I recently visited Taiwan as a tourist. What I saw and heard there is enlightening in the sense that the visit brought me into close contact with the people， history， culture and other things of Taiwan. The following are a few vignettes of my visit.

An IQ Question

The first memorable moment of our visit around Taiwan happened when we were safely in a bus leaving Taoyuan Airport toward downtown Taipei. The moonlight looked poetic and cool， but we were feeling a little bit sleepy because of the long flight. The local guide， a girl named Little Qin， knew what to do. She asked an IQ question. “Friends， please consider this IQ question: can a cow outrun a horse?” Her voice was soft and beautiful. We considered the question and said no unanimously， though our negative answers came out in various remarks. Then she declared the right answer: Yes， a cow could outrun a horse when and if the horse suffered a stroke. We burst into a loud laugh. The atmosphere in the bus became bubbling. Little Qin then asked us not to fall asleep in the bus: the low-temperature night air would do harm to our health if we fell asleep in the bus and drop our bodies’ guard against inclement elements. We were touched by the guide’s concern and her professionalism.

A Walk through Miracle Trees

The rural scene outside our bus was idyllic: rows of betel palms in the distant and verdant farmlands in the foreground. We were on our way to a walk through miracles trees in Alishan Mountain， one of the most famous tourism attractions in the island province. The walk we took lasted about 800 meters. What made this walk unique were 22 huge trees that are all more than 1，000 years old. They stand witness to the coexistence of mankind and nature. Nearby was a primary school compound， which was open to tourists. On the gate was the school’s name handwritten in a child-styled calligraphy. Another line of characters written in a similar child-styled calligraphy reads to the effect: this school is justifiably the highest education institution.

We wondered. How could such a small primary school with a small faculty of no more than 20 be called the highest education institution? We soon got the explanation. The school is located at 2，200 meters above sea level， thus geographically it is the highest school in Taiwan. There is another ambitious dimension in the proud identification: the school encourages students to strive for the best since they are studying in the highest education institution.

The Taiwan Bull

The story of a couple surnamed Lin and their four daughters is a modern legend of Taiwan. The couple began to operate a beef noodle business in a suburb of Taidong City. They worked hard to make money so that one day they would be able to send their four smart daughters to college. The business prospered and the family had money to set up a tin-roofed shack. But the shack went down in a typhoon. The Lins would not bow out. They fought back. The small noodle business was soon on its feet and running again. They fought on in the spirit of the Taiwan Bull， a spirit that keeps fighting despite failure and fate. The husband famously remarked: “One has only one single life， but one can dream dreams. The key is to fight on to find out whether opportunity is yours.”

Today， the Taiwan Bull is a prosperous beef noodle business operated by the four daughters， all college graduates. They are a lawyer， a media worker， a foreign language specialist， and a taxation specialist. The Taiwan Bull now operates two 1，200-m2 shops and sells 6，000 bowls of beef noodle a day. Today， the success of Taiwan Bull is recognized as a legend of Taiwan people， representing the hard-working and entrepreneurial spirit of the ordinary people.

Work Hard and Enjoy Life

We heard the following anecdote from Little Qin on a bus trip. A young man in a talent competition tells his examiner that he can imitate 74 people in one minute. The examiner becomes intrigued. The young man lies down on the floor and shuts his eyes for ten seconds. Then he tells the examiner that he has just imitated the dead Mr. Hu Shi in the coffin. The examiner nods and signals the young man to continue. The young man lies down again and shuts his eyes for another ten seconds. This time he says he has just imitated Mr. Tai Jingnong in the coffin. The examiner reminds the young man that he has only less than 30 seconds left. The young man says he is going to spend the remaining seconds imitating the 72 martyrs buried at Yellow Flower Hill. Frustrated， the examiner flunks the young man. The cheeky young man then sings a popular song in protest: “You need to learn how to appreciate the beauty of imperfection.”

We didn’t know whether it was a real story or an urban legend created by a creative writer， but we all laughed. When we became quiet， Little Qin explained， “I wish to let you know that many young people in Taiwan find themselves through off-beat humor. They don’t seek fame or fortune as their life goals.”

As a matter of fact， Little Qin served as a window through which we came to see the people of Taiwan. She cracked jokes and gave us funny quizzes and these jokes and so-called IQ questions revealed the urban culture of Taiwan. She explained her preference to jokes and popular IQ quizzes: “This is how I do my work. A sense of humor is a must. I don’t want you from the mainland to doze off while taking a bus tour. I want you to see more of Taiwan， the treasure island.”

Though humor is a highlighting touch of their talk， Taiwan people show us how they take everyday work seriously. Fruit vendors polish their fruits and put them on the racks carefully in shipshape order. Papaya milk sellers take pains to invent formulas and endeavor to create unforgettable flavors. Oyster omelet vendors are most picky about ingredients and they explore ways to control fire so that oyster omelets will come out best. □