It’s official School Trips
As of October 13th, Taiwan no longer has any quarantine requirements for incoming tourists and we are so excited. Here are three things you need to know about Taiwan opening its borders:
1.
There is something called a “self-initiated epidemic prevention” that you are asked to do for 7 days after you you arrive in Taiwan. What does this mean? Practically speaking, not much, you just have to keep an eye on yourself and report it if you feel like you might have caught the coronavirus. However, Taiwan is essentially matching step with the rest of the world (barring Mainland China) by accepting that dear old ‘Rona’ is here to stay.
2.
Visa policies have been (mostly) restored to pre-covid regulations. Citizens of countries that had visa-free entry to Taiwan prior to Taiwan have their visa-free entry status again. Most countries’ citizens can enter Taiwan without a visa. The full list can be found on their official government website here. Unfortunately, currently mainland China passport holders may not enter Taiwan (it’s a whole thing – we talk about it a little bit in this blog post).
3.
Tour groups are under a separate policy when it comes to entry to Taiwan. But no worries! Tour groups are also all allowed into Taiwan now (effective October 13th).
What does this mean?
It’s time to go on the Chinese culture and Mandarin language school trips that you’ve not been able to take your students on for the past three years. Let’s start planning!
FAQs about school trips to Taiwan
When is the best time to go on a school trip to Taiwan?
If you would like your students to participate in a school exchange in Taiwan then it is best to go in the Fall or the Spring. However, as an island nation, every season in Taiwan offers a different side to explore. Please do note that July and August are the most likely months for typhoons to occur in Taiwan.
Can I study Chinese culture in Taiwan?
Yes. Taiwan is home to the largest collection of historical Chinese artifacts and observe most, if not all, of the same customs of mainland China. Due to the areligious trends of Mainland China, you can actually find more Chinese folk traditions, customs, and rituals being actively practiced in Taiwan. Taiwanese culture can be viewed as more ‘traditionally Chinese’ than in China!
Can my students study Mandarin in Taiwan?
Yes. Taiwan is a great place to learn foundational Mandarin and advanced Mandarin. Mandarin is the world’s most used pictographically based language. While simplified Mandarin has less strokes to memorize it also sometimes fails to deliver the pictographic meaning behind how characters came to be. Here’s a good visual illustration
Activities to do during a School Exchange in Taiwan?
School Exchange in taiwan can feel a little bit contrived if you are not well prepared. At WildChina Education, we make sure that both school groups are well prepared for the school exchange.
We have a variety of activities and suggestions about how to run the school exchange, depending on what the goals of the school exchange are. If you are doing a school exchange for cultural exchange, then here are 6 simple activities and ideas that can get you started:
- Teach each other your own culture/country’s childhood folk games and play them together
- Work all together on a massive mural or canvas
- Have a math or science bowl that doesn’t require a high level of language on either side
- Play a sports match like football or basketball
- Do a round robin ‘speed dating’ style get-to-know session with a set of questions that each person has to answer about the other
- Do an improv session that only uses body language
