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The vast majority of people in Taiwan are ethnic Chinese. Most are the descendents of immigrants from the province of Fujian in mainland China. There are also a large number of people from all over China who came to Taiwan after World War II. In addition, there is a fairly large Hakka minority. 1. Local Languages Mandarin Chinese is Taiwan's language of government, education and the media. It is widely spoken anywhere you go in Taiwan, as well as in mainland China. It is the dialect used to learn written Chinese characters, and the one most studied by foreign students. Taiwanese - the dialect of Fujian Province - is spoken as a mother tongue by a majority of the population. Long Taiwan's "language of the street," it is increasingly favored in the media and business as well. The Hakka dialect is also spoken by a significant minority of Taiwanese. 2. Indigenous groups Speaking various languages of the Austronesian language group, Taiwan's indigenous people share many customs and practices with other native groups of southeast Asia. At least one group, the Yami (Tao) of Orchid Island, a smaller island off Taiwan's southeast coast, can be traced back directly to the Batan islands of the Philippine, where members of their ethnic group still live. Although most plain-dwelling aborigines have been assimilated into mainstream Taiwanese culture, the indigenous peoples of the mountain areas have managed to retain much of their original customs and identity. There are nine major tribes in all. Their traditions of weaving, song and dance have become extremely popular in contemporary Taiwan, a testimony of the strong interest in native culture. Each of the ten indigenous peoples continue to speak their own languages, many of which have been rendered in written form, either based on the Roman alphabet or Mandarin phonetic symbols. But because indigenous languages vary even from village to village, anthropologists and others seeking an intimate knowledge of Taiwan's indigenous culture may still want to learn Mandarin as a helpful bridge language. . Next Page | Top | Back to Index