The Taiwanese Aesthetic

“Taiwanese sensibility” has been a hot topic online in recent years, but what does it mean? Perhaps it refers to Taiwan’s blend of old and new, perhaps its laid-back atmosphere filled with human kindness. However, in concrete terms it is inextricably connected to memory-filled old buildings, red-brick structures, decorative window lattices, streetscapes, and patterned glass. Together such things contribute to a special aesthetic that is part of daily life and flows through the island’s streets and alleys.

From Japanese-era public buildings to post-WWII walkup apartments, patterned glass in various styles has embellished windows, cabinets, and room dividers, becoming part of our collective memories. There is also a distinctive architectural vocabulary defined by exposed-aggregate concrete, red brick, and wall tiles, which subtly yet profoundly tells the history of urban development in Taiwan. Like a tranquil storyteller, it relates the philosophy of quiet beauty that characterizes this place.

These charming, nostalgic, laid-back street scenes not only attract tourists, they have become the subject of a craze started by Korean celebrities. Yet it must be said that the peak of “Taiwanese sensibility” is to be found in night markets. Here people stroll at their leisure surrounded by lively, dynamic vendors, creating vivid images that blend delicious food with hospitality and kindness.

Japanese YouTuber Mariko Okubo has gone from her initial reactions of amazement and excitement at Taiwan’s night markets to making them part of her daily life—places where she feels at home. For French YouTuber Ku, the cables that festoon utility poles and the forests of shop signs on Taiwanese streets have the charm of an Asian film set. He is delighted by the convergence of food, aromas, crowds, and games in night markets and has there discovered many things that Taiwanese find ordinary but he finds “incredible.” Vietnamese YouTuber Nguyen Thu Hang compares night markets to “culinary museums” and is especially moved by their growing diversity, with many vendors of Vietnamese food recently added, exemplifying the cultural integration of immigrants into Taiwanese society.

The definition of “Taiwanese sensibility” may not always be crystal clear, but it exists in all these details of everyday life. This month issue we also bring you articles on Taiwanese-­style scones and croissants, Taiwan’s inter­national branding through sporting events, and arts and culture interactions with Southeast Asia. We hope every visitor to our island can use their own five senses to find their personal experiences of “Taiwanese sensibility.”