Taiwan

While Taiwan is not as popular of a tourist destination as its Asian neighbors, it is considered one of the most LGBTQ+ friendly destinations in Asia. Taiwan was put on the map for many LGBTQ+ travelers on International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia 2019, when it became Asia’s first country to legalize same-sex marriage. It has never had laws against homosexuality, and is one of the few countries in Asia that has anti-discrimination laws based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender characteristics. In addition, Taiwan is the world’s first country to have a gender-diverse minister.

Besides a welcoming attitude towards the LGBTQ+ community, Taiwan offers so much more. It’s an interesting country in many ways, especially as it isn’t always recognized as independent. There are two Chinas: the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC). The former is commonly known as (mainland) China, the latter as Taiwan. Therefore Taiwan’s sovereignty isn’t always recognized, making Taiwan a province of China.
Taiwan couldn’t be more different from mainland China. While they do share a language (Mandarin), the people are more like their former colonizers: Japanese. Like Japanese culture, Taiwanese culture is about being polite and considerate of others. Yet there are still many Chinese celebrations and traditions embedded in Taiwanese culture like Lunar New Year.

It’s a rapidly evolving country and is quickly growing to be amongst the richest in the world. The fast trains and architectural wonders like the Taipei 101 amaze every traveler visiting Taiwan—and the speed of the trains makes it possible to cover a lot of Taiwan in one holiday. The island of Taiwan isn’t that big; it’s about three times smaller than New York State.

Why Visit & When to Go?

Taiwan is a great destination for all kinds of travelers, because it has it all; its geographic diversity ranges from mountain peaks of over 9,840 ft. (3,000 m) to beaches at sea level. Because it’s a small island, you can travel from mountains to beaches in less than two hours. Besides nature, Taiwan is also a great destination for travelers that are more interested in culture and cities. While the east coast is great for nature lovers, the west coast is perfect for city trippers.

Taiwan knows a tropical climate: hot and wet in summer, mild and dry in winter. The best time to visit Taiwan is in spring (April–June) and fall (September-November), because of the pleasant weather. Typhoon season runs from June to October, the hottest and wettest months. From November to March you avoid monsoons and typhoon season, and you’ll experience mild winter and the cheaper prices of low season.

Interesting Cities to Visit in Taiwan

TAIPEI

Taipei is the capital city of Taiwan and is home to Asia’s second-biggest Pride celebration: Taipei Pride. In 2018 an estimated 130,000 people marched through the streets of Taipei. The capital city is located in the northern part of the island. Taipei has the nickname ‘San Francisco of the East’ for its welcoming character. Ximending is the area to hang out, as it’s the gayborhood. You’ll find many gay bars at the square behind The Red House, and the area of ShiDa night market is the go-to place for lesbians.

NEW TAIPEI CITY

Formerly Taipei County, New Taipei City feels less like a city. It’s the surrounding area of Taipei and has its own mayor. Popular places to visit in New Taipei City are:

Shifen: home to Shifen waterfall and where Taiwanese celebrate the annual Pingxi lantern festival.
Houtong Cat village: on the Pingxi train line, you can stop by Houtong. This village is home to many (hundreds!) cats, which is where it got its nickname.
Jiufen: a small mountain village once built by the Japanese, with Jiufen Old Street as the most popular attraction.

TAICHUNG

Taiwan’s third-largest city doesn’t have a vibrant LGBTQ+ scene like Taipei but still offers a lot for LGBTQ+ travelers. This city has one special highlight: a rainbow village! Veteran Huang Yung-Fu painted this small village in all colors of the rainbow. This was his way of protecting his home, which was about to be demolished by the government. Huang, also known as “rainbow grandpa,” started painting in 2008, at age 86, and hasn’t stopped since. You can still meet him when you visit; he says he will paint even when he’s 100 years old

Experiencing Taiwanese Food

Taiwanese cuisine knows many influences from Japanese and Chinese cuisine and many from specific (southern) Chinese regions. One of Taiwan’s specialties is soup dumpling, Xiao Long Bao. These aren’t just dumplings, because their skin is really thin and filled with tasty broth and meat, fish and/or vegetables. The original Xiao Long Bao comes from Shanghai, but the Taiwanese have perfected the recipe. The top restaurant to eat the best soup dumplings is Din Tai Fung. The original restaurant is located on Xinyi Road in Taipei. Another dish you must try is Taiwanese beef noodle soup! If you like eating street food, stinky tofu is a must-try. It’s a strong-smelling fermented tofu, which you can find in night markets or food stalls on the streets. Another world-famous thing you can’t miss in Taiwan: bubble tea. Since its invention in the 1980s, it has become increasingly popular and you can now find it all over the world. It’s a tea-based drink with milk, sugar (optional) and chewy tapioca pearls.

Tips and Safety Considerations for LGBTQ+ Visitors to Taiwan

As an LGBTQ+ traveller, you will feel very welcome in Taiwan. It’s one of the most progressive countries in Asia for LGBTQ+ people both in legislation as in public opinion. Like all countries around the world, the older and more traditional generation still struggles to understand the LGBTQ+ community. And over the last years, leading up to same-sex marriage legalization, more radical right-wing religious groups became active. Nevertheless, anti-gay violence is rare in Taiwan and LGBTQ+ locals feel comfortable living out and proud. On the streets, you will notice Taiwanese, in general, rarely show public displays of affection. Relationships are considered ‘private’ in traditional Taiwanese culture, but the younger generation likes living more openly. Especially in the bigger cities, you can find same-sex couples walking hand in hand.

LGBTQ+ Travel Tips for Taiwan

For the best LGBTQ+ scene, Taipei is the best city, but there are smaller LGBTQ+ scenes in other cities too. There are a few LGBTQ+ events that are worth planning a trip to Taiwan for:

Taiwan Pride is the biggest gay Pride in Asia, behind Tel Aviv, Israel. This Pride has been celebrated annually since 2003 and takes place in October.
Kaohsiung Gay Pride Parade is another, smaller, gay pride held yearly in the city of Kaohsiung.
Taiwan International Queer Film Festival (TIQFF) is the only LGBTQ+ film festival in Asia. The festival takes place each fall, across the cities of Taipei, Kaohsiung and Taichung.

Biography

We’re Roxanne and Maartje, a Dutch lesbian travel couple, traveling all over the world since March 2017. The first continent we conquered stole our hearts, which is why we’ve spent most of our time traveling through Asia. We don’t shy away from non-LGBTQ+ friendly countries but also celebrate places where we can truly be ourselves. Our biggest belief is that travel is for everyone and we’re determined to showcase the magic the world has to offer. By creating our own story, our own fairy tale, we inspire other LGBTQ+ travelers to do the same. And besides writing about just travel, the ladies also write about lesbian lifestyle topics, including lesbian movies and more.

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Featured image by @onceuponajrny