Taipei Hsien is a county-like sovereignty on the northwestern part of Taiwan. It surrounds the capital,Taipei, and covers 6% of the Taiwan island. Like Cincinnati a river, the Tamsui, flows through it's region.
Taipei Hsien has a population of 3 million. Native Taiwanese make up 84% of the population, while Mainlanders account for 14%. Aborigines account for the remaining 2%.
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The Confucian ethic of proper social and family relationships form the foundation of Chinese society. Schools and government foster the tradition of respect for, and obedience to, parents. Moral standards are high.
Western-style dating isn't common. Students concentrate on their education and associate with peers, but seldom date as couples. Dating begins when an individual starts working or pursuing a college education. It is customary to date one person at a time.
Taiwan families have been traditionally large, but the government encourages families to have 2 children at the most. It is typical for elderly parents to live with their children. Even larger extended families share the same home. The family as a unit controls the individual. Children yield to their parents or oldest member of the extended family.
Taiwan uses two different calendars: Western (Gregorian) and Chinese lunar. The Western calendar is used for official purposes. However, the year in Taiwan doesn't correspond to the year in the West.
Rather than beginning from the birth of Christ (the A.D. system),the Chinese begin a new year system for each dynasty or republic. For example, the current republic began in China under Sun Yat-Sen in 1912; so 1995 is the year 84 in Taiwan. The Chinese lunar calendar determines Buddhist holidays and the New Year celebration.
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Taiwan's society is changing, causing new social patterns to develop. Naturally, this creates tension but people are adjusting.
Taiwan is a world leader in information technology. With more than 4,000 computer firms, the island is the world's largest supplier of motherboards, monitors, scanners, and mouse devices. Taiwan imports more dollars' worth of integrated circuits than oil.
The Hsinchu Science Industrial Park, in Taipei, is the source of Taiwan's technological achievements. The park hosts such firms as Texas Instruments, Phillips Compact Disc Technologies(Taiwan) Ltd. and Ericsson Taiwan Ltd. The park, founded in 1980, encompasses more than 140 companies; it's known as Taiwan's Silicon Valley. These businessess produce a wide variety of products in the fields of integrated circuits, computers/peripherals, telecommunications, and biotechnology.
Taiwan's characteristics make it an excellent location for business: an impressive pool of human resources, a free flow of information, an outstanding industrial base, scientific and technological expertise, and a strong entreprenurial spirit. It's an ideal place from which to penetrate other Asian markets.
The Industrial Development and Investment Centre (IDIC) realizes this. The IDIC is a "one-stop" shop for foreign investors seeking opportunities in Taiwan and for Taiwanese investors interested in doing business overseas. The focus of the IDIC is to encourage local and foreign investors to choose Taiwan as a regional operation site. Removing the barriers to foreign entry will benefit Taiwan through technology-transfer acquisition and the forging of strategic alliances between local and foreign companies.
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