Sounds of Taiwan
Familiar sounds that were so foreign when I arrived…
Since arriving in January, I’ve used my phone to record dozens sounds around Kaohsiung. Ten months in, these recordings make me realize how ‘normal’ these sounds have become.
But in those first few months, they contributed to the heady rush of new experiences that came with settling in to a different culture, in a different part of the world.
So, in alphabetical order (because the garbage trucks would obviously dominate otherwise), please enjoy 15 short sounds of Taiwan:
Ambulance siren
I live near two hospitals that accept emergency admissions, so I hear these 24/7:
Bird show
I occasionally see older men driving around with large birds perched on their scooters (usually on metal rods projecting from the front and back). Sometimes the birds are chained to their perch, and sometimes they’re free to fly. The birdmen like to gather in parks for others to admire their pets:
Building announcement
These occur once or twice a month in my apartment building, but after living here for 10 months and attending 4–6 hours of Chinese lessons a week, they remain indecipherable:
Dragonboat race
Three teams starting a race on Love River, cheered on by spectators:
Elevator
This elevator’s in my building, but all elevators in Taiwan make similar announcements. The first part translates to “Now arriving at the 1st floor”, but I’m yet to learn the Chinese that’s spoken as the door opens:
Firecrackers
These were released continuously—for days—around Lunar New Year. But since then, I still hear them a few times a month in different parts of the city:
Garbage truck
Perhaps the most famous Taiwanese sound of all: the approaching garbage truck. In Taiwan, you cannot leave your garbage outside for collection. Instead, you wait for the sound of a garbage truck, rush downstairs, and stand on the kerb until it arrives. In my neighborhood, the trucks come three times a day, at roughly 16:30, 19:30, and 21:00. The same tune’s used nationwide, but the nature of the recording varies. In another city I heard one that sounded like a proper orchestral recording, but here in Kaohsiung, garbage trucks sound like ice cream vans:
Indigenous market
This music was pumping through the PA system when I visited an outdoor market at Baoshanerjituanyinghua Park, in the domain of the Bunun people—one of 16 indigenous groups formally recognized in Taiwan:
KTV
There are two forms of karaoke in Taiwan: kǎlā-OK and KTV. My understanding is that KTV is usually performed in a private room with family and friends, whereas kǎlā-OK happens in public—where it’s sometimes also called KTV… This recording’s from KTV night at an outdoor seaside cafe:
LRT
I love Kaohsiung’s Light Rail Transit (LRT). The trams are battery-powered, and therefore have no overhead wires. (They recharge at each station.) They glide through the city on rails embedded in a 20km-long grass corridor. As a tram approaches, the pedestrian warnings make this idiosyncratic sound that apologetically fades away once the tram has passed:
Outdoor advertising
People drive vans and small trucks through the city with huge speakers mounted to the top, sometimes offering to buy second-hand goods or promoting a local business:
Slappers in the park
Around dusk, it’s common to see elderly people sitting in a park slapping themselves. I remember one day exiting the (excellent) National Science and Technology Museum just before sunset, and seeing literally dozens of elders around an outdoor ampitheater, slapping to the beat. It supposedly helps with circulation. Here’s one I passed on a hike up Monkey Mountain:
Supermarket soundtrack
My nearest supermarket is PX Mart—one of a chain of over 1,000 stores that started as a government-owned and subsidized supermarket chain for military families. (It was privatized around 20 years ago.) I like PX Mart, but not their soundtrack—a continuous loop of: (1) a jingle with lyrics; (2) product announcements; (3) this jaunty instrumental:
Temple procession
It’s really common for streets to be temporarily closed as a temple procession passes by. This week, I waited for processions twice: once when crossing the road outside my apartment, and once when riding my scooter a bit further away. Some of the processions are more than half a kilometer long, and feature gods, firecrackers, horses, dance parties, and traditional musicians:
Wishes in the wind
Ending on a peaceful note, sometimes I come across rows of wishes written on wooden cards outside a Taoist temple, hanging in the wind. If your wish comes true, it’s customary to make a donation the next time you visit:
