Ni-How From Taiwan!

 

Citi's operations in Taiwan began in 1964. In February of the following year, Citi Taiwan opened its first branch in Taipei, providing a broad range of financial products and services across Consumer Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Transaction Services.

 

By 2007, Citi Taiwan had 11 branches across the island and acquired Bank of Overseas Chinese and in 2009, a locally incorporated subsidiary - Citibank Taiwan - was set-up.

 

Citi Taiwan now operates 60 branches and 124 ATMs across 14 cities in Taiwan. With 4,700 employees, the bank serves 600 large corporates and multinationals, over 2,000 small and medium enterprises (SMEs), more than two million credit card clients and one million retail customers.

 

Official language: Mandarin

 

Capital: Taipei

 

Currency: New Taiwan Dollar

 

Population: 23 million inhabitants

 

Climate: Bisected by the Tropic of Cancer, Taiwan's weather conditions can vary considerably. In the North, the subtropical climate is characterized by moderate temperatures and winter rains. In the South, temperatures are usually higher with less rain throughout the year. Summer can be very hot across the island, making the autumn and spring seasons a much better time for visiting. The typhoon season comes in late summer, with most impact on the East Coast of Taiwan.

 

Taiwanese Cuisine: Taiwan's culinary offerings are strongly influenced by flavors from mainland China, particularly from Fujian, Fuzhou, Chaozhou and Guangdong. As a former Japanese colony, Taiwanese food incorporates hints of Japanese-style cooking. Taiwanese food places much emphasis on retaining the original flavor of ingredients, making sautéing and stir-frying the most common cooking styles. Seafood is a culinary staple on the island and usually the main ingredient in local dishes.

 

Favorite local beverage: Pearl milk tea - this unique beverage has gained a following in many parts of the world, with tapioca balls, or "pearls," adding to the appeal of the bubble tea.

 

• Longshan Temple: Founded in 1738, the Longshan (meaning "Dragon Mountain" in Mandarin) Temple is dedicated to the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, Kuan-in. Often referred to as the "meeting place of the gods," the Longshan Temple of Manka is a masterpiece of traditional Chinese architecture and is a National Heritage Site.

• National Parks: Taiwan boasts eight national parks and 13 scenic locations that preserve the island's rich ecological environment. These include Taroko Gorge, Alishan Forest Railway, Yu Mountain, East Rift Valley and the offshore islands of Kinmen and Penghu.

• Kending (Kenting): With its rich marine ecology, Taiwan has much to offer the diving enthusiast. Azure seas and magnificent coral reefs are the pride of Kending in the southern tip of Taiwan. Green Island and the Penghu Archipelago are also popular diving spots. Along the East coast, dolphin watching is a popular activity.

Why I like living in Taiwan: There are 101 reasons why I like living in Taiwan. Taiwan never sleeps, especially in the major cities. Whether it's convenience stores, small restaurants, fast-food joints, pharmacies or even bookstores, places are open very late or they operate 24 hours. And the people of Taiwan are friendly, hard-working and polite.

 

After a hard work week, I enjoy walking to Huashan 1914 Creative Park. Formerly a wine factory, it is Taipei's creative arts center and a hosting ground for Taiwan's most significant cultural activities. Walking another 30 minutes from Huahsan, I enjoy Songshan Cultural and Creative Park, once home to the first modernized tobacco factory in Taiwan and now the site of various artistic and cultural activities, including design, visual and cross-disciplinary creative events.

 

If it rains, visiting the Lin Liu-Hsin Museum and Puppet Theatre offers an opportunity to admire one of the most extensive collections of Asian puppets in the world and enjoy a Taiwanese puppet performance on the weekend.

 

Urban hiking is also one of the joys of living in Taiwan. On the edge of downtown Taipei or a little further out but still reachable by Taipei Metro, bus or taxi, there are more than 20 hiking trails ideal for families and another 50 with beautiful views and scenery.

 

Whether you are walking or riding a bike in the city, you will come across cozy coffee shops, delicious noodle stores and traditional Chinese restaurants. Night markets are must-visit attractions. Offering a wide variety of authentic and inexpensive Taiwanese food and drinks as well as unique Taiwanese products, they are popular for after-dinner and post-studying snacks.

 

Seeing is believing so I invite you to visit Taiwan. You will find it a vibrant place to visit and to live.