The Differences Between Taiwan and Mainland China | taiwanese vs chinese
It’ssurprisinghowmanypeopleconfuseTaiwan[1]andmainlandChina[2],orevenbundlethemtogetherasapackagedeal.Thetruthisthatalthoughtheirculturesseeminterchangeableattimes,theyareinfacttwoverydifferentplaces.Forthoseunschooledinallthingsrelatedtotheisland[3]andthemainland[4],herearethedifferences.ThenamesTaiwanisalsoknownhistoricallyasFormosa,anamegiventotheislandbypassingPortuguesesailorswhoratheraptlydubbedit‘IlhaFormosa’(thebeautifulisland).However,Taiwan’sofficialnameisactuallytheRepublicofChina...
It’s surprising how many people confuse Taiwan[1] and mainland China[2], or even bundle them together as a package deal. The truth is that although their cultures seem interchangeable at times, they are in fact two very different places. For those unschooled in all things related to the island[3] and the mainland[4], here are the differences.The names
Taiwan is also known historically as Formosa, a name given to the island by passing Portuguese sailors who rather aptly dubbed it ‘Ilha Formosa’ (the beautiful island). However, Taiwan’s official name is actually the Republic of China, although online and in print journalism, you might see it referred to as Taiwan (ROC) or Republic of China (Taiwan).
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Although we know the country simply as China or sometimes Mainland China, its official name is the People’s Republic of China.