Eating your way through Taiwan should be considered a cultural experience in my opinion, but beyond its delicious cuisine, Taiwan offers so many unique and interesting rituals, festivals, and cultural activities.
You can start by attending a traditional tea ceremony, or staying in a Buddhist temple, or even attending a Taiwanese Opera. I spent about a week in Taiwan, and it wasn’t nearly enough to discover everything, but here are the best cultural things to do in Taiwan to get a feel of the people, traditions, and customs.
PS: here’s all the top things to do in Taipei if you’re going to be mostly based in Taiwan’s capital city.
What are the cultural things to do in Taiwan for an authentic experience?
1. Stay in a Buddhist temple in Taiwan
To understand monastic life, one of the best cultural activities in Taiwan is to stay at a Buddhist Temple. With an overnight stay, you’ll get to participate in daily meditations, learn about Buddhism, eat fresh vegetarian meals, and live a simple life for a few days.
Which Buddhist Temple can you stay in?
- Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Kaohsiung is the largest Taiwanese Buddhist temple. You can take calligraphy classes there.
- Go to Dharma Drum Mountain, located in New Taipei City, to learn about Buddhism, surrounded by mountain peaks and near the Shuangxi River.
- Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Nantou is a huge Buddhist temple with beautiful gardens.
- Shi Fang Chan Lin in Hsinchu is perfect for self-reflection thanks to its structured programs, meditation guidance, and mindful activities like walks and tea farming.
- Foguangshan Taipei Vihara in Taipei is best for visitors with only a short time in Taiwan, who want to try mindfulness and meditation.
Respectful temple rules to follow
- Staying in Buddhist temples doesn’t always require payment, but I would strongly encourage making a donation. After all, you’re consuming food and taking up space for free.
- Dress modestly: shoulders and legs must be covered at all times.
- Behave mindfully; no loud or exuberant behaviour.
- Alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, and meat aren’t allowed in Buddhist temples.
2. Experience the Taiwanese Opera
Known as Ke-Tse opera or Hokkien opera, going to a Taiwanese opera performance is one of the top cultural activities in Taiwan. Quite unique and distinct, it’s a traditional performance characterised by local folk stories, colourful costumes, and improvised lines, rather than a specific script.
Where to see Taiwanese opera performances?
Venues that host Taiwanese operas are:
- Taiwan Traditional Theatre Centre in Taipei
- National Theatre and Concert Hall
- TaipeiEYE
- At community temples, where there are often free performances, especially during specific festivals
3. Attend a Taiwanese tea ceremony
A Taiwanese culture guide wouldn’t be complete without a tea ceremony. And while the tea ceremony is traced back to ancient Chinese tea culture and traditions, Taiwan has made its tea culture its own, with its own social rituals and tea art.
What’s a Taiwanese tea ceremony like?
Tea ceremonies in Taiwan last between 1 and 3 hours, and locations range from highly traditional rituals in serene tea houses to a more modern approach in contemporary tea rooms.
You can expect to learn about the historical significance of tea, the ceremonial preparation, meaning how to brew and make the tea, and then how to consume and savour the subtle aroma and flavours. However, note that some ceremonies don’t really offer a lot of explanation, leaving visitors feeling like they didn’t learn much, especially in the more modern cafes.
Where to attend a tea ceremony in Taiwan?
There are various places that offer tea ceremony experiences in Taiwan, from traditional tea houses to urban tea cafes.
Traditional tea houses in Taiwan
- Maokong tea houses in Maokong, Taipei (take the Maokong cable car and get off at Maokong Station)
- Qingtian tea house in Taipei
- Liuyu tea house in Wanhua, Taipei
- Xiaoyin Tea Temple Dongmen in Taipei
- Eighty-eightea Ribansyo in Taipei (currently closed for renovations)
- Wistaria tea house in Taipei (closed for renovations, will reopen in 2028)
Modern tea houses in Taiwan
- Jing Sheng Yu tea at Yongkang Concept Store in Taipei
- Stop by Tea House in Taipei
- ASW tea house in Taipei
- Avoid: Matcha One. This does not really offer a traditional Taiwanese experience as it focuses on Japanese matcha tea, and is an influencer Instagram hotspot.
4. Learn about Indigenous culture in Taiwan
The indigenous people of Taiwan are Austronesian, and are officially called Indigenous (using “aboriginal” or “aborigines” is no longer acceptable and is considered offensive). They’ve inhabited Taiwan for over 15,000 years, long before the Han Chinese migration wave in the 17th century. Today, Indigenous Taiwanese make up only 3% of the Taiwanese population.
The Indigenous people of Taiwan have often experienced economic and socio-cultural inequalities. Many of their languages, collectively called Formosan languages, are now extinct, due to forced assimilation by colonisers.
Most Indigenous villages are remote and hard to reach, but there are many other ways to experience Indigenous Taiwanese culture.
How to experience Indigenous culture in Taiwan?
- Visit Wulai, the closest Indigenous village to Taipei. It’s home to the Atayal Indigenous group, and is known for its hot springs. There’s also a free museum there.
- Staying in Indigenous villages or Indigenous-owned homestays. Staying in Wulai is a great option.
- Visit museums showcasing the Indigenous cultures of Taiwan:
- Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines in Taipei
- Ketagalan Museum, a free museum in Beitou
- Wulai Atayal Museum, a free museum in Wulai
- National Museum of Taiwan History in Tainan
- Visit night markets like Dongdamen Night Market in Hualien, where you can find Indigenous dishes like bamboo tubes stuffed with sticky rice (竹筒飯).
- Go to these restaurants for Indigenous food
- Hasila in Taipei
- Yupasu Restaurant in Chiayi (Tsou)
- Mu Ming in Hualien
- Liu Liu in Hualien
- Learn about Indigenous arts and traditions
- Visit Bunun Leisure Farm in Taitung to learn about weaving
- Visit Taitung city, where the Paiwan people will teach you about glass beads and bracelet making
- Visit Railway Art Village in Taitung City to see music performances
- Visit the Kalapaw Performance Center in Ita Thao, along Sun Moon Lake, to see daily performances by the Thao people.
5. Attend Taiwanese festivals and parades
Annual festivals and parades commemorating specific traditions, customs, and celebrations are held throughout Taiwan, and below are the ones to not miss.
Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is one of the biggest celebrations in Taiwan, and usually falls between late January and mid-February. It’s a time for families to get together, meaning most businesses will close. Most people take at least 5 days off, but the holidays usually last for 2 weeks. However, it’s an interesting time to get a glimpse of Lunar NY celebrations, and you can catch performances like the dragon and lion dances.
Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival marks the first full moon of the Lunar New Year, and is celebrated at the end of the Lunar New Year festivities, towards mid-February. The Lantern Festival consists of traditional lantern displays and lots of delicious food.
Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival
Held around the same time as the Lantern Festival, the Yanshui Beehive Fireworks Festival is simultaneously unique and dangerous. In a small town called Yanshui, in Tainan City, fireworks and bottle rockets are shot out into the crowds, rather than into the sky. To prevent injuries, people have to wear helmets and protective clothing.
The most famous Lantern Festival in Taiwan is the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival in Taipei, when thousands of lanterns are released into the sky all at once (this isn’t necessarily environmentally-friendly, so perhaps it’s best to just watch instead of releasing your own too).
Taichung International Mazu Sightseeing and Culture Festival
Dedicated to the goddess Mazu, the Taoist Goddess of the Sea, the Taichung International Mazu Sightseeing and Culture Festival consists of a 9-day, 340+ kilometer religious pilgrimage called the Dajia Mazu procession. The events and festivities typically last from February to mid-May.
Song Jiang Battle Array
The Song Jiang Battle Array is a traditional martial art and folk performance that originated in military defense practices and is now deeply rooted in Taiwanese culture. The main festival occurs in the spring (around the end of March or early April).
Ear-Shooting Festival
The Ear-Shooting Festival (known as mala-ta-ngia or malahtangian) is the most important annual festival of the Bunun Indigenous tribe of Taiwan. It’s a coming-of-age ceremony for young men, and is related to hunting skills, which is why the rituals consist of them throwing arrows at animal ears nailed to a pole. This festival usually occurs in late April or early May.
Baosheng Cultural Festival and Emperor’s Parade
Occurring on the 14th day of the third lunar month, usually in April or May, the Baosheng Emperor’s Parade is a traditional religious procession honoring the Grand Emperor Baosheng, the Taoist god of medicine and healing. The most famous one occurs during the Baosheng Cultural Festival at the historic Dalongdong Bao’an Temple in Taipei.
Xiahai City God Parade
Known as the “Greeting the City God” procession, the Xiahai City God Parade is one of Taipei’s biggest annual religious festivals, and occurs in June. Held in the historic Dadaocheng neighborhood along Dihua Street (Taipei’s oldest street), the Xiahai City God Parade dates back to the Qing Dynasty, and celebrates the birthday of the Xiahai City God. Today, the parade features themes aligned with modern social values such as environmental sustainability and fair trade, and people can expect cultural performances, markets, and exhibitions.
Dragon Boat Festival
Originating in the Qin Dynasty, the Dragon Boat Festival in Taiwan consists of races in dragon-shaped boats in various parts of Taiwan. It occurs on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, which is usually in June. You can even participate in the races for a fee.
Amis Harvest Festival
The Amis Harvest Festival (also known as Ilisin or Malikuda) is one of the most important festivals among the Amis Indigenous people of Taiwan. The festival celebrates the harvest of rice and occurs from July to September. It also signifies ancestor worship, gratitude, and community.
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival (also known as Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival) celebrates the autumn harvests, and people celebrate by eating moon cakes, enjoying family time, having barbecues, and moon-gazing. It usually occurs around September.
Mgay Bari
Mgay Bari is the annual festival of the Truku tribe in Taiwan, celebrating the harvest, and it usually occurs in mid-October. Mgay Bari festivities are celebrated mainly in Hualien County, and the celebrations consist of ancestral blessings and family offerings.
Qingshan King’s Parade
A centuries-old Taiwanese folk festival held annually in Taipei’s historic Wanhua (Bangka) District, Qingshan King’s Parade celebrates the birthday of the Qingshan King. The parade lasts for several days, typically in December, with massive processions to dispel evil spirits.
6. Make “pounded tea”: lei cha / lui cha
Making lei cha (Mandarin) / lui cha (Hakka) is a hands-on, interactive experience in Taiwan, where you learn to pound the tea and other ingredients like sesame seeds in a traditional ceramic bowl to produce a sweet Taiwanese tea of Hakka origin.
Where is the best place to make lei cha?
- The Hakka Tea Culture Museum in Longtan District, Taoyuan, is one of the best places to learn to make lei cha.
- Beipu Old Street in Hsinchu County is another great spot for making lei cha.
7. Make bubble tea in Taiwan
Bubble tea (also known as pearl milk tea or boba tea) originated from Taiwan (specifically in Taichung in the 1980s), and it’s so delicious and fun to drink that it’s gone viral. You can now find little bubble tea shops in most major cities around the world, but when in Taiwan, why not learn to make it yourself?
A classic bubble tea contains tapioca pearls, creamy milk, black tea, and sugar. There are plenty of variations now with add-ons like fruits, or caramel, or even using matcha instead of black tea.
Where to learn to make bubble tea in Taiwan?
- Chiliwan Boba Story Museum (also known as Kili Bay Bubble Tea Cultural Hall) in Yilan County offers a hands-on experience plus a chance to learn about the history of bubble tea.
- Chun Shui Tang Dadun Store in Taichung: This is the tea room where bubble tea was invented, and what better place than the original location to learn to make bubble tea? They also have chains all over Taipei.
8. Learn to make traditional Taiwanese food in a cooking class
Learning to make traditional food when travelling is one of the top experiences one can have. And a cooking class in Taiwan? That’s one of the best cultural activities you can participate in.
Insider tip:
If you’re taking cooking classes in Taiwan, don’t just learn the savoury dishes; Taiwan has an abundance of delicious desserts worth learning how to prepare. One of the top cultural things you can do in Taiwan is to learn to make pineapple cakes, a sweet tangy treat that originated in the country, and makes for an excellent souvenir.
9. Eat the best Taiwanese food at a night market
Night markets in Taiwan weren’t invented for tourists; these are hangout social spots for local Taiwanese people. Going to a night market is one of the top cultural things to do in Taiwan if you want to experience life like a local, as they are a place to socialise, eat, and shop.
Which are the most famous night markets to visit in Taiwan?
- Raohe Street Night Market in Taipei
- Ningxia Night Market in Taipei
- Shilin in Taipei
- Tonghua (Linjiang) in Taipei
- Nanjichang in Taipei
FAQs: Best cultural things to do in Taiwan
What cultural activities are there to do in Taiwan?
There are plenty of cultural things to do in Taiwan, and the most popular ones include making bubble tea, staying at a Buddhist temple, visiting night markets, and learning about the Indigenous people.
Are there tea ceremonies in Taiwan?
Yes, Taiwan is known for its tea, and there are plenty of traditional and modern tea houses offering tea ceremonies where you learn about tea history and significance.
Why is bubble tea so famous in Taiwan?
Bubble tea is famous in Taiwan because it originated from there, specifically in Taichung in the 1980s.
