Taiwan's vibrant society readily assimilates new elements into its modern lifestyle.

What's New 1. Urban population continues to grow 2. An overview of the indigenous culture 3. Truku recognized as Taiwan's 12th indigenous people 4. Efforts taken to develop a bilingual living environment 　Taiwan's total population was 22.61 million in December 2003. This chapter presents a comprehensive view of Taiwan's population distribution and composition, as well as a summary of the languages spoken in Taiwan.

◎Taiwan's Population Distribution

　In December 2002, Taiwan's population density was 622 persons per square kilometer, making it the second highest in the world after Bangladesh. Kaohsiung City 高雄市, which covers 154 sq. km, was Taiwan's most crowded urban area with 9,827 persons per square kilometer. Taipei City 臺北市 (272 sq. km) was next, with 9,720 persons per square kilometer; and Taichung City 臺中市 (163 sq. km), the third most populated area, had 6,099 persons per square kilometer.

　Heavily populated urban areas have grown outside the official limits of major cities, forming large metropolitan areas, which are now home to 68.93 percent of Taiwan's total population. In recent years, however, the establishment of satellite towns and stronger basic infrastructure nationwide has slowed the population influx to urban areas. Among Taiwan's metropolitan areas, the Jhongli-Taoyuan 中壢—桃園 Greater Metropolitan Area grew the fastest in 2002, with a population increase of 1.70 percent. The Taichung-Changhua 臺中—彰化 Greater Metropolitan Area was second with a 1.02 percent growth rate. The metropolitan area with the highest population remained the Taipei-Keelung 臺北—基隆 Greater Metropolitan Area, with 6.59 million residents and 42.42 percent of Taiwan's urban population. The Kaohsiung Greater Metropolitan Area was second with 2.75 million residents, and the Taichung-Changhua Greater Metropolitan Area was third, with 2.14 million people.

　The earliest census taken in Taiwan recorded the population at 3.12 million in 1905. After 40 years, the figure nearly doubled to 6.02 million. In 1964, the government began encouraging family planning, easing the pressure on population growth. The natural population growth rate fell from 3.16 percent in 1961 to 0.68 percent in 1998. Although the figure rose to 0.81 percent in 2000, it declined to 0.53 percent in 2002 due to a decrease in the birth rate, which dropped from 1.38 percent to 1.02 percent during the same time period. Meanwhile, the death rate rose slightly from 0.568 percent in 2000 to 0.573 percent in 2002.

　Clearly, Taiwan's population structure has undergone great changes over the last few decades. As those born during the baby boom have now grown up, the economically productive 15-64 age group had increased to 70.56 percent of the total population by 2002. Meanwhile, the proportion of dependents dropped from 64 percent in 1975 to 42 percent in 2002.

　Longer education, later marriages, and comparatively fewer potential mothers between the ages of 20 and 34 have all reduced the birth rate. Since 1984, the population replacement rate has remained below 1 percent, dropping to 0.7 percent in 2002.

．Population Policy

　The average age in Taiwan is rising. Statistics from the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) 內政部 showed that the average life expectancy in 2002 was 75.87 years, with men living an average of 73.22 years, and women, 78.94 years. In 2002, 9.02 percent of the population was over 65 years of age, up from 8.81 percent in 2001. This puts Taiwan midway between "older" countries like Great Britain (16 percent), France (16 percent), Japan (17 percent), and the United States (13 percent) and "younger" neighbors like China and South Korea (both 7 percent), Thailand (4 percent), and the Philippines (4 percent). The Taiwan index of aging, calculated by dividing the number of people over 65 years of age by the number under the age of 15, is 44.17 percent.

　In 1992, a new population policy was approved that encouraged a moderate increase in the birth rate to counter an aging society and potential labor shortage. This new family program promotes the concept that "two are just right" 兩個恰恰好 to reduce the number of single-child families. In addition, measures have been taken to strengthen welfare and medical care for senior citizens, and to encourage them to participate in community service. To raise the quality of life, genetic health care measures have been implemented and development plans designed to maintain balanced population distribution.

　Although the government maintains a strict policy on foreign citizens wanting to reside in Taiwan due to its high population density, counseling and language training are available for foreign women married to Taiwanese. However, it adopts a lax policy for emigrants and provides guidance to ensure their safe settlement and successful careers in host countries. Group emigration is facilitated through international investment and technical cooperation programs.

◎Taiwan's Ethnic Composition

　Archaeologists have found evidence of prehistoric human habitation in Taiwan that dates back 12,000 to 15,000 years, and suggests that Taiwan's earliest inhabitants came from at least two places: southern China and Austronesia. In general, early settlers from southern China settled in northern and central Taiwan, while Australoid settlements were mainly in southern Taiwan and along the eastern coast. The relationship between these early inhabitants and today's indigenous Austronesian peoples is not clear. Before the arrival of Han people from mainland China, several dozen groups of Austronesian peoples, who can trace their histories back at least one to two thousand years, represented all the island's inhabitants; now they make up less than 2 percent of Taiwan's population.

　In the 16th century, Han 漢 people from China's coastal provinces of Fujian 福建 and Guangdong 廣東 began immigrating to Taiwan in large numbers to build a new home away from war and famine. This group of early Han immigrants consisted mainly of Southern Fujianese and Hakka. Today, these two groups constitute about 85 percent of the population, with the Fujianese outnumbering the Hakka by a ratio of approximately three to one. When the Kuomintang (KMT) 中國國民黨 government relocated to Taipei in 1949, it brought a new influx of Han immigrants to Taiwan. Together, these various Han groups form the largest ethnic group in Taiwan, making up roughly 98 percent of the population. Taiwan's population also consists of almost 60 other non-Han minorities.

‧Taiwan's Indigenous Peoples

　There are currently 12 major indigenous peoplestribes in Taiwan: the Amis 阿美族, Atayal 泰雅族, Bunun 布農族, Kavalan 噶瑪蘭族, Paiwan 排灣族, Pinuyumayan or Punuyumayan 卑南族, Rukai 魯凱族, Saisiyat 賽夏族, Thao 邵族, Truku 太魯閣族, Tsou 鄒族, and Yami 雅美族. As of 2002, the total number of indigenous people in Taiwan was 433,689. The Amis is the larges and account for over one third of the indigenous population, followed by the Atayal and Paiwan. Many indigenous people live in mountainous reservations, which cannot be sold to non-aborigines.

　According to linguistic analysis, Taiwan's indigenous peoples belong to the Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) group, which inhabits an area of oceans and islands that extends from Easter Island in the east to Madagascar in the west, and from New Zealand in the south to Taiwan in the north. Anthropological research has shown that cultural customs of Taiwan's indigenous groups, such as building houses on stilts to protect against damp, insects, and snakes; slash-and-burn farming; bamboo and rattan weaving; making clothing with animal hides; tattooing; chewing betel nut; and circle-dancing; all belong to traditional Austronesian culture. Due to the number and diversity of indigenous languages in Taiwan, some scholars have suggested recently that Taiwan might be the origin of Austronesian people's diaspora beginning several thousand years ago.

　Despite exposure to Han and Western influences, Taiwan's Austronesian groups have maintained much of their unique heritage. Many differences in the cultural characteristics of Taiwan's indigenous peoples are based on traditional geographic distributions. Below are some of the distinctive historical traits of the 12 main indigenous peoples in Taiwan.

Amis

　Numbering 140,000, most of whom residing in eastern valleys and coastal areas, the Amis are Taiwan's largest indigenous ethnic group. The Amis have a matrilineal system of inheritance, pass on their culture in tribal classrooms, and have a hierarchy based on age, in which tribal chieftains have significant authority and responsibility. Traditional production includes farming, hunting, and coastal fishing. The singing and dancing of the Ilisin harvest festivals held in July and August are well known to the outside world. The Amis are subdivided geographically into Nanshih 南勢, Siouguluan 秀姑巒, Coastal 海岸, Taitung 臺東, and Hengchun 恆春 groups with different languages, customs, and clothing.

Atayal

　Today, there are about 61,000 Atayal people scattered in the northern part of Taiwan's central mountain regions. Special cultural features include the gaga ancestral instruction system (a set of shared taboos and beliefs unique to the Atayal), facial tattooing, inheritance of a father's first name as a son's last name, worship of ancestral spirits, cloth weaving, and a united community typically occupying a single valley or flood plain.

Bunun

　The Bunun live in mountainous regions of central Taiwan. The Bunun group consists of around 40,000 people and shares many cultural attributes with the Tsou group. Traditional production methods include shifting cultivation and hunting which, in turn, have led to a complex system of beliefs, rituals, and taboos. Major Bunun ceremonies include the millet ceremony and the "ear-shooting ceremony" (a hunting ritual in which arrows are shot at animals' ears in supplication for a plentiful harvest). The Bunun are also particularly noted for their pasibutbut polyharmonic choral singing of prayers for a bumper crop. Because they live among Taiwan's highest mountains, the Bunun have been called the "real mountain people." Population increases and demand for land and resources have led to large-scale migrations, however. Characteristic cultural features include the Bunun's patriarchal system, skills at making clothing from animal hide, and the worship of hanito (ancestral spirits).

Kavalan

　The Kavalan, numbering around 2,000, live in the eastern counties. Originally living on the Yilan Plain, they moved south to the Hualien and Taitung areas after Han-Chinese immigration. For a long time they have been considered as one of the pingpu 平埔 (plains aborigines) groups, which were assimilated by the Han people at an early date. Nevertheless, traditional features can still be found in their language, myths, and rituals, and related arts and crafts. Due to their close vicinity to the Amis, the Kavalan's traditional customs were influenced.

Pinuyumayan

　The 10,000 Pinuyumayan or Punuyumayan in Taitung County may be subdivided into Jhihben 知本 and Nanwang 南王 on the basis of slight differences in language and culture. Combat ability acquired by strict training in traditional schools, and skill in handling relationships with rulers meant that for a long time the Pinuyumayan controlled relations with the neighboring Amis and Paiwan groups.

　Important Pinuyumayan rituals include the men's monkey ceremony (to develop courage), the sea ceremony, and the hoeing ceremony for women. Despite considerable penetration by Western and Han religions into tribal areas, the high priestess of the tribe is still responsible for predicting good or inauspicious omens, and drawing on spiritual powers to perform a ceremony at the end of the grieving period..

Rukai and Paiwan

　The Rukai and Paiwan groups number around 10,000 and 60,000 people, respectively. They share many common cultural features, including belief in sun and "hundred-pace" snake totems, a social hierarchy consisting of nobility and common people, bilateral descent system (combining patrilineal and matrilineal features), manufacture of earthenware pots and glass beads, woodcarving arts, and swing (an important wedding ceremony participated in by women). Under the aristocratic system, nobility leased land to commoners for farming, while other tribe members concentrated on artistic creativity. It is because of this that the artistic achievements of these two ethnic groups are the most distinguished among all of Taiwan's indigenous peoples.

　The Paiwan also believe that their ancestral spirits, dwelling on Dawu Mountain 大武山, descend every five years to pay a visit to their descendents throughout southern Taiwan. The Five-Year Ceremony is an important event at which the Paiwan and their ancestors get together.

Saisiyat

　With a population of about 5,000, the Saisiyat have special features that include patriarchal organization and the Pasta'ay ceremony honoring dwarf spirits. Because of their small population and location between Atayal and Hakka groups, however, traditional customs have unavoidably been deeply influenced. The Saisiyat have shifted from traditional farming to the cultivation of crops of high economic value, such as mushrooms, bamboo, and flowers.

Thao

　The Thao have a population approaching 300 and live at Sun Moon Lake, originally on an island in the lake, later being moved to the lake's edge. Once practicing "floating island" farming in which soil and grass were placed on bamboo rafts for the planting of crops, they later depended on fishing, agriculture, and hunting for their livelihoods. Thao language and culture have been influenced by those of the neighboring Atayal and Bunun people.

Truku

　The Truku were officially recognized as an indigenous people in January 2004. They have a population of over 23,000 distributed over Hualien on the east coat and another 5,000 in the central mountain regions of Nantou. The Truku people, previously considered a subgroup of the Atayal, speak their own language, which is 70 percent different from that spoken by the Atayal. Their traditional costume is predominantly white in color and many Truku women have curved facial tattoos. The macu ritual is performed by priests in privacy before other Truku members join in the celebration.

Tsou

　The Tsou, who number more than 7,000 people and originate from the Jade Mountain area, are divided into northern and southern subgroups on the basis of geographic distribution, language, and customs. Traditionally, the Tsou people have a very tight tribal organization, using the men's meeting house and farming, fishing, and hunting rituals to maintain fundamental education and beliefs. Special cultural features include the Mavasvi war ceremony held after vanquishing enemies, Homeyaya harvest ceremony, skills in preparing animal hides, taboo against hunting or eating bears, and military courage. The southern Tsou have farming rituals and a shell ceremony (derived from the belief that ancestral spirits reside in shell beads taken out by priests and held by each person during the ceremony). During the period of Japanese rule, however, immigration into southern Tsou areas by large numbers of Bunun people rendered them into a minority, greatly influencing the transmission of their traditional culture.

For indigenous people in southern Taiwan's mountainous Wutai 霧臺Township, the front yard is a convenient venue for rituals as well as rice drying during the harvest season. (Wu Chen-fu, courtesy of the Tourism Bureau)

Yami

　The Yami ethnic group which lives on Orchid Island 蘭嶼 off Taiwan's east coast numbers around 3,000 people and has an oceanic island culture very different from those of indigenous groups living on Taiwan proper. For example, they do not make alcohol or practice headhunting, taro is their staple crop, and their culture is centered on flying fish, which migrate annually through the waters off eastern Taiwan. Distinctive features of traditional Yami culture include the worship of anito (ancestral spirits), ceremonies to summon flying fish, semi-subterranean homes, richly carved fishing boats, belief in evil spirits, and the hair-swinging dance. They have a genetic and cultural relationship with the inhabitants of the Batanes Islands of the Philippines.

The Life of Taiwan's Indigenous Peoples Today

　Aboriginal cultures in Taiwan have been evolving in step with larger social developments. Through contacts and exchanges, the tribal-based cultures and lifestyles of the indigenous peoples have absorbed extraneous factors and gradually blended with those of other ethnic groups in Taiwan. The outflow of more than 130,000 indigenous people from their original homes into cities has brought new challenges to aboriginal cultures. Taiwan society consists of Han and Austronesian people who, despite their cultural differences, are able to work together and make their respective contributions to society. Indigenous people's consciousness about the importance of traditional cultures and their actions to revitalize them and pass them on to the next generation, as well as the government's respect for cultural pluralism and willingness to allow room for its development, create the conditions for aboriginal heritages to be sustained in Taiwan.

　Education is increasingly providing a way for the young to improve their lives. Special government scholarships are available for indigenous students interested in studying overseas. Members of Taiwan's indigenous peoples have become increasingly active in local and national politics.

　The Council of Indigenous Peoples of the Executive Yuan 行政院原住民族委員會 is the agency responsible for indigenous affairs at the central government level. Corresponding organizations at the local government level are the Taipei City Government's Indigenous Peoples Commission 臺北市政府原住民事務委員會 and the Kaohsiung City Government's Commission of Indigenous Affairs 高雄市政府原住民事務委員會. In addition to government agencies, over 40 private organizations are devoted to the welfare of Taiwan's indigenous peoples, including World Vision Taiwan 臺灣世界展望會.

　To enhance the welfare of the indigenous peoples, efforts are being made under the Challenge 2008 National Development Plan 挑戰二○○八：國家發展重點計畫 to promote their economic self-dependence and encourage them to seek employment in local communities. Also under this plan, national museums dedicated to Taiwan's indigenous peoples are being established, tourism facilities expanded, and traditional accommodations made available to tourists. The indigenous peoples are receiving guidance in the formation of reading clubs, subsidies to establish community broadband Internet connections, and increased media coverage.

‧Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs

　The Mongolian and Tibetan Affairs Commission (MTAC) 蒙藏委員會 provides services for Mongolians and Tibetans worldwide. The commission has organizations in many foreign countries, including the United States, Canada, Germany, and Switzerland, to serve local Mongolian and Tibetan communities. The MTAC's goals are to build and maintain a worldwide liaison network for Mongolians and Tibetans, offering programs to improve their living conditions and raise their level of education. The commission also offers a scholarship program for outstanding overseas Mongolian and Tibetan students to complete their education.

　Currently, there are about 400 Mongolians and 400 Tibetans living in Taiwan. Most of them are Buddhists, though a few are Muslims. To help them better adapt to Taiwan society, the MTAC promotes cultural activities and offers language classes at its Mongolian and Tibetan Cultural Center in Taipei.

◎Languages

　The languages and dialects spoken in Taiwan have their origins in the Austronesian and Han lingual systems. The Austronesian languages are spoken by the indigenous peoples, but are slowly disappearing with cultural assimilation among the inhabitants of Taiwan. Common Han languages include Minnanese 閩南語, widely known as Taiwanese 臺語, and Hakka 客語, which are spoken mainly by those whose ancestors immigrated from China's Fujian and Guangdong Provinces in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. In 1949, after the KMT government set up its capital in Taiwan, Mandarin became the common language for communication and was promoted through the educational system. However, following the lifting of martial law in 1987, social pluralization has been accompanied by a growing emphasis on native languages. A movement was initiated to teach students their mother tongue and to preserve the languages and dialects of smaller ethnic groups. This ongoing movement is expected to have an extensive influence on the languages spoken in Taiwan.

‧Mandarin

　The concept of a national language coalesced around 1910. In 1913, the Ministry of Education (MOE) 教育部 convened a Commission on the Unification of Pronunciation 讀音統一會 to establish a standard national tongue. Delegates from different linguistic backgrounds, headed by Wu Jing-heng 吳敬恆 (also known as Wu Jhih-huei 吳稚暉), a philosopher and one of the founders of the ROC, successfully created a national language that transcended locality and dialect, and which is today known to English speakers as Mandarin.

Phonetic Symbols

　The sounds of Mandarin were notated with a set of phonetic symbols, which eventually developed into the Mandarin Phonetic Symbols (MPS) 注音符號 that are still in use today. This collection of 39 symbols (later 40), plus four tone marks and a voicing symbol, was designed by Jhang Bing-lin 章炳麟 (also known as Jhang Tai-yan 章太炎).

　Once the phonetic alphabet was promulgated in November 1918, primary school textbooks were required to use it alongside each written character. In April 1919, the MOE established the Preparatory Committee for the Unification of the National Language 國語統一籌備委員會, making Mandarin the required language of instruction in elementary and middle schools. Gramophone records produced by Wang Pu 王璞 and Jhao Yuan-ren 趙元任 in 1920 and 1921, respectively, were used as a standard reference for correct pronunciation. In 1932, a new system was devised for indicating the tone of a word and three initials were dropped, bringing the total number of MPS to today's 37.

Romanization

　In 1928, the MOE promulgated a system of romanization for Mandarin called Gwoyeu Romatzyh 國語羅馬字, or the National Phonetic Symbols II 國音字母第二式. In spite of the system's official status, it was never widely used because of its complexity and the dominance of the Wade-Giles romanization system, which predated it. In 1984, the MOE adopted a modified form of Gwoyeu Romatzyh, in which tone spellings were replaced by tone marks. This, however, did not change the public's preference for Wade-Giles and occasional use of other romanization standards.

　In 1996, the Educational Reform Council 教育改革委員會, led by Dr. Lee Yuan-tseh 李遠哲, recommended that the government adopt the Tongyong Pinyin 通用拼音 system, chiefly devised by Dr. B. C. Yu 余伯泉 of the Academia Sinica 中央研究院. This system was officially adopted in August 2002, and efforts are now being made to promote its use throughout Taiwan. (For a comparison of the various romanization systems, please see Appendix IV).

‧Minnanese

　Minnanese is spoken by perhaps 70 percent of the people in Taiwan. It has its origins in the Han language system but was later influenced by non-Han languages. However, it still contains many ancient Han linguistic features. Its writing system is based on existing Han characters, but has not been developed enough to represent all the distinctive sounds of Minnanese. One of the reasons is that some sounds, though originating from the Han language, have changed so dramatically over time that their corresponding characters can no longer be traced or have a written form that has since become rare. Another reason is that some of the sounds might have been derived from non-Han languages that never had a written form to begin with.

　Minnanese is increasingly being used to write poetry and songs. It is now commonly used in advertising, entertainment, and business. A private cable channel offering exclusively Minnanese programming as well as a number of Minnanese news and entertainment programs aired on other TV channels meet the needs of Minnanese audiences. Bookstores offer entire sections of literature written in a style reflecting spoken Minnanese. Despite becoming the mainstream of popular culture, the absence of a mature writing system has forced the people to find various means to express sounds that have no corresponding written character. Synonymous Han characters, homonyms, and romanized spellings are often used, and new characters sometimes created, but none of these provide a perfect solution.

　Studies are underway to develop a comprehensive writing system for Minnanese. The MOE encourages research on Minnanese by offering financial rewards to scholarly publications in this area. To meet the more pressing needs arising from the inclusion of Minnanese in the nine-year compulsory education system, the Mandarin Promotion Council of the Ministry of Education 教育部國語推行委員會 conducted a special four-year research program beginning in 1995. Researchers compiled a dictionary of Minnanese terms using the Taiwan Language Phonetic System 臺灣語言音標系統 promulgated by the MOE in 1998. Another program initiated in July 2001 to compile a 15,000-term dictionary for elementary and junior high school students is scheduled for completion in June 2004.

‧Hakka

　The Hakka language developed later than Minnanese but earlier than Mandarin. It has two main divisions: Sihsian 四縣, which is considered the standard Hakka language; and Hailu 海陸, which has been strongly influenced by Minnanese.

　There are about four million Hakka in Taiwan, but many young people can no longer speak fluently in their mother tongue. Therefore, the Council for Hakka Affairs (CHA) 客家委員會 was established under the Executive Yuan in June 2001 to preserve the Hakka language and revitalize Hakka culture. That same month, the Research and Development Association on Formosan Language and Culture 福爾摩莎語言文化研究發展協會 became operational in Hsinchu County, which has a high concentration of ethnic Hakka. The association works on projects such as compiling Hakka language textbooks, training Hakka language teachers, operating Hakka broadcasting study centers, and hosting various Hakka arts and cultural events. It oversaw the establishment of Hakka Television 客家電視臺 in July 2003 and, in November 2003, sponsored the World Hakka Culture Conference in Kaohsiung to discuss Hakka ethnicity and the formation of international non-governmental organizations for the Hakka people.

In addition to Mandarin, primary school students learn English as Taiwan works to develop a bilingual environment.

　As in the case of Minnanese, the MOE also sponsors research on Hakka. In addition, recent private efforts saw the publication in 2002 of a Hakka dictionary containing over 20,000 words and terms with both the Sihsian and Hailu pronunciations romanized in Tongyong Pinyin.

‧Indigenous Languages

　Each indigenous group has its own language. These languages, classified as "Formosan," belong to the same Proto-Austronesian linguistic family as Malaysian and Hawaiian. The use of Formosan languages varies according to area. On Orchid Island, for example, Yami is still widely spoken. Native speakers are dwindling in number, however, as new generations growing up in cities are usually not as fluent in their ancestral language as they are in Mandarin or Minnanese.

　To rectify this, the study of indigenous languages by its people has been included in Taiwan's compulsory education system. The Council of Indigenous Peoples of the Executive Yuan also offers lessons in major indigenous languages on its Internet website.

　In 2001, the Taipei City Government's Indigenous Peoples Commission cosponsored two radio programs to introduce indigenous languages, cultures, and activities to Taipei residents. It also implemented the Scheme of Aboriginal Language Networks 原住民語言巢方案 to facilitate the establishment of a network of tutors and parents, so that the best approaches and curricula for each particular group could be developed.

‧Language Education

　Taiwan society is a rich mixture of diverse cultures, and more people are becoming aware of the importance of preserving various languages and dialects. This awareness has been the propelling force behind government efforts to promote nativist education 鄉土教育. Primary school students throughout Taiwan are required to take at least one local language course. For junior high school students, however, such language courses remain an elective. The government supports such courses with various levels of funding, which is used to compile teaching materials, publish teacher handbooks, hold teacher workshops, produce audio and video cassettes.

　In order to promote internationalization, the MOE has extended the teaching of foreign languages to the primary-school level, focusing on English as its first target. The MOE also promotes a five-year program on second foreign language education in senior high schools (July 1999-December 2004), focusing primarily on Japanese, French, German, and Spanish, though other languages are not excluded. Under Taiwan's new multi-track admission policy (see Chapter 18, Education), students attending these classes will have an advantage in gaining admission to related language departments in universities.

　On a wider scale, the government undertook a major effort in 2002 to create an English-friendly environment to meet globalization needs and attract more foreign visitors to Taiwan. An action plan to establish a bilingual living environment was incorporated in the Challenge 2008 National Development Plan. Under the efforts of the Research, Development and Evaluation Commission of the Executive Yuan, in 2003, an English translation glossary was completed for the names of government agencies, job titles, and signs posted in public places. Both central and local government agencies now boast a bilingual environment that facilitates better service for foreign visitors. A standard Chinese-English signage system is also in place for roadways, public places, and tourist sites. Incentives are provided to academic institutions and the private sector for more extensive establishment of a bilingual environment.