Meet the Burmese-Taiwanese community
The Taiwanese government’s pivot toward Southeast Asia in recent years has aroused the curiosity of many Taiwanese about the peoples of that region. As a result, the local Burmese community, which had always been relatively low-key, has increasingly attracted public attention. “Because of this new policy, some people tend to lump us in with the so-called ‘new Taiwanese,’ but there are plenty of us who’ve been here for decades,” smiles Aung Win, chairman of the Huaxin Street Business District Development Association and a Taiwan resident for over 30 years.
Following Aung Win’s lead, we make our way to Little Burma Tea and Snacks by the corner of Xingnan Road and Huaxin Street. Easily missed by visitors because it is situated a little way off Huaxin Street proper, this small spot sells authentic Burmese snacks such as banana shwe gye cake, htanthi mont (toddy palm cake), and egg pudding.
In addition to snacks, of course, we also enjoy the unmissable cup of milk tea. We are informed by friendly locals that Burmese milk tea is much like Taiwan’s own “hand-shaken” tea drinks, with the amount of tea, creamer, and sugar all able to be tailored to taste, something which the owners of the shops take great pride in doing for their guests.
Buddhist temples began to pop up along Huaxin Street around 40 years ago, and today the area is home to five. Devout Burmese have even funded the construction of a Buddhist temple in Sanxia, New Taipei City, which features large, stately golden pagodas, echoing Burma’s reputation as a “land of pagodas.” As we sip our Burmese milk tea in the tea shops, monks can be seen walking along the street with their alms bowls, another way in which “Little Burma” really lives up to its name.
In addition to their daily excursions to Huaxin Street for Burmese food, Burmese-Taiwanese also continue to follow traditional Burmese customs, explains Aung Win, like the Burmese New Year festival of Thingyan in April and the Thadingyut and Tazaungdaing Festivals of Lights that usually fall in October or November. When these festivals are celebrated, Huaxin Street transforms into a party, and all are welcome to join in.
In this small corner of New Taipei City, home to so many beautiful things, one can not only learn about the fortitude and hospitality of Taiwan’s Burmese community, but also gain a new appreciation for the diversity and inclusiveness of Taiwanese society.
Pickled tea-leaf salad (lahpet thoke), curry rice, fish soup with noodles (mohinga)—Burmese snacks are rich in both aroma and taste, true attractions for the appetite.
Also known as “Little Burma,” Huaxin Street plays host to Thingyan (Burmese New Year) celebrations every April, when people pray for good fortune by splashing each other with water and bathing statues of the Buddha in worship. (photos by Chin Hung-hao)