1. International Day - 3C Presents:

2. Facts

3. It takes about 8 hours to fly to Taiwan from Kuwait
Taiwan is a small island near China
It takes about 8 hours to fly to Taiwan from Kuwait

4. Taiwan is almost 2 times larger than Kuwait
Taiwan is almost 2 times larger than Kuwait! That means, Taiwan could hold all of Kuwait twice!

5. Taiwan has about 23,000,000 people. Kuwait has about 3,000,00 people.
Even though Taiwan is only the size of 2 Kuwaits, it has the population of almost 8 Kuwaits!

6. Taipei is the capital city of Taiwan
Taipei is the capital city of Taiwan. There are about the same number of people in Taipei as there are in ALL of Kuwait!

7. Language – Mandarin Chinese
Chinese doesn’t have an alphabet. Instead, they use thousands of pictograph-characters like this:

8. Red is for the people’s sacrifice.
Taiwanese Flag
White is for equality.
Blue is for liberty.
Red is for the people’s sacrifice.
The Taiwan flag has a picture of a white sun in a blue sky. The sun has 12 rays, which represent the 12 hours of the day, and the 12 months of the year.

9. Taiwanese Money
Money in Taiwan is called New Taiwanese Dollars (or NT for short). 100NT is almost the same as 1KD, which could pay for 2 whole meals!

10. Focal Points (Interesting Places)

11. Taipei 101 Taipei 101 is the tallest building in Taiwan.
It’s taller than the tallest building in Kuwait, the Al Hamra Tower!
Taipei 101

12. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (Taipei)
Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is a building that was made in honour of the man who established Taiwan.

13. Taroko Gorge (Hualien)
One of nine breath-taking National Parks in Taiwan. Many come to visit the gorge and beautiful mountains.

14. Yehliu Geo-Park (Wanli)
This cape has cool rock formations called ‘hoodoo stones’, which were formed by wind and water breaking down the sandstone over many years.

15. Basalt Rocks (Penghu Islands)
Penghu Islands are very popular islands to the West of Taiwan. Basalt rocks were made from wind and water, just like the hoodoo stones

16. Hot Springs (all over Taiwan, image from Beitou)
Hot Springs are ponds and rivers that have naturally hot water that comes from the ground.

17. Taiwan is a very green and mountainous island.
Mountains and Cliffs (all over Taiwan, image of Qingshui Cliff near Hualien) 
Taiwan is a very green and mountainous island.

18. Waterfalls (all over Taiwan, image of Shifen Waterfall)
Taiwan also has a lot of water!

19. Lakes (all over Taiwan, image of Sun Moon Lake in Nantou)
This is the largest body of water in Taiwan.

20. Beaches (all over Taiwan, image of Kenting)
There are beautiful sandy beaches for relaxing.

21. Tea Fields (all over Taiwan, image of Bagua Tea Plantation in Nantou)
Tea is grown all over Taiwan, and is a popular drink.

22. Food

23. Night Markets
Night markets are like outdoor Souqs, where you can shop and buy all kinds of food. There are many of these around Taiwan, and they are often very busy.

24. Fruit
Custard/Sugar Apples
Taiwanese Guava
Wax Apples

25. Dan Bing
A Dan Bing is a breakfast food in Taiwan. It’s like a pancake with eggs inside. It’s usually served with spicy or salty sauce.

26. Youtiao – Chinese Doughnut (Fried Dough)
Youtiao is an old Taiwan breakfast food. It’s fried dough that is often put into sandwiches.

27. It takes a long time to cook, but it’s worth it!
Beef Noodle Soup
Beef Noodle Soup is a famous dish in Taiwan made from Chinese noodles, meat, and vegetables.
It takes a long time to cook, but it’s worth it!

28. Bubble Tea
Bubble Tea was created in Taiwan, and almost everyone in Taiwan drinks it (because it’s so delicious)!
It can be made with different kinds of teas, or juices.
It has a bunch of small, sweet, sticky Tapioca balls inside the drink.

29. Shaved Ice
Shaved ice is a popular desert in Taiwan. Ice is cut into small pieces and covered in tasty toppings like Mangos or chocolate, and sometimes ice cream. YUM!

30. Moon cakes are a dessert that’s shared between friends and family during the Moon Festival. It is made with flour dough on the outside and filled with nuts, beans, or seeds on the inside.
Moon Cake

31. Festivals & Folklore

32. Moon Festival (Mid-Autumn Festival)
The Moon Festival is very similar to the North American Thanksgiving. It occurs on a day when there is a Full Moon, which is why it has this name.
The Moon Festival, just like Thanksgiving, is about gathering with others, and harvesting Autumn crops for the festival. The people who come together give thanks for their food and harmonious communities.

33. Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival is a celebration where many eat rice dumplings (zongzi) and race dragon boats. 

34. Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is very much like the New Year we celebrate on January 1st, except that it happens at a different time. It’s an important festival celebrated at the turn of the Chinese calendar, which is not like ours.

35. Dragon & Lion Dance
Dragon and lion dances are common during Chinese New Year. A Lion costume usually needs 2 dancers, and they are inside the costume. The Dragon costume needs many dancers, and they are holding the dragon up to be seen. The lion is symbolic of a guardian or protector who has power and courage. The dragon is symbolic of power, good luck, and wisdom. The longer the dragon, the more lucky it is considered.

36. Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival happens on the last day of the Chinese New Year celebrations. The lanterns can symbolize the people letting go of their past selves and getting new ones.

37. Fashion What did they wear? Aboriginal Clothing Traditional Clothing
Today’s Fashion

38. The bones, feathers, stones, and beads were to show wealth and power.
Aboriginal Clothing
Taiwanese Aboriginal Clothing symbolized their cultural ideas and beliefs with bright and beautiful colours. They frequently wore reds and blues to show their respect and love for nature.
The bones, feathers, stones, and beads were to show wealth and power.

39. Traditional Clothing
Taiwanese traditional clothing has been mostly abandoned today. However, you can sometimes see traditional clothing being worn for certain ceremonies or celebrations (such as weddings).

40. Today’s Fashion
Taiwanese fashion today is a lot like American fashion. Short hair on men and women is common. Thick glasses, and lots of jeans, t-shirts, and layers can be found.

41. Flora & Fauna (Plants & Animals)
Endemic – Plants or animals that come from one particular place

42. Jungle
Kuwait has deserts. Taiwan has jungles. Jungles are made of many trees; so many trees that it can be hard to walk through it. The only place you can find sand in Taiwan is on the beaches, but there are trees and other plants everywhere you look.

43. Formosan Rock Macaque
Formosan Rock Macaque's are monkeys that live in Taiwan. They are very common and you can see them trying to steal food from people in some parts of Taiwan.

44. Moon Bear
Taiwan has a bear called the Formosan Black Bear, which is also known as the Moon Bear because of the crescent moon shape on its chest. It is the strongest animal in Taiwan. There are only a small number of Moon Bears left. People have killed most of them or destroyed their homes.

45. Fascinating Factoids

46. Taiwan is one of the safest countries in the world!
It’s Safe!
Taiwan is one of the safest countries in the world!

47. Most Taiwanese people exercise often to stay healthy.
Garbage trucks in Taiwan play music to remind people to bring their garbage out.
Most Taiwanese people exercise often to stay healthy.
Many people use umbrellas to protect their skin from the sun.

48. There’s so much more, but that’s all for now!