There is a small community of Indians in Taiwan consisting mainly of immigrants and expatriates from
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. As of April 2013, there are about 1,900 Indian residents in
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
.
Overview
Indians have been coming to Taiwan since the 1980s — mainly businessmen, jewelers, and scientists. The first Indians to arrive were a community of
Sindhi traders. This community used to have around 200 families, but now numbers only 40 or 50 as the majority of them have migrated to China, mainly to
Guangzhou
Guangzhou (, ; ; or ; ), also known as Canton () and alternatively romanized as Kwongchow or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in southern China. Located on the Pearl River about north-northwest of Hong Kon ...
. Another similar-sized early group of Indians is made up of families in the diamond and precious stones trade who sell their wares to Taiwanese jewelers.
As a part of its "
Look East" foreign policy, India has sought to cultivate extensive ties with Taiwan in trade and investment as well as developing cooperation in science and technology, environment issues and people-to-people exchanges.
These exchanges have led to a minor influx of Indians into Taiwan, with small groups of Indian nationals springing up in several locations near the country's larger universities, most notably in
Hsinchu and
Taipei
Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the n ...
. Currently, there are almost about 100 Indian scientists alone at the
Academia Sinica
Academia Sinica (AS, la, 1=Academia Sinica, 3=Chinese Academy; ), headquartered in Nangang, Taipei, is the national academy of Taiwan. Founded in Nanking, the academy supports research activities in a wide variety of disciplines, ranging from ...
.
Education
In 2003, figures indicate that only 5 Indian students were enrolled on programmes in Taiwan, growing to 409 in 2007. By 2018, there were 2,398 Indian students studying in Taiwan, showing a 15-year growth of almost 48,000%. The number of Indian students in Taiwan rose by 56% between 2017 and 2018. This was deemed, according to the Taiwan Ministry of Education, as being due to a combination of low tuition fees in the country and easier availability of post-study work permits to foreign graduates.
Culture
Yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...
,
Indian fashion and
dance
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
are popular among many the ethnic Indians living in the country.
Ayurvedic
Ayurveda () is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. The theory and practice of Ayurveda is pseudoscientific. Ayurveda is heavily practiced in India and Nepal, where around 80% of the population rep ...
spas are cropping up in big hotels and beauty salons nationwide and there are also many Indian restaurants across the country. Many Indian festivals such as
Diwali
Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...
and
Holi
Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...
are celebrated by the Indian community in Taiwan.
Indians in Taiwan: Kaleidoscope of merrymaking for Hindu festival
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See also
* India – Republic of China relations
* India–Taiwan relations
* Indians in China
References
{{Indian diaspora
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
Indians
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
Indians
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...