Superstition

How some of the oldest Chinese superstition has persisted - and even thrived - in one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world is one of Taiwan's most fascinating characteristics, and it never ceases to astound even the longest-term of foreign expatriates.

This seeming paradox permeates Taiwanese daily life and may be seen in innumerable behaviors, from the stylish young computer salesman making elaborate offerings at a temporary temple outside of his cool downtown Taipei store to the working female geneticist ardently yearning for a son.

Although the majority of the sites of ancient lore are on the mainland of China, many traditional behaviors were eradicated during the decades of Maoist revisionism and were mostly replaced by ostentatious materialism. Taiwan is the place where ancient Chinese superstitions—mostly Fujianese—are most pervasive. Traditional southern Chinese beliefs, such as those of the Cantonese, have survived in places like Hong Kong and Macau.