Seeing Taiwan for the first time can be a great experience for travelers. But it can sometimes also cause trouble for visitors who
are only
used to the customs and manners of their home country. Taiwan has some taboos1, which are things that should not be talked about or done because they might
offend people.
Using a red pen to write someone's name is considered a taboo in Taiwan. The color red represents blood. Writing another person's name with a red pen may suggest that the person will get into a serious accident.
Another way to make a Taiwanese person uneasy would be to stick chopsticks upright2 into a bowl of rice. This would
resemble incense sticks3 that are placed into food that is left for spirits. This is done at a funeral or during Ghost Month.
In other words, a person who did this would be worshipping4 the people who made the food as if they were dead. This faux pas5 would make the hosts of the dinner unhappy.
Many taboos in Taiwan
have something to do with similar Chinese sounding words. Around Chinese New Year, it is inappropriate6 to say the Chinese word for four. Foreign visitors find that strange. But the word four in Chinese sounds a lot like the word for death. Some people actually
take this even
further. In fact, most hospitals and hotels don't have a fourth floor.
初次來台灣觀光對旅客來說可以是個很棒的經驗。但對於只習慣自己家鄉習俗禮節的觀光客而言，有時候也會造成一些麻煩。台灣存在一些禁忌，也就是一些不該說或不該做的事，因為這些事可能會冒犯到他人。
用紅筆寫他人的名字在台灣被視為是禁忌。紅色代表血。用紅筆書寫別人名字有可能暗示對方將會捲入嚴重的意外中。
另一件會讓台灣人感到不舒服的事，便是將筷子直直插在一碗白飯中。這好比是將香柱插在祭拜鬼魂的供品上。只有在葬禮或是鬼月時才會這麼做。換言之，有此動作的人便是在祭拜做飯的人，好像他們已經過世了一樣。如此失禮的舉動可會讓請客的東道主心情不悅。
台灣諸多禁忌和中文字的諧音都有關連。在農曆新年期間，提到中文的『四』並不妥當。外國觀光客或許會覺得奇怪。不過中文的『四』發音與『死亡』非常相近。有些人其實還做得更絕。事實上，大多數的醫院和旅館都不會有四樓。
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