Some of the first things I notice when I leave Taipei where I live and visit the smaller towns nearby, suburbs, New Taipei City.
A lot more younger people.
More people in general.
Worst traffic in places like Taoyuan.
This is a general observation, but lot’s of places in the middle of Taipei can stand on a busy street and see no one or no cars. Same time of day busy street outside Taipei, jammed packed with people and cars.
I even feel it’s dull and boring sometimes compared to other places with more people and things.
People commute to Taipei, work, and go back. And more people are just completely avoiding Taipei. Especially young people that can get a similar job, live cheaper, and be near home.
This only counts if you don’t include the doughnut shaped former Taipei County, which, despite being called a ‘city’ nowadays remains entrenched as a mere suburb of Taipei rather than a cohesive city with its own identity.
I do notice this too, between here (Kaoshuing/ Tainan) and Taipei when I am in Taipei city. More younger people staying here and more family life here in Kaoshuing, in Tainan recently there are quite bit more young people in part because better jobs recently. It used to be young people would move to Taipei area for jobs and lifestyle, the lifestyle part for youth is changing, just look at KHH waterfront now and 10 years ago to see the change from older folks to family/youth area. Also a big part is housing costs which is huge difference as well business rent. Youth targeted business can not afford Taipei rent thus leave or close, replaced by high end shops or just stay vacant.
I will start looking out for this. I haven’t noticed it. But I only know Taipei, Xizhi (I guess lots of young couples with kids there), and Hualien (lots of old folks!). Taipei always seems the hippest out of those three. Anyway, interesting to hear this. It must be the high apartment prices. I’ll check out the video.
Edit: I’ve watched the video. Very short. I see it does have to do with housing costs and they mention also general cost of living. Very interesting.
Another thought. I noticed that there a few offices in the area I work in who have set up operations in Xizhi. This was unheard of even just 3-4 years ago. Garmin is also headquartered there. Acer and Wistron have always been there. Okay, I’m just rambling now.
Taipei saw the biggest drop among the six special municipalities, while Taoyuan led the group in population increase, adding 19,770 people.
Yep, the #s show it.
Kaohsiung (south Taiwan) benefitting also monetarily, as I noted elsewhere, with large amounts of money/investment come down here. They’re hiring like 1000 in southern Town science park. The south is coming back.
As I have kids I noticed a big difference between Taichung and Taipei city a few years back.
Taipei city has been stripping out their playgrounds in the small parks systematically over the last ten years or so.
Taichung city was adding them.
Also the number of petstores and hiking stores in Taipei city is insane compares to stores selling baby products , but this phenomenon has also spread to the hinterland as kids are becoming more of a rarity overall compared to furry friends.
In Xindian while there are some massive schools you would not see many families with kids doing stuff or moving into the neighbourhood. Mainly old folks.
Even in the Taoyuan city area there are not huge numbers of kids. Only in specific districts do you see kids more and most are kept in class all the time so you just don’t see them until rare period like now…Winter break . The area where most families are moving to now is Xinpu with the cheaper housing there.
To me Taiwan has become quite boring , I mean the big cities in particular as they lack that youthful energy,
families , their nightlife seems much less than before and middle aged people and older people are still very conservative …Like talking to a brick wall sometimes…Hit a button rote responses.
Then young people have lost the power to speak.
That report is also very poor as it ignores the massive city of New Taipei City.
Actually people are moving to the outer areas of new Taipei city like Linkou and Sanxia and also out of New Taipei City to Taoyuan area. Even new Taipei city housing prices are WAY too high.
What keeps even more people moving out is the shit commuting options from Taoyuan on the highway.
Many people buy houses in Taoyuan (cos of the cultural expectation to buy a house or for investment but move back to New Taipei city due to the public transportation and access to Taipei city. And the fact that Taoyuan is quite boring and poor public transportation .
As for rest of Taiwan yes I believe many have no interest to move North anymore (maybe to Hsinchu for the jobs ) and this has been going on for over ten or fifteen years at least . The economics are not good to justify move to Taipei and let’s face it life is cruisier down South with better weather .
Maybe , but I’m beginning to think it’s worth it. Live in a big non mouldy place down there and get some good air purifiers…Better outdoor weather for activities …Will compensate mightily.
Taiwan’s overall population started declining for the first time ever last year:
In a report released in August of last year, the National Development Council also projected that Taiwan will become a super-aged society by 2025. It estimated that people over the age of 50 will account for half of Taiwan’s population by 2034, reported Cnyes.
If you have to be in Taiwan, perhaps, although if you sit at home all the time with the air filter running it negates the benefit of living in a place with good weather.
If you don’t have to be in Taiwan, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s nice to enjoy the country for a bit and then go somewhere else, returning periodically for visits. Plenty of places in the world with good weather and good air quality.
Normally I spend half the year in rural Japan and the other half in Taipei. It works fine for me. I’ve been stuck here in Taiwan fulltime for the last year though and it’s starting to get to me.
A barely decent sized 3 bedroom in Taipei city is over 4M even when the place is over 20 years old. If you rent, you face the possibility of getting kicked out with 3 month notice if you are lucky.
Taipei city is for the super rich, or rich kids or young people who do not want to raise a family.
Hence the “barely decent sized”, “over 4M”, and “over 20 years old”. Although you might have to define Taipei proper. You can still find stuff around that price range within “Taipei city”, but it ain’t gonna be pretty.
