When should I bow in Taiwan?
- By
- Aparna Patel
- |
- 22 Jul, 2023
- |
For daily greeting, it’s great to wave hands and smile to others. Also, you can shake hands if it’s the first time to meet people in Taiwan. We don’t bow to others, even if you’re in temple.
However, try being yourself in Taiwan. It’s great to feel as you’re at home.
🙂
TL;DR: You shouldn’t.
Taiwan is nowhere near as “bow-heavy” as Japan, but the same rule applies: foreigners are not expected to know or understand how to bow, and that’s fine. Anybody meeting or being introduced to you is going to shake hands Western style. If you see people bowing at temples, funerals, whatever, what they’re doing is none of your business and you’re best off watching from the back. If somebody bows to you, it’s polite to nod back as an acknowledgement, but that’s about it.
See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowing#Bowing_in_China_and_Taiwan
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘