Taiwan: The many faces of Beitou

Shoppers converging on Beitou’s Sunday farmers’ market, where people jostle for everything from pork knuckles to freshly caught crabs. Photos: TNS/Stuart Leavenworth

There's a simple trick to meeting people in Taiwan – just look lost. Take out a map on a street corner, or stare befuddled at your smartphone, and sure enough, someone will stop and ask if you need help.

It happened so many times during a recent week in Taiwan that it became a running joke. These offers of assistance almost inevitably led to extended conversations with our good Samaritans in a fumbling mix of English and Chinese. They were intrigued to know where we were from and what we thought of their home, a place the Portuguese named “Isla Formosa”, or beautiful island.