Taiwanese People Remain Unshaken Even by Trump

The government in Beijing made their dissatisfaction with Donald Trump abundantly clear. What did the future US President do? It was a phone conversation with Taiwan's leader Tsai Ing-wen that infuriated the Chinese. According to their view, Taiwan is an 'inalienable part of China's territory.' Speaking with Taiwanese leaders is essentially declaring diplomatic conflict with Beijing officials.

Since the Chinese Civil War in 1949, Taiwan has been de facto independent from the mainland and is now a functioning democracy. How do people here handle pressure from China? How do the Taiwanese respond to international attention? With perfection. And does it work? Yes, almost always. This is evident from our visit to the island nation:

Quality seals like 'Made in Taiwan' are sometimes a matter of perspective - at least in culinary terms. Teppanyaki cooking on a hot iron plate is essentially of Japanese origin, guide Johannes admits. 'But as always, we have improved it.'

You hear similar things from the native Taiwanese guide about dumplings, a type of bamboo basket-steamed dumplings that actually originate more from mainland China. And it's not the last improvement: Sushi might have been invented in Japan, but what did Taiwan do? 'Improved it,' says Johannes, with a subtle grin and a large dose of irony.

You can't help but wonder how strong the conviction in these words is. Because you often get the feeling that much on this small island on the edge of the South China Sea is familiar. Only it has been in certain ways simplified, perfected, or simply expanded. This starts with Johannes' name.

Johannes is actually named Hsu Tzu-Yi. But he studied in Germany, and his classmates naturally found it challenging to pronounce Chinese names, so in the 1990s, he became Johannes. A name that the 55-year-old has maintained ever since. He is continually grateful for this, especially among German tour groups.

Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, is like a concrete testament to the entire nation's drive for perfection. The subway system? Exemplary development. Signs explain every possible eventuality. For a long time, the city had the tallest building in the world with Taipei 101. It still stands today, but in 2007 it was surpassed in height by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Stacked blocks give Taipei 101 the appearance of a large, square bamboo shoot, and there's a practical reason for this: Taiwan is located in one of the world's most active earthquake regions. The architectural style is intended to prevent the skyscraper from being damaged. That's why there is a massive steel ball with a diameter of 5.50 meters on the 92nd floor. It is meant to offset vibrations.

The National Palace Museum mainly attracts visitors from China: Here, you can see imperial artworks from over 3,000 years of Chinese history. They originally came from the Forbidden City in Beijing. In 1949, Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Zedong's opponent in the Chinese Civil War, took them to Taiwan when he fled.

They have been stored here since then and are a good illustration of the perpetual Taiwanese-Chinese conflict: The People's Republic considers the 36,000 square kilometer island a rogue province to this day. Taiwan, on the other hand, refers to itself as the legitimate successor of the Republic of China, proclaimed in 1912, which remains its official state name.

Only 22 countries currently maintain diplomatic relations with the country. It was excluded from the United Nations in 1971 at the request of the People's Republic of China. This conflict, which almost seems a bit bizarre from the outside, would likely receive little attention in the rest of the world if it weren't for Taiwan's highly developed industry being economically intertwined with numerous countries worldwide. This might also be the basis for their pursuit of perfection: Living a bit between worlds seems to be a decent way of enhancing what's existing.

In Taiwan, you can see this in traces of its Japanese past that occasionally come to light. Between 1895 and 1945, the island was a part of the Japanese Empire. Not only have sushi and teppanyaki remained.

Some buildings have also stood the test of time. The Presidential Office Building, for instance, a magnificent red and white structure in the city center, was once the seat of the colonial government. The Dihua Street, known for its small shops and market stalls, is also lined with the remnants of Japanese architects. It provides a perfect contrast to the concrete monotony of many other streets. However, it becomes much more pronounced, the further you venture into the countryside.

The Taroko Gorge, roughly 90 miles south of Taipei, is considered one of Taiwan's stunning natural wonders. The Liwu River carved its way through marble mountains over millions of years. Dense forests cover the slopes, and you often come across small pagodas and temples. Several hiking trails remain from the construction of a nearby highway. They were crucial for the builders to access the area. Today, tourists explore the gorge on these paths.

Inhabitants are rare in this area. Shiou Lin Village is one of the few places where they can be found. This tiny village was once the favorite destination of the former President Chiang Kai-shek. He accommodated high-ranking state visitors at the Tian Hsyang Lodge. The lodge has since become a proper hotel named Silks Place and is a haven for deep relaxation, especially after the day-trippers leave the area in the evening.

Even for Johannes, the view of the mountain landscape is by no means taken for granted, even though he experiences it repeatedly on his visits. He looks at the mountain landscape almost reverently, and he is by no means the only one.

Because Taiwan sits on a tectonic plate boundary, some of Asia's highest mountains, east of the Himalayas, have formed here. More than 200 peaks are higher than 9,800 feet and therefore taller than Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze. Some even reach nearly 13,000 feet.

The tallest is called Jade Mountain. It's located in the center of the island. 'Every Taiwanese should climb Jade Mountain once in their lifetime. Only then are you considered an adult,' Johannes says-at least if you've also circled the entire island by bike and swum across a lake. These are tough hurdles on the path to adulthood.

Did he accomplish all these tasks? Johannes laughs, and you realize: He is still working on a few points, even though he seems capable of climbing a mountain every morning. In this way, the perpetual pursuit of perfection manifests again. Made in Taiwan.

Travel Reporter