Homeless people here are often given food, mk ey, places to stay and generally treated quite well in Taiwan. Anyone that doesn’t see that needs to go outside more often. If I were a homeless person, taiwan would be my #1 spot to be so in. Lovely compassionate people easily donating stuff. Warm weather. Easy access to everything like shelter, phone, internet, electricity and so on. I know non homeless people in Canada that have it as rough as taiwanese Street bums 
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Many American cities make it a crime to give food to homeless people, no idea why. They view homeless almost like stray dogs.
You’d be way better off in a socialist country if you’re homeless.
Not once have I seen anyone give something to a homeless person. I live near long shan temple so I see enough of them. Not saying it doesn’t. Happen. But I’m not seeing this same homeless compassion as you do. Ive also heard a news story that the govt ordered the homeless at long shan temple to be shot at with a fire hose.
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Perhaps you’re thinking of when the Taipei City Government would hose down the area (not the people!) for “cleaning” between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Some protested that this was an action against the homeless there. Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇, KMT), however, argued this didn’t go nearly far enough at driving off people.
She later apologized but didn’t appear to really turn over a new leaf.
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Have way more rights in taiwan it seems
From the article:
most of the homeless in the park are drunks and gamblers. What we should do is to help them find a job
Reminds me of this famous movie scene:
Retrain as fisherman is better.
They can get a drunk as they want on the boat
Just to clarify, it isn’t me who is saying “get a job” – that was Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying from the article at Activists slam ‘cleaning’ up of homeless - Taipei Times .
The politicians in that ABC video look startlingly similar to the suave, successful archetypes portrayed in the movie that I linked.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but if you don’t witness food sharing at THAT temple, you might need to either brush up on your mandarin or get new glasses. It is ALWAYS giving food. I have done so literally every time i am in Taipei, with loads of other people. Not being rude, but you are factually just incorrect.
Though, that temple doesn’t matter, it’s a famous hand out one. It happens nation wide in even the remote places that people do t want to try and feel good for donating and being narcissistic. It’s literally everywhere. So kuch so I have often been given back brand new food from 711 because it wasn’t up to their standards. The homeless here are fine for food. What we need is better health care (ie. Mental illness help).
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Mate you are talking about 2 different things. Organized charity and a passerby giving something to a homeless person - as they were to the begpackers are totally different.
Don’t try to be a smart arse by mixing the two things up, you knew what I was talking about.
I didn’t take a picture but I was walking around Saigon today and was shocked to see a homeless white you dragging a cart around full of junk.
Pics, next time. I wanna see a Canadian mule. 
Individuals and organized charities give out food at that temple….I see it literally everytime I am there (and many others places all over the country). Homeless folks in this country aren’t starving.
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2 different things.
That both often do the same thing. Anyone that looks homeless, a taiwanese in a torn suit or a white guy in a tie die. Help is offered from “both” sides towards anyone in need. Taiwan is nice this way.
Never seen it mate. Organized charity yes. Passer by? No. Taiwanese are indifferent if anything to homeless people.
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That’s cool. We all notice different things and go different places with different levels of frequency. I see acts of charity on the individual level nearly daily. Nationwide (that temple is just simply known for food donations, hence my original point above). Nevermind that one temple. I see people helping people ALL the time. Not just via work or paying attention when walking, even just driving by and watching people.
I attribute this cultural norm more towards taiwanese having an affinity towards avoiding violence (personal theory, not a fact necessarily). Sure, there is also a lot of immaturity and aggressions here, another worthy topic to be honest. But I find, generally speaking, the culture generally is against violence and against suffering. To the point of being actually revolting (my posts on drugs, and old people dieing off are about this precise issue). Obviously, due to a historical problem of starvation and suffering financially. Thus people are happy to hand out food, specifically, to those in need. Clothes is a second high donation, to the point the governments in some locations needed to say stop due to pollution issues. I think your begpackers from the west issue is more that the western folks want cash. Not a survival to get ahead. The homeless here aren’t normally begging for cash, but need a crutch (like shelter and food), and Taiwan provides. I see less cash handouts here, but WAY too much food (and clothing) handouts. To the point the homeless here turn away food.
Herein lies the deeper issue. But again, maybe a different thread? It would be a worthy conversation. Taiwan, as a nation, has very poor actual government support for retired and disabled/injured people. Undeniable. We do, however, have overwhelmingly large amount of public support in terms of face/superficial level. I think this point is worth digesting and we can move onto a much deeper conversation. Because it’s both completely beautiful and completely fucked all at the same time.
Since I moved here, I’ve always considered Taiwan a functional retarded country. Harsh words for a foreigner, i concede, but if thinking about it, not that inaccurate. In the sense it is a living, breathing, functioning oxymoron. It’s hard to explain without a deeper million word essay. But I think you know exactly what I mean. That said, when it comes to feeding the homeless/beggars. Taiwan is top notch. Countless times I have had people turn down donations as they weren’t good enough for their homelessness. Which should beg the question: If they turn down new food from stores, they likely came from somewhere higher. I ahve numerous business cards form homeless people. In Taiwan it’s a higher ratio of people that just had shit situations, but were something bigger earlier. Fewer are mentally deranged or drug addicts, those these 2 exist and are absolutey*** going to get worse as the handlers (ie. Family) die off.
We can talk about entitlement as well, if you’re interested.
Anyway, I thought I should explain myself more thoroughly, so you you don’t think I am being an ass hole and just shitting on a point. If anything, I hope everyone would think deeper on these issues and discuss. Push against my thoughts, I am game. The end goal is our home gets better. Takes some hard conversations to make that so.
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Well sure part of the reason I dont see Taiwanese handing over change to homeless people might be because they dont beg.. which is a good thing. None the less I still feel the indifference towards them and not towards those begpackers which they probably thought were ‘cute’ or something.