Would you work there? Reasons?
I did work in Yunlin County a few years back.
Man - that has to be the absolute armpit of Taiwan.
Hell no.
Reasons?
Dirty, boring, miles upon miles from civilization, ugly, polluted, no areas of scenic beauty, no places to go of any interest period, prostitutes and mafia everywhere, and did I mention fucking BORING?
On the other hand, if you are deeply and sincerely interested in the ancient art of pig farming, the outskirts of Huwei are the place to pursue such studies.
I’ve lived and worked in both Yunlin County and Changhua City.
If you numb yourself to the surroundings with generous helpings of local beverage, things don’t seem that bad.
The weather in Central Taiwan is great - for the most part it’s sunny, dry, and warm in winter.
I’ve been up in Taipei for two months now and I’m not sure if I made the right decision leaving Chiayi; Taipei is bloody expensive and it’s so large that you waste a lot of time travelling. Net result - much lower savings.
[quote=“almas john”]I’ve lived and worked in both Yunlin County and Changhua (Zhanghua) City.
If you numb yourself to the surroundings with generous helpings of local beverage, things don’t seem that bad.
[/quote]
And if I don’t drink?
Dr. Zoidberg wrote: [quote]And if I don’t drink?[/quote] 
Well, you’ll need another hobby, or two.
You’ve started a thread, writing two posts that add up to the meagre total of ten words!!! If you want specific info about places, make more of an effort and give us some info. Do you have job offers in these places? If so, where?
I’m leaving for Taiwan this weekend.
There are two schools in Taichung interested in meeting me. There was also a recruiter eager to place me.
The schools were very forward in answering all my questions. The recruiter would never give me direct answers to any questions and went out of his way to avoid telling me anything.
Only until I threatened to walk away did he give me a general indication of where he was intending to place me - Yunlin or Chunghua counties.
I couldn’t find much information on these areas, so I decided to see if anyone here could give me an indication of what they might be like.
I have since told the recruiter that anything he came up with would be given equal consideration along with those schools with whom I have spoken. He had a hissy fit and told me to go it alone, he wasn’t prepared to place me if I did that.
Let that be a warning to you, boys and girls. Recruiters, no matter how nice they may seem, are looking out for themselves - not you. 
What he really meant, however, is that he knows perfectly well that if “equal consideration” is given to self-found schools in, say, Taizhong and his contract schools in Yunlin, then his schools and conditions are almost certainly going to come up wanting.
There’s a very good reason why schools in such unsalubrious areas rely largely on overseas recruiters to provide them with staff. Few people having actually seen the facilities and the general living environment in these areas would choose to live and work there.
Be warned.
I hear that brother!!
A good friend of mine is a second generation pig farmer here. I never bother showering when I go there; the smell is wretched. (But I do get my fair share of pigs testictles…mmm)
Dr Zoidberg,
I have been working in Yunlin County for ten months now, and it really isn’t that bad. It provides a could opportunity to learn Chinese (without going to a class). There really aren’t too many people around these parts that can speak English.
The plus side of living in a small town is you quickly become very familiar with your surroundings and your neighbours. There are two dozen restaurants in town where I can walk in and the owners know what I want to eat.
There is also a very small foreign crowd here, so depending on your desires this may be good or not. Personally, I really don’t mind it so much, because it has really given me a chance to make some good Taiwanese friends and I believe that has helped me learn and appreciate the culture that much more. On the other hand, it would be nice to have a conversation using big words.
As far as the weather is concerned, its almost always sunny, and as I recall it has only rained twice here (Huwei) in the last two months. No Joke.
If you don’t mind a relative country bumpkin like existence this place really isn’t that bad. And if you really get a craving for some big city exploits Taichung is only an hour bus ride away.
If you don’t mind me asking, what is the name of your recruiter