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When people talk about Taiwanese culture shock, they usually mention cheap and amazing food, incredibly friendly people, and garbage trucks that sing classical music. But the real culture shock that foreigners almost never hear about lies in Taiwan’s mix of modern TSMC-level life and deeply rooted Taiwanese superstitions and taboos that quietly shape our everyday decisions.

So, are Taiwanese superstitious? Absolutely yes. They are hidden in the details which you won’t see them unless you live here, or know someone from here.

And because this blog exists to bridge that cultural gap, here I am, a Taiwanese sharing the insider rituals, taboos, and small “rules” we grew up with. My hope is that when you visit Taiwan, you carry a bit of real local insight that makes your trip more meaningful and helps you see this island beyond surface-level tourism.

Trust me, these customs go far beyond the classic “don’t stick your chopsticks upright in rice.” These are seven Taiwanese superstitions and taboos you probably won’t believe until you see them yourself.

“Kuai Kuai” culture: Taiwan’s Tech Industry Secret

This one always breaks my partner’s head. Taiwan is the motherland of TSMC, the global semiconductor giant, so you’d expect things here run on logic and data, or at least you wouldn’t imagine something very controversial. Yet one of the “tech secrets” that keeps those machines running smoothly is… a bag of snack.

It’s called Kuai Kuai (乖乖), a green bagged puffed corn treat.

What is the meaning of Kuai Kuai?

Its name literally means “well-behaved.” (so we say “Kuai Kuai” to kids also😂 )

In Taiwan, people put Kuai Kuai on top of computers, servers, or any machinery to ensure it stays obedient, no crashes, no breakdowns. If the machine “acts up,” someone will instantly see whether the Kuai Kuai bag has expired.

Lol I even saw a debate on threads about whether you can eat the Kuai Kuai if it is almost expiring. Some say don’t, because that package after being on the machine for some time have already absorbed all the “bad luck”😂This is definitely a Taiwanese version of Turkish eye right?

❗️One thing to note: only the green, original flavour works.

If you’re wondering how Kuai Kuai tastes, and whether we actually eat it or it’s a snack made for machines 😂: it’s sweet, and yes, we do eat it! As kids, we always had one green bag on park days; when we stopped by ponds, I even shared few with fishes 😂.

When I first explained this to my foreign partner, he didn’t believe me until he saw it himself. During a hospital visit, we spotted a Kuai Kuai bag sitting on the thyroid ultrasound machine. I’m not kidding: even hospitals trust it. And yes, so does TSMC

Where to buy Kuai Kuai: You can easily spot them in any 711/ convenient store or supermarkets.

Picking Lucky Days: Moving, Weddings & Surgeries

If you’ve ever lived in Taiwan, you’ll notice that we love “picking lucky days.” We call it 算日子 (suàn rìzi), literal translation: calculating the date. It’s super common for Taiwaneses to “count the date” to do stuff; for almost everything important. Like Weddings is a must must, also the date for moving into a new apartment. For major surgeries or the day for opening your new business, you can be assured that someone will take out the Chinese lunar calendar to see which day is suitable for certain actions.

Think of is as a mini encyclopedia that every traditional household has, I remember as a child always seeing one sitting in the cupboard. Every page lists every day, what you can do and shouldn’t do (like a diary with rules): maybe today is good for “marriage” but bad for “moving,” or suitable for “signing contracts” but not for “meeting family and friends.” If you’ve ever opened one, you’ll see columns labeled 宜 (good to do) and 忌 (avoid) like this.

It wasn’t just about superstition; it felt like the universe talking to you, timing carries energy. Say wedding for example, the day that’s good for marrying, it will be favoured by all couples, and those days are especially hard to book for wedding venue or wedding services. Of course, there are a lot of who don’t believe in this, so pick your side.

Haircut Superstitions

Even a simple haircut can’t always happen whenever you feel like it. We believe there’s a “right time” to cut hair once your hair passes a certain length (hair that goes past the waist), you should pick a day according to the Chinese calendar (here we go again) before trimming it. Some believe that hair carries our energy, so when hair grows too long, it begins to develop spirit (Lol I know I know😂) . But just like trees are said to have their own guardian spirits after they are 100 years old, its kind of the same concept.

Another way to avoid “picking the date”is that the first cut should be made by yourself (this was from my hairdresser!).

Nowadays, not everyone follows these customs strictly, but many of us still hesitate. So if you have beautiful long hair and decided to get a haircut in Taiwan, don’t be surprised if they hand you the scissor😂

Name defines our fortune in Taiwan

I can almost bet that if you ask 80% of Taiwanese people where their name came from, 80% will tell you it was chosen by a fortune-teller. In Taiwan, names aren’t just…”names”. According to traditional belief, your name helps keep the balance to the energies you were born with. By analyzing your birth date and time, fortune-tellers adjust the Five Elements(五行), adding what’s lacking or softening what’s too strong, so your destiny flows more smoothly. The right name can bring you luck, while the wrong one can quietly block your opportunities.

Taiwanese Can Change Their Name Up To Three Times

What you might be surprised is that Taiwan’s law actually allows you to change your name up to three times in your lifetime, and it’s incredibly easy to do. You literally just go to the household registration office with your ID card, and that’s it! (Have you heard of the salmon chaos news in Taiwan, people once rushed to legally rename themselves “Salmon” for free sushi!)

It’s also very common for people to change their names later in life to “change their luck”. My dad and my brother both did this, and even now, if my uncle accidentally calls my dad by his old name, my grandma still gets mad.

Some take it even further, I once heard of a classmate whose name (and his siblings) was chosen by a ji tong (a spirit medium) during trance. For many Taiwanese, names are not just for identity, but relates destiny. More often than not, companies go to fortune tellers as well to give their company the “correct” name.

Taiwan Wedding taboos

In Taiwan, wedding taboos can get surprisingly detailed, even down to your zodiac sign.

First things first, the most important Taiwan wedding superstition is that when you are presenting money to the newly weds (no wedding gifts, money is more tangible😂) you have to put it into RED envelope. Whites ones are more easy to buy but its a big no for wedding occasion. Second, the amount should be an even number (but avoid 4 please).

So what about the Zodiac? If you’re born in the year of Tiger, you’ll find yourself with a long list of “don’ts.” Traditionally, Tigers are considered fierce and strong-willed, so they shouldn’t serve as bridesmaids, groomsmen, or flower girls. The belief is that Tiger’s energy might “overpower” the couple, bringing imbalance or tension to the wedding day.

But as with many Taiwanese superstitions, there are clever ways to neutralize bad luck. If there are two Tigers, their energies supposedly cancel each other out, making it fine for both to participate. Another workaround? Pair a Tiger with someone born in the Year of the Dragon, their combined strength is thought to bring good fortune rather than conflict.

Asking the Gods: How Faith Guides Everyday Decisions in Taiwan

If you ever wonder how superstitious Taiwanese can be, here’s another thing that will shock you: some people ask the gods for advice on everything. I’m not just talking about like about special dates or marriages, I mean real, practical life decisions. For example, when choosing a doctor for surgery, or even when deciding which lawyer to hire for a lawsuit, some Taiwanese people will go to the temple and literally ask the gods who to pick. (In a Taiwanese Tv show I was watching, not only one lawyer mentioned that when they ask their clients: how did you find us? The reply is: God 😂)

You might not believe it, but see it yourself in Temples in Taiwan. We use red wooden blocks called 筊 (bua buei) to communicate with the gods, throwing them on the ground to get a yes-or-no answer. If one landed on the front and the other on the flip-side, it’s a yes; if both landed on the same side, it’s a no.

Usually we throw it 3 times to get the final answer, or some people repeat this until they get a “yes”.

Ghost month in Taiwan taboos

Finally we have come to one of the most famous and serious Taiwanese Superstitions: Ghost month in Taiwan. Imagine day of the dead in Mexico, not day, but “a whole month”.

Every year, according to the lunar calendar, when July arrives Taiwanese people believe that the Gates to the Underworld open. During this time, spirits can roam freely in the human world, visiting old places or searching for offerings. You’ll often hear elders say, “Don’t do this, don’t do that, it’s ghost month”.

Because of this belief, there are countless Taiwan ghost month taboos. People avoid getting married this month, buying houses, or even buying cars during this time. Visiting hospitals is also seen as a bad option, better wait until the month passes. The most common warning you will hear is to stay away from water. We believe in “water ghosts” (水鬼), spirits who drowned and may try to “pull someone down” to take their place. So beaches, lakes, and rivers are noticeably quieter during this month.

Taiwan ghost month activities

Taiwan ghost month Pudu Ceremony

Despite the spookiness, Ghost Month is also one of Taiwan’s most vibrant cultural moments. You’ll see Pudu Ceremony where people burning incense and paper money in front of their homes or businesses, laying out offerings for wandering spirits, and temples holding grand ceremonies to spread love to the lonely ghosts.

Taiwan ghost month Water Lantern activities

There are also Water Lantern activities which in some cities we burn well-made beautiful lanterns and push them into the water. You can see Water Lantern activities in cities like Keelung and Yilan. The meaning of this is to lighten up the path for water ghosts to know the way to land to receive offerings (isn’t this so caring🥺).

Taiwan ghost month Pole-Climbing Competition (搶孤)

Another unique activity during this time is this Pole-Climbing Competition,though not the kind of “pole” you might first imagine 😂. It usually takes place on the very last day of the lunar July, marking the end of Ghost Month when the Gates of the Underworld close. The act is to show gratitude to the gods for protection throughout the year and a wish for peace, safety, and a good harvest in the coming one.

The bamboo poles are built into a tall, temporary wooden tower stacked with offerings and food at the top. Teams compete to climb up and grab these offerings, symbolically “sending” those offerings to wandering spirits so they won’t go hungry. What makes it hard is that those poles are covered in oil!

The activity also requires a lot of community spirit since articipants must rely on teamwork to climb those slippery poles, one stepping on another, kind of like the Spanish human tower with a pole in the middle😂. You definitely can call this an Intangible cultural heritage of Taiwan, you can find it in Pingtung(south tip of Taiwan) and Yilan.

Help me share this Intangible culture in Taiwan🤗

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A post shared by Jean Lin🧋| Travel creator 移民生活 🔎文化探索 (@ohwanderlin)

That’s all for this time. Hope you enjoyed this post:)

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