 ：Dragon Seal Huailai Reserve
Seal Huailai Dry Red Reserve
龍徽汽酒 ：Dragon Seal Sparkling Wine
Wine
龍徽莊園 ：Dragon Seal Cru de Red Wine
Cru de Dry Red
西夏王冰白 ：Xixia King Ice Wine
西夏王世紀 ：Xixia King Red Wine
：President's Selection Shiraz Dry Red
總統特選南澳：President's Selection Chardonnay Dry White

開胃酒　　Aperitif

杜本內 ：Dubonnet
馬天尼（白） ：Martini Bianco, Italy
苦艾酒 ：Absinth
馬天尼（甜） ：Martini Rosso, Italy
（紅）馬天尼（甜） ：Sweet Martini , Italy
飄仙1號 ：Pimm’s No.1
仙山露（紅） ：Cinzano Rosso, France

白蘭地　　Brandy

亞文邑 ：Armagnac
馬爹利VSOP ：Martell VSOP
蘭帶馬爹利 ：Martell Cordon Blue
人頭馬路易十三 ：Remy Martin Louis XIII
馬爹利XO ：Martell XO
拿破侖VSOP ：Courvoisier VSOP, France
拿破侖XO ：Courvoisier XO, France
蘋果白蘭地 ：Calvados
人頭馬VSOP ：Remy Martin VSOP
人頭馬XO ：Remy Martin XO
人頭馬俱樂部 ：Remy Martin Club
人頭馬特級 ：Club de Remy
施格蘭VO ：Seagram's VO
軒尼詩VSOP ：Hennessy VSOP
軒尼詩XO ：Hennessy XO
軒尼詩百樂廷 ：Hennessy Paradis
軒尼詩智選 ：Hennessy Choice

威士忌　　Whiskey

愛爾蘭威士忌 ：Irish Whiskey
白馬威士忌 ：White Horse
百笛人 ：100 Pipers
格蘭菲迪10年 ：Glenfiddich (10 Years)
格蘭菲迪士 ：Glenfiddich
格林莫瑞 ：Glenmorangie
格蘭威士忌 ：Grant's
黑方威士忌 ：Johnnie Walker Black Label
紅方威士忌 ：Johnnie Walker Red Label
皇冠威士忌 ：Crown Royal
皇家禮炮 ：Chivas Royal Salute
加拿大俱樂部(12年） ：Canadian Club (12 years)
添寶威士忌 ：Dimple Haig
金鈴威士忌 ：Bells Finest
老伯威威士忌 ：Old Parr (12 years)
龍津 ：Long John
麥高倫麥威十二年威士忌 ：Macallan Highland (12 years)
順風威士忌 ：Cutty Sark
四玫瑰波爾本威士忌 ：Four Roses Bourbon
蘇格蘭純麥威士忌 ：Scotch Malt Whisky
蘇格蘭威士忌 ：Scotch Whisky
野火雞威士忌 ：Wild Turkey
威雀威士忌(15年) ：Famous Grouse (15 Years)
芝華士威士忌12年 ：Chivas Regal (12 Years)
芝華士威士忌18年 ：Chivas Regal (18 years)

金酒　　Gin

必發達金酒 ：Beefeater Gin
哥頓 ：Gordon's
基比路鑽石金 ：Gibeys Special Dry Gin, London, England
健尼路金 ：Greenalls Original Dry Gin, London, England

朗姆酒　　Rum

百加得朗姆酒 ：Bacardi Rum
白加得151 ：Bacardi 151, Jamaica
百加得8號 ：Bacardi 8, Jamaica
百加得白郎姆酒 ：Bacardi Light, Jamaica
百加得黑郎姆酒 ：Bacardi Black, Jamaica
摩根船長（白） ：Captain Morgan Rum White
哈瓦那郎姆酒7年 ：Havanan Club (7 years)
黑朗姆酒 ：Dark Rum
摩根船長(黑) ：Captain Morgan Rum Dark

伏特加　　Vodka

波蘭祖布蘭卡伏特加 ：Zubrowka-Bison Brand Vodka, Poland
丹麥伏特加 ：Danzka Vodka, Denmark
丹麥伏特加（葡萄味） ：Danzka Currant Vodka, Denmark
紅牌伏特加 ：Stolichnaya Vodka
綠牌伏特加 ：Moskovskaya Vodka
芬蘭伏特加（青檸味） ：Finlandia Lime Vodka, Finland
芬蘭伏特加 ：Finlandia Vodka, Finland
芬蘭紅加侖子 ：Finlandia Cranberry Vodka, Finland
芬蘭酸蔓伏特加 ：Finlandia Cranberry
荷蘭伏特加 ：Ketel One Vodka, Holland
皇冠伏特加 ：Smirnoff Vodka
瑞典伏特加 ：Absolut
瑞典伏特加（橙味） ：Absolut Mandarin Vodka, Sweden
瑞典伏特加（檸檬味） ：Absolut Citron Vodka, Sweden
瑞典伏特加（葡萄味） ：Absolut Kurrant Vodka, Sweden
瑞典香草伏特加 ：Absolut Vanilia Vodka, Sweden

龍舌蘭　　Tequila

龍舌蘭烈酒 ：Tequila Sauza
豪師快活白 ：Jose Cuervo White
豪師快活金 ：Jose Cuervo Gold
雷博司金色龍舌蘭 ：Pepe Lopez Premiun Gold, Mexico
墨西哥Sauza金色龍舌蘭 ：Sauza Extra Tequila Gold, Mexico
墨西哥Sauza銀色龍舌蘭 ：Sauza Tequila Blanco, Mexico

利口酒　　 Liqueurs

百利甜酒 ：Baileys Irish Cream
薄荷酒 ：Crème de Menthe (Green)
安定寶 ：Underberg
白薄荷 ：Crème de Menthe (White)
白可可酒 ：Crème de Cacao (White)
潘諾(茴香酒） ：Pernod
橙皮甜酒 ：Triple Sec
草莓力嬌 ：Crème de Strawberry
蛋黃白蘭地 ：Advocaat
芳津杏仁 ：Amaretto
甘露咖啡力嬌酒 ：Kahlua
加利安奴（香草利口酒） ：Galliamo
金萬利 ：Grand Marnier
君度甜酒 ：Cointreau
添萬力 ：Tia Maria
可可甜酒 ：Crème de Cacao
藍橙 ：Blue Curacao
葫蘆尊薄荷蜜 ：Get 27
瑪利布椰子甜酒 ：Malibu
森布卡茴香酒 ：Sambuca
櫻桃白蘭地 ：Cherry Brandy
櫻桃酒 ：Kirschwasser
櫻桃力嬌 ：Maraschino
櫻桃甜酒 ：Cherry Heering

清酒　　 Sake

日本清酒 ：Sake

啤酒　　Beer

愛爾蘭啤酒 ：Guinness
百威 ：Budweiser
朝日 ：Asahi
高仕 ：Grolsch, Holland
嘉士伯 ：Carlsberg
科羅娜 ：Corona

雞尾酒　　Cocktails and Mixed-drinks

亞美利加娜 ：Americano
波斯貓爪 ：Pussy Foot（O J P J,Lemon Juice,Grenadine）
皇室咖啡 ：Coffee Royal
草莓瑪格麗特 ：Strawberry Margarita
長島冰茶 ：Long Island Iced Tea (Vodka，Gin，Rum，Tequila，Cointreau，Coke）
得其利 ：Daiquiri
龍舌蘭日出 ：Tequila Sunrise

古典雞尾酒 ：Old Fashioned
黑俄羅斯 ：Black Russian
紅粉佳人 ：Pink Lady
轟炸機 ：B-52（Bailey’s Kahlua，Cointreau）
金飛士 ：Gin Fizz
金湯力 ：Gin and Tonic
螺絲刀 ：Screwdriver
羅布•羅伊 ：Rob Roy
曼哈頓 ：Manhattan
美態 ：Mai Tai
湯姆考林斯 ：Tom Collins
天使之吻 ：Angel's Kiss
威士忌酸 ：Whisky Sour
夏日賓治 ：Summer Punch(OJPJ，Lemon Juice，Grenadine Mint's)
血瑪麗 ：Bloody Mary(Vodka，Tomato Juice)
新加坡司令 ：Singapore Sling
鏽釘 ：Rusty Nail
種植園者賓治 ：Planter's Punch

餐酒　　Table Wine

：M.Chapoutier "La Bernardine"Chateauneuf-Du Pape
埃瑪娜精選-馬西酒園 ：Masi Amarone DOC
艾文思伍德仙粉黛 ：Ravenswood Zinfandel Vintner's Blend
Chardonnay IGT
艾格尼酒園—瓦爾波利 ：Allegrini Valpolicella Classico DOC
艾立嘉 ：Erdinger
and Tate Salsbury Semillon/Chardonnay
艾文泰德酒園-薩利博瑞莎瑞斯/蘇維翁 ：Evans and Tate Salsbury Shiraz/Cabernet
艾文泰德酒園—莎瑞斯 ：Evans and Tate Gnagara Shiraz
Stone Cellars Chardonnay
貝薩諾芭貝爾 ：Bersano Piemonte Barbera DOC
貝薩諾酒園—保羅 ：Bersano Barolo DOCG
貝薩諾酒園—蔻狄絲 ：Bersano Piemonte Cortese DOC

Koonunga Hill Chardonnay
缽酒 ：Port
布郎兄弟酒園—梅洛 ：Brown Brothers Merlot
白詩南-柯林茨酒園 ：Kleine Zalze Chenin Blanc Bush Vines
寶力白-約瑟.杜華酒園 ：Josefh Drouhin Pouilly A.O.C.
寶米諾白 ：Frescobaldi Pomino Bianco Pomino D.O.C.
寶森添百利波爾多白蘇維翁白葡萄酒(意大利,托斯卡納) ：Blason Timberlay Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc (Tuscany, Italy)
：Beringer, Kningts Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
博艮地紅葡萄酒（博艮地，法國） ：Beaune ler Cru Claude

丹澤特皮諾格力得-麓鵲酒園 ：Luce Danzante Pinot Grigio IGT
杜馳蘇維翁 ：Vini Della Duchea Cabernet
杜馳梅洛 ：Vini Della Duchea Merlot
杜馳皮諾 ：Vini Della Duchea Pinot Grigio
杜哈米雍 ：Chateau Duhart-Milon
波爾多紅葡萄酒（波爾多，法國） ：Chapelle de la Trinite St Emilion AOC(Bordeaux, France)
迪寶夫酒園—梅洛 ：Georges Duboeuf Merlot
鬥牛士 ：La Corrida Cabernet Sauvignon
福霖-馬西酒園 ：Masi Camofiorin Ripasso DOC
福米博絲特（加州，美國） ：Fume Blanc Robert Mondavi, Napa Valley (California, USA)
富美白-羅伯特.蒙大菲酒園 ：Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc
菲斯奈特黑牌汽酒 ：Freixenet Cordon Negro
【◎Fix:◎乾;◎幹;◎干】些釐酒 ：Tio Pepe Dry
歌堡白玫瑰葡萄汽酒(法國,圖南) ：Opera Blanc de Blanc Brut NV (Tournan, France)
格魯斯AOC（法國） ：Gewurztraminer AOC Trimbach, Alsace
格威（意大利） ：Gavi, DOCG Michele Chiarlo, Piedmont, Italy

古佳樂世家（羅納山麓，法國） ：E.Guigal Cotes du Rhone AOC, Rhone Valley, France
漢高汽酒 ：Henkell Trocken
紅寶石缽酒 ：Taylors, Portugal
皇室旗艦波爾多紅 ：Berry's Good Ordinary Claret,AC Bordeaux
皇室智利加本力蘇維翁 ：Berry's Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon
Chardonnay
黃牌加本力頌維德--禾富酒園 ：Yellow Label,Cabernet Sauvignon,Wolf Blass
禾富酒園—黃牌蘇維翁 ：Wolf Blass Yellow Label Cabernet Sauvignon
禾富酒園—雷司令 ：Wolf Blass South Australia Riesling
酒園 ：Frescobaldi CastelGiocondo,Brunello Di Montalcino DOCG
佳美娜-埃德華茲酒園 ：Luis Felipe Edwards Carmenere
佳威-貝薩諾酒園 ：Bersano Gavi DOCG
嘉歡缽酒 ：Fine Ruby Port
嘉歡舍利（些釐） ：Cream Sherry
精選波拉紅 ：Rothshild Pauillac Reserve Speciale A O C
：Cockfighter Ghost Hunter Valley Unwooded Chardonnay
駿馬牌珍藏蘇維翁紅 ：Cockfighter Ghost Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
傑卡斯酒園—西拉加本納 ：Jacob's Creek Shiraz Cabernet
Sauvignon Conchay Toro "Casillero del Diablo" Chile
卡莎拉博絲特（千百，智利） ：Sauvignon Blanc Casa Lapostolle, Chile
卡斯特羅（意大利） ：Rosso di Montalcino Castello Banfi, Tuscany, Italy
凱歌皇牌凱歌香檳 ：Veuve Chicquot Yellou Label
考維酒園精選白乾 ：Calvet Reserbe Bordeaux Bianc A O C
考維酒園精選博倫【◎Fix:◎乾;◎幹;◎干】紅 ：Calvet Reserbe Des Barons Rouge
拉佛瑞黑皮諾-約瑟.杜華 ：Joseph Drouhin Laforet Bourgogne ：Marques de Caceres Rioja Vendimia
盧比剛-美蕾酒園 ：Meerlust Rubicon
菩提爾酒園 ：M.Chapoutier"Belleruche"Coles Du Rhone
利達民酒園—精選設拉子/卡本妮 ：Lindemanns Premier Selection Shiraz/Cabernet
魯芬諾酒園—都蓋基尼蒂經典 ：Ruffino Chianti Classico Reserva
路易亞都世家酒園—勃根蒂黑皮諾 ：Louis Jadot Bourgogne ：Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Chardonnay
羅伯特蒙大菲酒園—木橋蘇維翁 ：Robert Mondavi Woodbridge Cabernet Sauvignon
馬孔頓白-約瑟.杜華酒園 ：Josefh Drouhin Macon Villages Blanc A O C
瑪格麗特河蘇維翁/梅洛-艾文泰德酒園 ：Evans and Tate Margaret River Cabernet/Merlot
瑪瑞伯格特級色拉子 ：Marienberg Reserve Shiraz
梅羅特-泥屋酒園 ：Mud House Merlot
Penfolds "Rawson's Retreat"
蒙奈特（博艮地，法國） ：Puligny Montrachet Bouchard Pere et Fils, Blanc
酩悅玫瑰香檳 ：Moet Et Chandon Rose Brut Imperial
酩悅香檳 ：Moet Et Chandon Brut Imperial
木橋蘇維翁-羅伯特.蒙大菲酒園 ：Robert Mondavi Woodbrige Cabernet Sauvignon
牧歌白-牧歌酒園 ：Muga"fermentado en barrica"White
馬西酒園—威尼斯紅 ：Masi Modello
：M.Chapoutier "Belleruche" Cotes du Rhone
木馬酒園—紅帶香檳 ：Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut

諾頓酒園—梅洛 ：Norton Merlot
菩裴拉蘇維翁 ：Edwards Pupilla Cabernet Sauvignon
薩拉莫世家酒園—蘇維翁 ：Sella Mosca Cabernet Sauvignon
雙洋酒園—蘇維翁/梅洛 ：Two Oceans Cabernet/Merlot

賽美蓉—夏多內（哈迪，澳大利亞） ：Chardonnay Semilion Hardy's South Eastern, Australia
賽奇馳安稠-賽奇酒園 ：Cecchi Chianti DOCG

瑟美戎白頌維德-禾富酒園 ：Wolf Blass,Semillon Suvignon Blanc
森特（波爾多，法國） ：Saint-Estephe Maitre d'Estournel Blanc AOC Second wine Cos d'Estournel (Bordeaux, France)
：Banrock Station Chardonnay
莎蓮娜莎瑞斯 ：Salena Shiraz
Shiraz
莎瑞斯-柯林茨酒園 ：Kleine Zalze Shiraz(barrel aged)
Sparkling Shiraz
聖地精選蘇維翁 ：Caliterra Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon
聖地梅洛 ：Caliterra Merlot
Blanc
聖塞爾 ：Blanc Pascal Jolivet Sancerre
私家精選蘇維翁-羅伯特.蒙大菲酒園 ：Robert Mondavi Private Selection
Blanc
泰亭哲酒園—泰亭哲香檳 ：Taittinger Brut Reserve Champagane NV
臺階典藏蘇維翁 ：Terrazas Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon
臺階精選馬爾貝 ：Terrazas Alto Malbec
瓦波利切拉精選-馬西酒園 ：Masi Valpolicella DOC
瓦爾多汽酒 ：Valdo Prosecco Marca Oro
維拉紅葡萄酒（美國 ） ：Pinot Nior Domaine Drouhin, Oregon Central Valley
維娜蒙特梅洛 ：Vina Monte Verde Merlot
維塞羅極品波爾多紅 ：Chateau Vrai Caillou Sauvignon
夏布利-約瑟.杜華酒園 ：Josefh Drouhin Chablis Domaine de Vaudon
香檳王 ：Cuvee Dom Perignon 1996 Epernay
努依村-約瑟.杜華 ：Joseph Drouhin Cote De Nuits Villages A O C
新西蘭奧特納蘇維翁白 ：Aotena Sauvignon Blanc, Nelson, NZ

礦泉水　　Spring Water

冰露礦泉水 ：Ice Dew Spring Water
火山泉礦泉水 ：Volcano Spring Spring Water
巴黎礦泉水 ：Perrier Spring Water
嶗山帶汽礦泉水 ：Laoshan Spring Water（Sparkling）
嶗山礦泉水 ：Laoshan Spring Water
雀巢礦泉水 ：La Vie Spring Water
雀巢健怡礦泉水 ：La Vie Promium Spring Water
屈臣氏礦泉水 ：Watson's Spring Water
聖培露礦泉水 ：San Pellegrino Spring Water

咖啡　　Coffee

哥倫比亞咖啡 ：Colombian Coffee
牙買加咖啡 ：Jamaican Coffee
藍山咖啡 ：Blue Mountain Coffee
巴西山度士咖啡 ：Brazil Santos Coffee
曼特林咖啡 ：Brazilian Coffee
意大利咖啡 ：Italian Coffee
意大利濃咖啡 ：Espresso
意大利泡沫咖啡 ：Cappuccino
拿鐵咖啡 ：Café Latté (Coffee Latte)
美式咖啡 ：Café Americano
法式滴濾咖啡 ：French Coffee
冰法式滴濾 ：Iced French Coffee
低因咖啡 ：Decaffeinated Coffee
曼巴咖啡 ：Special Coffee (Mandeling and Brazilian Coffee)
速溶咖啡 ：Instant Coffee
現磨咖啡 ：Fresh Ground Coffee
冰咖啡 ：Iced Coffee
濃縮冰咖啡 ：Iced Espresso
冰薄荷咖啡 ：Iced Mint Coffee
冰卡布奇諾 ：Iced Cappuccino
冰焦糖卡布奇諾 ：Iced Caramel Cappuccino
冰香草卡布奇諾 ：Iced Vanilla Cappuccino
冰榛子卡布奇諾 ：Iced Hazelnut Cappuccino
果味冰卡布奇諾 ：Iced Fruit Cappuccino
果味卡布奇諾 ：Fruit Cappuccino
薰衣草卡布奇諾 ：Lavender Cappuccino
香草卡布奇諾 ：Vanilla Cappuccino
榛子卡布奇諾 ：Hazelnut Cappuccino
冰拿鐵咖啡 ：Iced Café Latté
冰焦糖咖啡拿鐵 ：Iced Caramel Latté
冰香草咖啡拿鐵 ：Iced Vanilla Latté
冰榛子咖啡拿鐵 ：Iced Hazelnut Latté
冰菠蘿咖啡拿鐵 ：Iced Pineapple Latté
冰草莓咖啡拿鐵 ：Iced Strawberry Latté
冰果味咖啡拿鐵 ：Iced Fruit Latté
黑莓咖啡拿鐵 ：Blackberry Latté
拿鐵香草 ：Vanilla Bean Latté
薰衣草咖啡拿鐵 ：Lavender Latté
椰子冰咖啡拿鐵 ：Iced Coconut Latté
黑莓冰咖啡拿鐵 ：Iced Blackberry Latté
芒果冰咖啡拿鐵 ：Iced Mango Latté
蜜桃冰咖啡拿鐵 ：Iced Peach Latté
蜜桃咖啡拿鐵 ：Peach Latté
櫻桃咖啡拿鐵 ：Cherry Latté
櫻桃冰咖啡拿鐵 ：Iced Cherry Latté
榛子咖啡拿鐵 ：Hazelnut Latté
香蕉咖啡拿鐵 ：Banana Latté
濃縮咖啡康保藍 ：Espresso Con Panna
濃縮咖啡瑪奇朵 ：Espresso Macchiato
冰美式咖啡 ：Iced Café Americano
菠蘿冰美式 ：Iced Pineapple Americano
芒果冰美式咖啡 ：Iced Mango Americano
蜜桃冰美式咖啡 ：Iced Peach Americano
香蕉冰美式 ：Iced Banana Americano
冰摩卡 ：Iced Mochaccino
草莓摩卡咖啡 ：Iced Strawberry Mocha
櫻桃摩卡咖啡 ：Cherry Mocha
椰子摩卡咖啡 ：Coconut Mocha
芒果摩卡咖啡 ：Mango Mocha
香蕉摩卡咖啡 ：Banana Mocha
冰水果咖啡 ：Iced Fruit Coffee
法國香草咖啡 ：French Vanilla Coffee
漂浮冰咖啡 ：Iced Coffee Float
巧克力冰咖啡 ：Iced Chocolate Coffee
巧克力咖啡 ：Chocolate Coffee
塔拉珠高山咖啡 ：Tarrazu Coffee
碳燒咖啡 ：Charcoal Coffee
維也納咖啡 ：Vienna Coffee
杏香咖啡 ：Saronno Coffee
夏威夷可娜咖啡 ：Hawaiian Kona Coffee
玫瑰夫人咖啡 ：Rose Lady Coffee
墨西哥冰咖啡 ：Iced Mexican Coffee
瑞士冰咖啡 ：Iced Swiss Coffee
巴西咖啡 ：Brazil Coffee
皇家咖啡 ：Royal Coffee
君度咖啡 ：Cointreau Coffee
愛爾咖啡 ：Irish Coffee
生姜咖啡 ：Ginger Juice Coffee
貴婦人咖啡 ：Dame Coffee
椰香咖啡 ：Coconut Coffee

茶　　Tea

綠茶 ：Green Tea
太平猴魁 ：Taiping Houkui Tea (Green Tea)
西湖龍井 ：Xihu Longjing Tea (Green Tea)
信陽毛尖 ：Xinyang Maojian Tea (Green Tea)
碧螺春 ：Biluochun Tea (Green Tea)
毛尖茶 ：Maojian Tea (Green Tea)
日本煎茶 ：Japanese Green Tea
大紅袍 ：Dahongpao Tea(Wuyi Mountain Rock Tea)
安溪鐵觀音 ：Anxi Tieguanyin Tea (Oolong Tea)
臺灣阿里山烏龍 ：Taiwan Alishan Oolong Tea
臺灣凍頂烏龍 ：Taiwan Dongding Oolong Tea
臺灣金萱烏龍 ：Taiwan Jinxuan Oolong Tea
臺灣人參烏龍 ：Taiwan Ginsen Oolong Tea
君山銀針 ：Junshan Silver Needle Tea
大白毫 ：White Milli- Silver Needle Tea
茉莉花茶 ：Jasmine Tea
茉莉大白毫 ：Jasmine Silver Needle Tea
牡丹繡球 ：Peony Jasmine Tea
臺灣桂花烏龍 ：Taiwan Cassia Oolong Tea
普洱 ：Pu 'er Tea
陳年普洱 ：Aged Pu 'er Tea
陳年普洱（31年） ：31-Year Pu 'er Tea
紅茶 ：Black Tea
祁門紅茶 ：Keemun Black Tea
立頓紅茶 ：Lipton Black Tea
大吉嶺茶 ：Darjeeling Tea
伯爵茶 ：Earl Grey Tea
薄荷錫蘭茶 ：Mint Tea
凍頂烏龍 ：Dongding Oolong Tea
綠毛峰 ：Lvmaofeng Tea
八寶茶 ：Assorted Chinese Herbal Tea
薰衣草茶 ：Lavender Tea
意大利桔茶 ：Italian Orange Tea
俄羅斯紅茶 ：Russian Black Tea
梅子紅茶 ：Greengage Black Tea
菊花茶 ：Chrysanthemum Tea

茶飲料　　Tea Drinks

冰茶 ：Iced Tea
冰紅(綠)茶 ：Iced Black Tea / Iced Green Tea
冰奶茶 ：Iced Milk Tea
港式奶茶 ：Hot Tea, HK Style
巧克力奶茶 ：Chocolate Milk Tea
冰巧克力奶茶 ：Iced Chocolate Milk Tea
草莓奶茶 ：Strawberry Milk Tea
花生奶茶 ：Peanut Milk Tea
哈密瓜奶茶 ：Hami Melon Milk Tea
椰香奶茶 ：Coconut Milk Tea
芋香奶茶 ：Taro Milk Tea
熱檸檬茶 ：Hot Lemon Tea
冰檸檬茶 ：Iced Lemon Tea
菠蘿果茶 ：Pineapple Tea
菠蘿冰茶 ：Iced Pineapple Tea
黑莓冰茶 ：Iced Blackberry Tea
草莓冰茶 ：Iced Strawberry Tea
藍莓冰茶 ：Iced Blueberry Tea
芒果冰茶 ：Iced Mango Tea
蜜桃冰茶 ：Iced Peach Tea
香蕉冰茶 ：Iced Banana Tea
奇異果冰茶 ：Iced Kiwi Tea

 

Hope that helps in any way...

Food translations

Some Chinese food names and menus translated.

85度C Romanized Drink Menu

(Originally posted on The Daily Bubble Tea , reposted with permission)

冰咖啡 bīng kāfēi ICED CAFE

  • 招牌冰咖啡　zhāopai bīng kāfēi 85℃ Iced Coffee
  • 美式冰咖啡　Měishì bīng kāfēi Iced Americano
  • 冰巧克力牛奶　bīng qiǎokèlì niúnǎi Iced Chocolate Milk
  • 冰拿鐵　bīng nátiě Iced Coffee Latte
  • 冰卡布奇諾　bīng kǎbùqínuò Iced Cappuccino
  • 冰摩卡可可　bīng mókǎ kěkě Iced Mocha Cocoa
  • 冰焦糖瑪琪朵　bīng jiāotáng mǎqíduǒ Iced Caramel Macchiatto
  • 冰法式榛果拿鐵　bīng Fǎshì zhēnguǒ nátiě Iced French Hazel Latte
  • 冰法式焦糖拿鐵　bīng Fǎshì jiāotáng nátiě Iced French Caramel Latte

熱咖啡 rè kāfēi HOT CAFE

  • 招牌熱咖啡　zhāopai rè kāfēi 85℃ Hot Coffee
  • 美式熱咖啡　Měishì rè kāfēi Americano
  • 熱巧克力牛奶　rè qiǎokèlì niúnǎi Chocolate Milk
  • 熱拿鐵　rè nátiě Coffee Latte
  • 熱卡布奇諾　rè kǎbùqínuò Cappuccino
  • 熱摩卡可可　rè mókǎ kěkě Mocha Cocoa
  • 熱焦糖瑪琪朵　rè jiāotáng mǎqíduǒ Caramel Macchiatto
  • 熱法式榛果拿鐵　rè Fǎshì zhēnguǒ nátiě French Hazel Latte
  • 熱法式焦糖拿鐵　rè Fǎshì jiāotáng nátiě French Caramel Latte

冰茶 bīng chá ICED TEA

  • 烏龍煎茶　wūlóng jiān chá Tecoct Oolong Tea
  • 茉莉鮮綠茶　mòlì xiān lǜchá Jasmine Green Tea
  • 大吉嶺紅茶　dàjílǐng hóngchá Darjeeling Black Tea
  • 蔓香梅果釀　mán xiāng méiguǒ niàng Plum Green Tea
  • 多多綠茶　duōduō lǜchá Yakult Green TEA
  • 梅果綠茶　méiguǒ lǜchá Plum Green Tea
  • 葡萄柚綠茶　pútáoyòu lǜchá Grapefruit Green Tea
  • 韓式柚子茶　Hánshì yòuzi chá Korean Honey Citron Tea
  • 健康梅果醋　jiànkāng méiguǒ cù Healthy Plum Vinegar
  • 檸檬梅子　níngméng méizi Lemon Plum Tea
  • 鮮桔茶　xiān júchá Fresh Kumquat Tea

熱茶 rè chá HOT TEA

  • 烏龍煎茶　wūlóng jiān chá Tecoct Oolong Tea
  • 茉莉鮮綠茶　mòlì xiān lǜchá Jasmine Green Tea
  • 大吉嶺紅茶　dàjílǐng hóngchá Darjeeling Black Tea
  • 梅果綠茶　méiguǒ lǜchá Plum Green Tea
  • 韓式柚子茶　Hánshì yòuzi chá Korean Honey Citron Tea
  • 檸檬梅子　níngméng méizi Lemon Plum Tea
  • 鮮桔茶　xiān júchá Fresh Kumquat Tea

冰奶茶 bīng nǎichá ICED MILK TEA

  • 英式奶茶　Yīngshì nǎichá English Milk Tea
  • 布丁奶茶　bùdīng nǎichá Pudding Milk Tea
  • 杏仁牛奶　xìngrén niúnǎi Almond Milk
  • 鮮奶茶　xiān nǎichá Fresh Milk Tea
  • 阿華田　āhuátián Ovaltine

熱奶茶 rè nǎichá HOT MILK TEA

  • 英式奶茶　Yīngshì nǎichá English Milk Tea
  • 布丁奶茶　bùdīng nǎichá Pudding Milk Tea
  • 杏仁牛奶　xìngrén niúnǎi Almond Milk
  • 鮮奶茶　xiān nǎichá Fresh Milk Tea
  • 阿華田　āhuátián Ovaltine

冰沙 bīngshā SMOOTHIES

  • 芒果雪泥　mángguǒ xuění Pulpy Mango
  • 卡布冰沙　kǎbù bīngshā Cappuccino Ice Smoothies
  • 拿鐵冰沙　nátiě bīngshā Latte Ice Smoothies
  • 摩卡冰沙 　mókǎ bīngshā Mocha Ice Smoothies
  • 黑炫冰沙　hēixuàn bīngshā Dark Chocolate Ice Smoothies
  • 香橙抹茶冰沙　xiāngchéng mǒchá bīngshā Orange & Green Tea Ice Smoothies

Note: “Black Tea” as we know it in the West is called “Red Tea” in Chinese [note suggested by Craig Ferguson]

Further Information: 85度C Cafe

 

General food

一.Poultry　 家禽類

1．雞鴨：

Fresh Grade Legs(thigh) 雞大腿

Fresh Grade Breast 雞胸

chicken fryer小雞塊

Chicken Drumsticks 雞小腿

Chicken Wings 雞翅

Turkey 火雞

chick gizzard雞雜

Duck trim drum鴨翼脾

2.豬肉：

Liver 豬肝

Pork ribs 排骨

feet 豬腳

Kidney 豬腰

bag 豬肚

Hearts 豬心

Pork Steak 豬排

Pork-pieces 廋肉塊

Pork Chops 連骨豬排

Rolled Pork loin 捲好的腰部瘦肉

Rolled Pork Belly 捲好的腰部瘦肉連帶皮

Pork sausage meat 做香腸的絞肉

Pork Fillet 小裡肌肉

Spare Rib Pork chops 帶骨的瘦肉

Spare Rib of Pork 小排骨肉

Pork Dripping 豬油滴

Lard 豬油

Joint 有骨的大塊肉

Hock 蹄膀

Casserole Pork 中間帶骨的腿肉Butt豬的肩前腿肉

3.牛肉:

Stewing Beef 小塊的瘦肉

Steak & Kidney 牛肉塊加牛腰

ground beef已鉸好的牛肉

Frying steak 可煎食的大片牛排

Rump Steak 大塊牛排

Leg Beef 牛鍵肉

OX-Tail 牛尾

OX-heart 牛心

Homey come Tripe 蜂窩牛肚

OX-Tongues 牛舌

Barnsley Chops 帶骨的腿肉

Shoulder Chops 肩肉

Porter House Steak 腰上的牛排肉

Chuck Steak 頭肩肉筋、油較多

Tenderised Steak 拍打過的牛排

Roll 牛腸

Cowhells 牛筋

Tripe Pieces 牛肚塊

Best thick seam 白牛肚

4.羊肉：

lamb chops羊肉片

leg of lamb 羊腿

二.海產類 (Seafood)

1.魚（fish）：

Herring 青魚，鯡

Salmon三文魚

Bass 鱸魚

Corvina黃花魚

Milkfish奶魚

Mullet梭魚,胭脂魚, 鯔魚

Cod 鱈魚

Tuna金槍魚

Sea Bream 海鯉

Hake 鱈魚類

Carp 鯉魚

Halibut 大比目魚

flounder比目魚

Plaice歐蝶魚

Swordfish箭魚

Octopus 鱆魚

Squid 烏賊

cuttlefish 墨魚

Dressed squid 花枝

Mackerel 鯖

Haddock 北大西洋鱈魚

Trout鮭魚

Cod Fillets 鱈魚塊

Conger (Eel)鰻魚

Tilapia羅非魚

Dace鯪魚

Red Mullet 紅鰹

Herring roes 鯡魚子

Boiled Cod roes 鱈魚子

2.貝類海鮮(Shellfish):

Oysters 牡_?

Mussels 蚌類、黑色、橢圓形、沒殼的是淡菜

Crab 螃蟹

Prawn 蝦

clams 蛤蚌

scallops扇貝(小)

Crab stick 蟹肉條

Peeled Prawns 蝦仁

King Prawns 大蝦

Tiger Prawns 虎蝦

Whelks Tops 小螺肉

Shrimps 基圍蝦

Cockles 小貝肉

Lobster 龍蝦

Winkles 田螺

三.蔬菜類(Vegetables):

Daikon白蘿蔔

Carrot 胡蘿蔔

Radish 小胡蘿蔔

Tomato 蕃茄

Parsnip 歐洲蘿蔔

Bok-choy小白菜

long napa(suey choy) 大白菜

Spinach菠菜

Cabbage 捲心菜

Potato 馬鈴薯

russet potato褐色土豆

Sweet potato紅薯（紅苕）

Eggplant茄子

Celery 芹菜

Celery stalk芹菜梗

Asparagus蘆筍

Lotus root蓮藕

Cilantro芫荽葉

Cauliflower 白花菜

Broccoli 綠花菜

Spring onions（scallion 或green onion）蔥

Zucchini美洲南瓜（西葫蘆）

Mushroom 洋菇

Chives Flower韭菜花

shallot蔥

Red cabbage 紫色包心菜

Squash(pumpkin)南瓜

acorn squash小青南瓜

Watercress 西洋菜豆瓣菜

Baby corn 玉米尖

Sweet corn 玉米

Bitter melon苦瓜

Beet甜菜

chard甜菜

Onion 洋蔥

lima bean 青豆

Brussels sprout 球芽甘藍（小包菜）

Garlic 大蒜

Ginger（root） 姜

Leeks韭菜

Scallion(green onion) 蔥

Mustard & cress 芥菜苗

Artichoke洋薊

Escarole 菊苣, 茅菜

Chilly 辣椒

Green Pepper 青椒

Red pepper 紅椒

Yellow pepper 黃椒

Courgette小胡瓜,綠皮番瓜(不可生食)

Coriander 香菜

Cucumber黃瓜

String bean（green bean）四季豆

Pea豌豆

lima bean青豆

Bean sprout 綠豆芽

Iceberg 透明包菜

Lettuce 生菜

romaine萵苣

Swede or Turnip 蕪菁

Okra 秋葵

Taro 大芋頭

Eddo 小芋頭

yam山藥, 洋芋

kale羽衣甘藍

四.水果類(fruits)：

apple蘋果

peach桃子

Lemon 檸檬

Pear 梨子

avocado南美梨

cantaloupe美國香瓜

Banana 香蕉

Grape 葡萄

raisins葡萄乾

plum 李子

apricot杏子

nectarine油桃

honeydew(melon)哈密瓜

orange 橙子

tangerine 橘子

guava番石榴

Golden apple 黃綠蘋果、脆甜

Granny smith 綠蘋果

papaya木瓜

Bramley綠蘋果

Mclntosh麥金托什紅蘋果

coconut椰子nut核果,堅果

Strawberry 草莓

prunes干梅子

blueberry 烏飯果

cranberry酸莓

raspberry山霉

Mango 芒果

fig 無花果

pineapple 菠蘿

Kiwi 奇異果（彌猴桃）

Star fruit 楊桃

Cherry 櫻桃

watermelon西瓜

grapefruit柚子

lime 酸橙

Dates 棗子

lychee 荔枝

Grape fruit 葡萄柚

Coconut 椰子

fig 無花果

五.熟食類(deli):

sausages 香腸

corned beef 醃鹹牛肉

bologna大紅腸

salami 意大利香腸

bacon燻肉

ham火腿肉

stewing beef 燉牛肉

Smoked Bacon 燻肉

roast烤肉

corned beef鹹牛肉

Pork Burgers 漢堡肉

potato salad涼拌馬鈴薯

core slaw涼拌捲心菜絲

macaroni salad涼拌空心面

seafood salad涼拌海鮮

Smoked mackerel with crushed pepper corn 帶有黑胡椒粒的熏鯖

Dried fish 魚乾

Canned罐裝的

Black Pudding 黑香腸

smoked Salmon 熏三文魚

六.穀類食品(Cereals):

1.米類:

Long rice 長米，較硬

Pudding rice or short rice 軟短米

Brown rice 糙米 　 　

THAI Fragrant rice 泰國香米

Glutinous rice 糯米

Sago 西賈米

oat燕麥, 麥片粥

2.面類:

Strong flour 高筋麵粉

Plain flour 中筋麵粉

macaroni 意大利空心面

spaghetti意大利式細麵條

Self- raising flour 低筋麵粉

Whole meal flour 小麥麵粉

Instant noodle方便面

Noodles 麵條

Rice-noodle 米粉

Vermicelli（rice stick）細麵條, 粉條

七.調味品類（Seasoning，condiments,relish）:

Brown sugar 砂糖

dark Brown Sugar 紅糖

Rock Sugar 冰糖

Maltose 麥芽糖

Custer sugar 白砂糖（適用於做糕點）

Icing Sugar 糖粉（可用在打鮮奶油及裝飾蛋糕外層）

Soy sauce 醬油，分生抽（light）及老抽兩種

Vinegar 醋

Cornstarch 太白粉,玉米澱粉

Sesame Seeds 芝麻

Sesame oil 麻油

cooking oil 菜油

olive oil橄欖油（植物油）

Creamed Coconut 椰油

Oyster sauce 蚝油

Canola oil 加拿大芥花油（菜油）

broth 肉湯

Pepper 胡椒

Chinese red pepper 花椒

monosodium glutamate味精

Red chilli powder 辣椒粉

sesame芝麻

Sesame paste 芝麻醬

Salt black bean 豆豉

peanut butter花生醬

Bean curd sheet 腐皮

Tofu 豆腐

bean curd豆乾，干子

Sea vegetable or Sea weed 海帶

Green bean 綠豆

Red Bean 紅豆

Black bean 黑豆

Red kidney bean 大紅豆

Dried mushroom 冬菇

Silk noodles 粉絲

hazelnut榛子

almond杏仁

Agar-agar 燕菜

Bamboo shoots 竹筍罐頭

Star anise 八角

fennel茴香

clove丁香

Wantun skin 餛飩皮

Dried chestnut 干粟子

Tiger lily buds 金針

Red date 紅棗

Water chestnuts 荸薺罐頭

Dried shrimps 蝦米

Cashew nuts 腰果

walnut胡桃

cream 奶油

cheddar cheese 英國切達乾酪

butter 黃油

margarine 植物奶油

cream cheese乾酪

cottage cheese 白乾酪

mozzarella 意大利白乾酪

yogurt 酸奶

juice 果汁

marmalade橘子或檸檬醬

jelly果凍

Cake mix蛋糕粉

syrup糖漿, 果汁

salad dressing沙拉醬

mashed potatoes土豆泥

sundae聖代冰淇淋

jam果醬

marmalade橘子醬

mustard 芥末

ketchup調味番茄醬

mayonnaise蛋黃醬

spices 香料

Skim milk脫脂牛奶

Low-fat milk低脂牛奶

Buttermilk 脫脂酸牛奶

soya drink 豆漿

八.零食糖果類(Snack Foods and Confectionery):

Biscuits 點心

crackers 鹹餅乾

bulk bagels 散裝硬麵包圈

Cookies 小甜餅乾

muffins 鬆餅

Pretzels 焦鹽脆餅條

popcorn爆玉米花

nuts果仁

peanut花生

potato chips 炸馬鈴薯片

corn chips炸玉米片

tortilla chips 墨西哥炸玉米片

nacho chips墨西哥辣炸玉米片

crisps 各式洋芋片

tortilla玉米粉圓餅

Bun小圓麵包,圈

taco墨西哥玉米面豆卷

pancake薄烤餅

French fries炸薯條

ice cream cone圓筒冰淇淋

九.醃菜(Pickles)

Sour mustard 鹹酸菜

preserved mustard 泡菜

preserved szechuan pickle四川搾菜

Pickled mustard-green 酸菜

God of cookery menu

(Originally posted as a comment at Fili's World )

食神( The god of cookery) / 廣東粥( Cantonese style rice porridge)

粥品(The rice porridge)
招牌粥: House special rice porridge
皮蛋瘦肉粥: Rice Porridge with preserved egg and pork
(note: I love preserved egg with porridge. Usually, you can ask for preserved egg for all kinds of porridge with extra which usually would be 5 or 10 NTD. Do try! :D)
雞肉粥: Rice Porridge with chicken
廣東粥: Cantonese rice Porridge with
海鮮粥: Rice Porridge with seafood
滑蛋牛肉粥: Rice Porridge with sliced beef and egg
皮蛋牛肉粥: Rice Porridge with preserved egg and beef
魚勿 魚仔 魚 粥: Rice Porridge with a verity of fry (young fish)
(note: I don’t know how it pronounces in Chinese, neither do I find the words…I am sure that it’s more like a word created from Taiwanese by combine two words which signify the sound(勿) and the meaning(魚fish) , pronounced as WU4 LA HYI2, a name to denote a special food composed of a variety of fry/young fish)
玉米雞肉粥: Rice Porridge with sweet corn and chicken
香菇瘦肉粥: Rice Porridge with mushroom and pork.
(note: it’s not fresh mushroom, but the Taiwanese dry mushroom)
皮蛋雞肉粥: Rice Porridge with preserved egg and chicken
鮮魚粥: Rice Porridge with fish
翡翠 魚勿 魚仔 粥: Rice Porridge with fry and vegetable. (Spinach. usually)
鮑魚粥: Rice Porridge with sea-ear

飯食Rice
蒲燒魚蓋飯: Rice with Japanese BBQ fish (eel, usually)
糖燻雞腿飯: Rice with Chicken leg smoked with sugar
筍乾燒肉丼: Rice with dry bamboo sprout and BBQ pork
(note: the word 丼 actually comes from Japanese, indicating a special kind of food combining the rice with main course in one bowl. It usually pronounces as dong4, but in be pe me fe input system, it pronounces as 井 jing)
日式燒肉丼蓋飯: Rice with Japanese BBQ pork
日式牛肉丼蓋飯: Rice with Japanese BBQ beef
韓式燒肉飯: Rice with Korean BBQ pork
墨西哥辣雞燴飯: Rice with Mexican spicy chicken (creamy source) on top
招牌香菇雞燴飯: House special rice with mushroom and chicken (creamy source) on top
黑胡椒牛肉燴飯: Rice with black-pepper flavoured beef (creamy source) on top
黑胡椒豬排燴飯: Rice with black-pepper flavoured pork chop (creamy source) on top
沙茶羊肉燴飯: : Rice with Taiwanese BBQ flavoured lamb (creamy source) on top

Noodle
燻豬腳拉麵: La-men with smoked pig leg
(note: La-men is Japanese style noodle….and pig leg, definitely your favourite, right?:P)
日式牛腩拉麵: La-men with Japanese beef brisket
黃金蝦捲拉麵: La-men with deep-fried shrimp roll
中華叉燒拉麵: La-men with Cantonese roasted/BBQ pork (cha-shao)
東京蝦仁餛飩拉麵: La-men with shrimp won-ton in Tokyo style
(note: don’t be bothered by the name of the city…it’s nothing to do with the flavour/style, I am sure..:P)
神奈川豬排拉麵: La-men with pork chop in Kanakawa style
札幌味噌拉麵: Miso la-men in Sapporo style
京都燻排骨拉麵: La-men with smoked port chop in Kyoto style
北海道海鮮拉麵: La-men with seafood in Hokkaido style
熊本泡菜拉麵: La-men with kim-chi (pickle) in Kumamoto style
原汁牛肉拉麵: La-men with beef in original flavour)

什錦意麵: Yi-men with various ingredients
(note: Yi-men is a special kind of Taiwanese noodles, the texture is more ‘al dente and probably originates from Tainan.)
海鮮意麵: Yi-men with seafood
日式烏龍麵: Japanese Udon
什錦板條冬粉: 板條Rice flat noodle or 冬粉bean thread (vermicelli) with various ingredients
海鮮板條冬粉: 板條Rice flat noodle or 冬粉bean thread (vermicelli) with seafood
紅燒牛肉拌麵: Dry noodle with Beef
豉燒排骨拌麵: Dry noodle with spare pork rib flavoured in black bean source
鮪魚番茄拌麵: Dry noodle with tuna and tomato
義大利肉醬拌麵: Spaghetti with meat source
香菇肉燥拌麵: Dry noodle with mushroom meat source
香菇酢醬拌麵: Dry noodle with mushroom source (usually mixed with bean curd)
特製手工水餃: Home made dumpling

湯類SOUP
紫菜蛋花湯: Soup with seaweed and egg
魚丸湯: Fish ball soup
餛飩湯: Won-ton soup
鮮魚湯: Fish soup
精緻小菜 糖燻魯味: Side dishes / Stewed and strained food with sugar-smoked flavour

MOS Burger Romanized Menu

(Originally posted on the Daily Bubble Tea , copied with permission)

have included links to pictures from the company’s online menu.

All Star

Side Orders

MosSweet

MOS Coffee

  • 義式拿鐵 yìshì nátiě Latte
  • 義式卡布奇諾 yìshì kǎbùqínuò Cappucino
  • 義式綜合咖啡 yìshì zōnghé kāfēi Coffee
  • 義式冰拿鐵 yìshì bīng nátiě Iced Latte

Cold Drinks

  • 柚子冰茶 yòuzi bīng chá Pomelo Iced Tea
  • 冰紅茶 bīng hóngchá Iced Black Tea [called Red Tea in Chinese]
  • 冰咖啡 bīng kāfēi Iced Coffee
  • 可樂/雪碧/可樂zero kělè/xuěbì/kělè zero Coca-Cola/Sprite/Coke Zero
  • MOS鮮乳 xiānrǔ Milk
  • 新鮮葡萄汁 xīnxiān pútáozhī Grape Juice
  • 新鮮柳丁汁 xīnxiān liǔdīngzhī Tangerine Juice
  • 摩斯純淨天然水 mósī chúnjìng tiānrán shuǐ Bottled Water
  • 葡萄籽冰茶 pútaozǐ bīng chá Grape Seed Iced Tea
  • 日式抹茶拿鐵 rìshì mǒchá nátiě Japanese-style Milk Tea
  • 新鮮芒果汁 xīnxiān mángguǒzhī Mango Juice

Hot Drinks

  • 原片香桔茶 yuánpiàn xiāng júchá Tangerine Tea
  • 纖綠檸檬茶 xiānlǜ níngméng chá Lemon Green Tea
  • 熱咖啡/紅茶 rè kāfēi/hóngchá Hot Coffee/Black Tea
  • 可可亞 kěkě yà Cocoa
  • 柚子熱茶 yòuzi rèchá Pomelo Hot Tea

Soup

  • 鮮菇濃湯 xiāngū nóngtāng Mushroom Soup
  • 玉米濃湯 yùmǐ nóngtāng Corn Soup
  • 海鮮濃湯 hǎixiān nóngtāng Seafood Soup

If you stumble, don’t worry, you can always point to the pictures. If there are errors, please let me know.

Company Website (TW)
Restaurant Review (A Hungry Girl’s Guide to Taipei)

Noodle shops

(Originally posted as a comment at Fili's World )

 

Chinese name
Pinyin
Made of what material

Menu1 傅家小馆
1. 牛肉面(细粉)
a) Niu rou mian
b) Beef + soup noodle [hot soup]
c) Beef tastes usually the same everywhere, whether it’s tasted or not depends on the noodle.
2. 排骨面(细粉)
a) Pai gu mian
b) Griskin(chop) + soup noodle [hot soup]
c) The chop soup usually is stronger than other soup noodle.
3. 牛肉干拌面
a) Niu rou gan ban mian
b) Beef + noodle (dry)
c) They’ll dry the noodle and add some ingredients to mix the noodle and beef together. It’s usually stronger than the soup noodle and taste not bad.
4. 排骨干拌面
a) Pai gu gan ban mian
b) Griskin(chop) + noodle (dry) [cooler than those with hot soup]
c) [similar as above]
5. 肉燥干面
a) Rou zao gan mian
b) Meat sauce + noodle (dry)
c) Different meat is grinded into sauce. The sauce and the noodle mix together. Taste strong.
6. 麻酱干面
a) Ma jiang gan mian
b) A kind of sauce + noodle (dry)
c) [similar as above]
7. 沙茶干面
a) Sha cha gan mian
b) A sauce from Indonesia + noodle (dry)
c) [similar as above]
8. 榨菜肉丝干面
a) Za cai rou si gan mian
b) preserved szechuan pickle + meat chop + noodle (dry)
c) I guess the cure pickle is traditional Chinese food.
9. 榨菜肉丝面
a) Za cai rou si mian
b) preserved szechuan pickle + meat chop + soup noodle [hot soup]
c) [similar as above]
10. 混沌面
a) Hun dun mian
b) “Hun dun” + soup noodle [hot soup]
c) “Hun dun” is something like dumplings with only meat inside.
11. 阳春面
a) Yang chun mian
b) Shallot + noodle
c) I haven’t tried that before, but I checked on internet, and it was supposed to be delicious. It originated from Shanghai, I really don’t sure whether it tastes good in Taiwan.
12. 傅家特制水饺
a) Fu jia te zhi shui jiao
b) A kind of dumplings
13. 高丽菜水饺
a) Gao li cai shui jiao
b) A kind of dumplings
14. 韭菜水饺
a) Jiu cai shui jiao
b) A kind of dumplings
15. 牛汤饺
a) Niu tang jiao
b) A kind of dumplings
16. 清汤饺
a) A kind of dumplings
17. 酸辣汤饺
a) A kind of dumplings + the soup is at the same time spicy and acid. This soup is special and it originated from north China.

18. 牛肉汤
a) Niu rou tang
b) Beef soup
19. 排骨汤
a) Pai gu tang
b) Griskin(chop) soup
20. 酸辣汤
a) Suan la tang
b) Spicy and acid soup
21. 金针汤
a) Jin zhen tang
b) lily flower soup
22. 榨菜肉丝汤
a) Za cai rou si tang
b) “preserved szechuan pickle” + meat + soup
23. 混沌汤
a) Hun dun tang
b) “Hun dun” (something like dumplings with only meat inside) soup 各式小菜
1. 豆干
a) Dou gan

 

Vegetarian food in Taiwan

Introduction

There is some great vegetarian food in Taiwan. However, if you don't speak the language and are new to Taiwan you might find it a bit difficult to get vegetarian food at times. The information below should make getting vegetarian food in Taiwan (and China) a lot easier.

素食 (sùshí which means vegetarian)

Look out for restaurants with the Chinese characters 素食 (sùshí which means vegetarian) or the swastika symbol. These restaurants will exclusively serve vegetarian food.

Chinese phrases for vegetarians

The pronunciation is indicated by the Hanyu Pinyin below the traditional Chinese characters.

I am vegetarian.
我只吃素食
wŏ zhĭ chī sùshí

I cannot eat meat.
我不能吃肉,因為我吃素
wŏ bù néng chī ròu, yīnwèi wŏ chī sù

I cannot eat seafood.
我不能吃海鮮,因為我吃素
wŏ bù néng chī hăixiàn, yīnwèi wŏ chī sù

I cannot eat eggs.
我不能吃蛋
wŏ bù néng chī dàn

I can eat eggs.
我可以吃蛋
wŏ kĕyĭ chī dàn

I cannot eat dairy products.
我不吃乳製品
wŏ bù chī rŭzhìpĭn

I can eat dairy products.
我可以吃乳製品
wŏ kĕyĭ chī rŭzhìpĭn

I cannot eat onions or garlic.
我不吃蔥和大蒜
wŏ bù chī cōng hé dàsuàn

I can eat onions and garlic.
我可以吃蔥和大蒜
wŏ kĕyĭ chī cōng hé dàsuàn

vegetarian restaurant
素食餐廳
sùshí cāntīng

organic food
有機食品
yŏujī shípĭn

delicious
好吃
hăo chī

These phrases can be downloaded as a pdf file suitable for printing from www.taiwan-guide.org/aa/veg.pdf

Pinyin tones created with the help of Doubting to shuō’s Pinyin Tone Tool. Thanks to Tai for suggesting some improvements.

Taiwan vegetarian links

 

Taiwan's environment

Taiwan's economic miracle has been paralleled by an ecological nightmare. Taiwan has a plethora of environmental problems and they don't seem to be getting any better. The most contentious issues are the construction of the fourth nuclear power plant and the disposal of nuclear waste. Other major problems are waste disposal, incinerators, all kinds of pollution and illegal dumping of hazardous waste. Efforts by the EPA and the government to address Taiwan's environmental problems are piecemeal and limited in their scope.

Taiwan has the highest density of cars and factories in the world and is also one of the world's most densely populated countries. The inaccessability of the central mountain areas and the east coast have saved them from the industrial development that has devastated other parts of the island. Although these areas suffer from other problems such as poorly planned infrastructure and tourist development and land clearing for betel nut plantations.

Nuclear power continues to be a major issue in Taiwan. Construction of the fourth nuclear power plant has continued despite public protests. The government has failed to implement any significant policies for energy conservation or the generation of renewable energy. This means Taiwan is stuck with the dangers of nuclear power for the forseeable future. The people of Orchid Island continue to suffer the effects of this policy as their island is used as a dumping site for nuclear waste.

A recent report showed that Taiwan ranked at the bottom of 146 countries on an Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI). North Korea was the only nation ranked lower (Taipei Times 20-2-05).

Lessons from another island

I spent four weeks in Sri Lanka during November 2003. It was a time for learning and I think some of the things I learnt there are important lessons for Taiwan.

There are a number of geographic similarities between Taiwan and Sri Lanka. They are both island nations situated close to larger and more politically powerful neighbours and both have a population of around 20 million people. They are also both quite mountainous and are famous for producing tea. Sri Lanka's area is about twice that of Taiwan though. There are some other significant differences too. While Taiwan is highly urbanised and industrialised, Sri Lanka is still a mostly agrarian society. With the exception of Colombo it has no large cities.

My most distinct memory of Sri Lanka is the extraordinary abundance of wildlife. A stunning variety of mammals, birds and reptiles can be seen almost everywhere, even in the middle of towns. It is quite easy to view many of the animals at surprisingly close distances. The wildlife in Sri Lanka is not really all that wild! Sri Lanka has a strong tradition of nature conservation rooted in its Buddhist culture. Some may be surprised to learn that the world's first wildlife reserves were established in Sri Lanka over two thousand years ago.

While in Sri Lanka I spent 12 days doing a Permaculture Design Certificate course. The course was held on a farm near Tanamalwila in the south of Sri Lanka. The farm borders a national park so the wildlife there was particularly plentiful. Elephants occassionally came onto the farm at night. I never saw one, but I did see some footprints the next morning just 100 metres from where I was sleeping. I also saw a two metre long crocodile in a dam on the farm. I wasn't game to go swimming after that!

The farm was an ideal place to learn about permaculture. It is being developed by Sarvodaya, the largest NGO in Sri Lanka, and the Global Ecovillage Network as an educational centre where people can come to learn about permaculture, ecovillages and sustainable living.

It is easy to think that permaculture is of little relevance to Taiwan but this is not true. Permaculture is about seeing solutions instead of problems; it is about seeing the grass growing through the cracks in the concrete rather than the concrete. It is in many ways even more applicable in urban environments than it is in rural areas.

The most important lesson Taiwan can learn from Sri Lanka is that people and nature can happily co-exist together. They don't need to be partitioned off from each other by vast quantities of concrete.

* I wrote this article after attending a permaculture design course organised by EcoLogical Solutions in Sri Lanka in November 2003.
David

Buddhism in Taiwan

Buddha images on the wall outside Jieyun Temple (接雲寺) in Banqiao, Taipei County.

There are many temples and monasteries in Taiwan making it a good place to study Buddhism. Buddhism has increased in popularity among the Taiwanese people in recent years and there are many Buddhist organisations including very large international ones which have their headquarters in Taiwan such as Fo Guang Shan and Tzu Chi. Chan and Pure Land Buddhism are the most popular types of Buddhism practised in Taiwan. Tibetan Buddhism is also becoming increasingly popular. The Dalai Lama visited Taiwan in 1997 and 2001 and there are many Tibetan monks, nuns and lamas living in Taiwan.

Buddhist meditation groups

If you live in Taipei there is an English speaking Chan meditation group organised by the Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association. It is held on Saturday afternoons from 2:00 to 5:00 in Shilin. There is a one day retreat on the last Saturday of each month. For more details click here.

There is a Vipassana Meditation Center near Taichung that holds retreats following the teachings of SN Goenka. Details about their program can be found here.

A list of Buddhist temples and organisations in Taiwan (in English) can be found at BuddhaNet's World Buddhist Directory. If you know the details of any other meditation groups please leave a comment below.

Books about Taiwan

This section contains brief reviews and details of books written in English about Taiwan. While there is not a great volume of literature in English about Taiwan there are some interesting books that give lots of fascinating insights and useful information about Taiwan.

There is also a list of books about Taiwan with bibliographic details at the old David's Guide to Taiwan. Also see the books category at David on Formosa.

History and Politics by Jerome Keating

cover of Taiwan Struggles of a Democracy by Jerome Keating

Island in the Stream: A Quick Case Study of Taiwan's Complex History
by April C.J. Lin and Jerome F. Keating
SMC Publishing, Taipei, 2000
ISBN: 9576385571

Taiwan: The Struggles of a Democracy
by Jerome F. Keating
SMC Publishing Inc, 2006
ISBN: 9574137708

Taiwan: The Search for Identity
by Jerome F. Keating
SMC Publishing, 2008
ISBN: 9574152605

For an introduction to the history and politics of Taiwan look no further than these three books written by Jerome Keating.

Island in the Stream gives a great overview of Taiwan's history. Beginning from the visits of colonial powers through the Japanese era to the arrival of the KMT it helps one see the complexity of Taiwan's history.

The Struggles of a Democracy focuses on Taiwan's politics looking primarily at the struggle for and development of democracy on the island. This struggle is a continual theme not just in recent history, but through the Japanese era and even before that time.

The Search for Identity looks at how 100 years of colonialism by the Japanese and KMT has attempted to impose an identity on Taiwanese. However, Keating asserts that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts or any one of its parts. This book is fully bi-lingual (English and Chinese).

Taiwanese History reading list

The following books are recommended for the course in Taiwanese History as part of the International Master's in Taiwan Studies at National Chengchi University.

Taiwan: A New History
by Murray Rubenstein (Editor)

The Island of Formosa: Past and Present
by James Davidson

Japanese Rule in Formosa
by Yosaburo Takekoshi

The Japanese Colonial Empire, 1895-1945
by Ramon H. Myers (Editor), Mark R. Peattie (Editor)

Through Formosa
by Owen Rutter

Formosa Betrayed
by George Kerr

Taiwan: A Political History
by Denny Roy

China's Island Frontier: Studies in the Historical Geography of Taiwan
by Ronald G. Knapp (Editor)

Economic Development of Taiwan, 1860-1970
by Samuel P.S. Ho

In Taipei there are two good book stores where most of these titles should be available for sale.

Tai-uan e Tiam (台灣e店)
No. 6 Lane 76 Section 3 Xinsheng South Road, Taipei City (台北市新生南路三段76巷6號)

SMC (南天書局)
1F, No.14, Alley 14, Lane 283, Roosevelt Rd., Sec. 3, Taipei (台北市羅斯福路三段283巷14弄14號1樓)

PageOne bookshop in Taipei 101 also has a good selection. Otherwise try the various branches of Caves Books (敦煌書局) and Eslite (誠品書店) around the island.

There are a few other web pages with lists of useful books. Please check the links below.

Taiwanese literature in translation

cover of a thousand moons on a thousand rivers by Hsiao Li-Hung

A Thousand Moons on a Thousand Rivers (千江有水有千江月) by Hsiao Li-hung (蕭麗紅) is one of the classics of contemporary Taiwanese literature. It is available in an excellent English translation published by Columbia University Press. A review of the book can be found here.

The translation is part of a series, Modern Chinese Literature from Taiwan, published by Colombia University Press. Some of the titles include:

  • Rose, Rose, I Love You (玫瑰玫瑰我愛你)
    by Wang Chen-ho (王禎和)
  • The City Trilogy
    by Chang Hsi-kuo
  • Wintry Night
    by Li Qiao
  • The Old Capital: A Novel of Taipei
    by Chu T'ien-hsin (朱天心)
    review in the Taipei Times by Bradley Winterton

A complete list of titles can be found here. Also read this article from culture.tw.

Living in Taiwan

General information for people living in or thinking about moving to Taiwan.

Living costs in Taiwan

The following information is provided to give you an idea of the cost of living in Taiwan. It is compiled to the best of my knowledge, but I cannot guarantee its accuracy. The following is current as of January 2005. All prices are in New Taiwan dollars (NT$). See below for exchange rates to common currencies.

  • English language newspaper - $15
  • MRT single trip ticket Varies according to distance. Most trips are $40 or less) - $20-$65
  • City bus single trip (in Taipei) -$15
  • Can of Coca-Cola (at 7-Eleven) - $18
  • Can of Taiwan beer (at 7-Eleven) - $32
  • Bottle of Heinieken (in café or pub) - $150
  • Big Mac - $75
  • Cappuccino (tall size, at Starbucks) - $90
  • Lunch box simple meal of rice, meat and vegetables) - $50-80
  • new music CD - $400
  • Movie ticket (Average price only. Discounts for students and morning shows.) - $250
  • one hour at an internet café The average price is around $30) - $15-$60
  • phone call to USA (E-call card) - $4.0/minute
  • Phone call to Australia (E-call card) $9.6/minute
  • Petrol (95 octane) $22.9/litre

Exchange rates for common currencies (for 8 February 2007)
Foreign currency New Taiwan dollars :

  • US$1 : NT$32.9
  • AU$1 : NT$25.5
  • CA$1 : NT$27.8
  • €1 (euro) : NT$42.6
  • ¥100 (Japanese yen) : NT$27.3

For the latest exchange rates please check the XE.com Universal Currency Converter

Finding a place to stay

second-hand furniture shop in Xiamen Street, Taipei

For someone new to Taiwan finding a good place to live can seem like a daunting task. It need not be too difficult. The supply of rental accommodation in Taiwan is quite good. As long as you spend a little time looking around you should find something that suits you.

Generally there are two types of lease arrangement. The first is renting directly from a landlord and signing a contract. The second is sharing a room in an apartment. In this case you might being paying rent to the leaseholder or be a joint signatory on the lease.

Most landlords ask for two months rent as a deposit and for the rent to be paid one month in advance. This means before you move in you will have to pay three months rent which can be quite a lot of money. If you arrange the rental through a real estate agent you will need to pay half a month's rent to the agent as a commission.

Utility bills may or may not be included in the rent. It is best to be clear about this before you move in. Another expense to be aware of is the fee for the security guard or a building fee for the lift and maintenance.

Furniture is another important thing to think about. Apartments may be furnished or unfurnished. Generally you can expect to pay a little more for a furnished apartment. If you need to buy furniture in Taipei visit Xiamen Street (near Guting MRT Station). There are many shops there selling second-hand furniture and they can also arrange delivery. Another good source of second-hand furniture is the classified ads at tealit.com and Taiwanted .

These websites are also the best sources (in English) for finding a place to stay. Another new website is RoomsDB.net which has a bilingual interface.

If you can read Chinese or have a friend who can help you then look over the public noticeboards that are commonly found near parks and other places. These ads are usually placed by landlords, although some are from real estate agents.

The last question many people ask is how much does it cost to rent an apartment? It is impossible to say. Prices vary according to a number of factors. You will obviously pay a premium for a good location or a modern building. I can only suggest looking at several different apartments to try and get a feel for where the market is at and what you can expect to rent for your budget.

Update: Another organisation that helps people find accommodation in Taipei is the Tsuei Ma Ma Foundation for housing and community service. Their website (in Chinese, Japanese and English) is http://www.tmm.org.tw/tindex.html.  (added 6 June 2007)

Public holidays in Taiwan

Public holidays in 2008

  • 1 January (Tue), New Year's Day
  • 6-9 February (Wed-Sat), Lunar New Year
  • 28 February (Wed), 228 Memorial Day
  • 4 April (Fri), Tomb Sweeping Festival
  • 8 June (Sun), Dragon Boat Festival
  • 14 September (Sun), Mid-Autumn Festival
  • 10 October (Wed), Double Tenth National Day

Please note: These are the official government holidays. There may be other days were festivals take place or other significant dates on the calendar.

Reference:

2008 Taiwan Holidays, Central Personnel Administration

Studying Chinese in Taiwan

Taiwan is an excellent place to study Mandarin Chinese. Many universities and private language schools offer courses.

Taiwan still uses traditional Chinese characters. Although there are some differences with the simplified characters used in China once you learn traditional it doesn't take much effort to switch to simplified.

Once you have mastered Mandarin you might like to try learning Taiwanese (Hoklo or Hokkien) which is spoken by about 80% of the population. Its use has enjoyed a boost in popularity in recent years.

About Chinese languages

There are numerous myths and misunderstandings about Chinese languages. In fact the term Chinese
language itself is cause for confusion. It is often used to refer to Mandarin is the most common and widely spoken Chinese language and is the official language of Taiwan and China. However, to say that Mandarin equates to the Chinese language ignores the tremendous linguistic diversity that exists in Greater China.

Although other Chinese languages such as Cantonese, Hakka and Hokkien are often referred to as dialects this is in fact incorrect. They are distinct languages and mutually unintelligible. A more correct use of the word dialect is to differentiate the various forms of a language spoken in different places. For example the Mandarin spoken in Beijing and the Mandarin spoken in Chengdu.

Another common myth is that all the Chinese languages can be written using the same writing system. While there is a standard form of written Chinese, it is based on spoken Mandarin. The way other Chinese languages are written (using Chinese characters) can vary considerably from standard Chinese. Have a look at this page for an example of how Taiwanese written in Chinese characters looks.

Yet another misunderstanding is that the traditional characters used in Taiwan and Hong Kong are completely different from the simplified characters used in China. In fact many of the characters are the same. Many of the simplifications are fairly logical and it is not difficult to identify them. Any person with knowledge of one system can adapt to reading the other system with some effort. While there is some potential for confusion it is actually not a huge problem.

Chinese language links

Please add new links to the Learn Chinese category of the weblink directory.

Chinese language learning materials

This section contains reviews of language learning materials I have used in Taiwan. Most of these are for intermediate to advanced learners. My focus has been on learning to read and while some of the texts here are not text books per se, they are useful supplementary material.

Also see the section on dictionaries for Chinese language learners.

Guoyu Ribao 國語日報

The Guoyu Ribao (國語日報 or Mandarin Daily News) is a daily newspaper published in Taiwan. The paper is available for NT$10 at some (but not all convenience stores).

I used this newspaper as study material for my Chinese classes for several months. I found it interesting and the fact that all the articles in the paper are annotated with zhuyin fuhao (注音符號 or bo po mo fo) makes it easier to read. 

The articles tend to focus on issues related to education. The language used is quite rich in idioms (成語). Most of the regular articles are at a similar level to other Chinese language newpapers. Some of the articles are written by students and these are a good place to start if your reading skills are at a lower level. 

Newspaper Readings 新聞選讀

cover of Newspaper Readings II

Recently in my Chinese classes I have been using Newspaper Readings I & II (新聞選讀) as a textbook. These books are published by the Mandarin Training Center at Shi-Da (NTNU; 國立台灣師範大學).

I had previously been reading articles from the Guoyu Ribao (國語日報) which are mostly about education, so I have become very familiar with vocabulary specific to education. However, important vocabulary from other topic areas such as economics, science and the arts is less frequent. In contrast, articles in Newspaper Readings I & II cover a very wide range of topics.

Another major difference between Newspaper Readings and the Guoyu Ribao is the lack of Zhuyin Fuhao (注音符號). I was a little worried at first that it would be difficult to make the transition to reading without the assistance of Zhuyin, but it didn't seem to pose any major difficulties. I still come across some characters I don't know how to pronounce though. The frequency of idioms (成語) in the Newspaper Readings is also a lot lower than in the Guoyu Ribao.

sample text from Newspaper Readings IAfter each reading there is an extensive list of vocabulary. It includes the words in Chinese characters annotated with Zhuyin Fuhao, followed by Hanyu Pinyin and a definition in English (click here to see a sample of the text). There is also an additional vocabulary section for proper names. I find this especially useful as most of these words can't be found in a dictionary and transliterations of foreign names into Chinese are often very difficult to decipher.

Following each reading there are questions and exercises. Important grammar points are also pointed out. The articles in book II seem a little more difficult than those in book I.

All the articles come from Taiwan's major newspapers and were published in 1999 and 2000. It is kind of interesting to read articles from that time and see what has changed in Taiwan and what hasn't. Although it would be nice to have a new edition including some articles from the Apple Daily (蘋果日報).

I highly recommend these books as a reader for anybody that wants to begin reading authentic Chinese texts.

*cross posted at David on Formosa

Qibai Zi Gushi 七百字故事

cover of Qibai Zi Gushi 700 character stories

七百字故事 (Qi Bai Zi Gushi or 700 Character Stories)
published by Guoyu Ribao (國語日報)
ISBN: 957751054-x

This book was written for Taiwanese children. It was not intended as a text book for foreigners studying Chinese. Still I have found it useful, although not perfect for my needs.

The book is made up of short stories. Most of the stories are traditional Chinese tales, although some are drawn from other cultures, too. That many of the stories are well known helps with reading as it makes it much easier to guess the meaning of new words and also to predict what is going to happen. Although the book was written for children I still find the stories interesting to read. Some of the stories contain some interesting references to Chinese history and culture.

The best thing about this book for language learners is the use of zhuyin fuhao (注音符號 or bo po mo fo) to annotate the entire text. This makes it easy to read the text out loud and also find words you don't know in the dictionary more quickly. A sample page of the text can be found here.

There is quite a wide range of vocabulary used in the book. My teacher said some of the words were a bit "old style" i.e. language that was used in the past in China, but is no longer in current usage in Taiwan. There are also some idioms (成語) used in the book.

This book is published by the Mandarin Daily News, aka Guoyu Ribao (國語日報). They publish many books for children that are annotated with zhuyin fuhao and they are a useful source of supplementary reading materials for intermediate to advanced learners. 

* adapted from several posts at David on Formosa (1 ), (2), (3 )

Dictionaries for Chinese language learners

a few dictionaries for Chinese language learners

Unfortunately there is no single dictionary that caters perfectly to the needs of a student learning Mandarin. It is probably necessary to own several dictionaries. There are a few important things to note when considering which dictionary to purchase.

First, does the dictionary use Hanyu Pinyin or some other system to indicate the pronunciation? While Hanyu Pinyin is the general standard you may find some dictionaries in Taiwan that use Zhuyin Fuhao (注音符號; bo po mo fo) or other systems of romanisation. Make sure the dictionary uses a system that your are familiar with.

Traditional characters are the standard in Taiwan. However, only a limited number of dictionaries use traditional characters. Some of the better dictionaries for learners use simplified characters. If you already know traditional characters just take some time to learn some of the common simplifications. There is a lot of overlap between the two character sets so it is not that hard. Some dictionaries that use simplified will have the traditional characters in brackets or in a table. You can also cross reference to a dictionary with traditional characters if you are unsure.

There are some differences in usage and pronunciation between Taiwan and China. Check which country the lexicon is based on or if differences between the two countries are noted in the text. This is not really a big issue, but it is often helpful to know.

The final point is the indexing system. There are two main ways of indexing Chinese characters. The first is based on some combination of radical and stroke number. The other is ordering based on the pronunciation, usually alphabetically by Hanyu Pinyin, but occassionally based on Zhuyin Fuhao.