Not Even Once.
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Something funny happened at a night market. An old man struck up a conversation with us, saying he liked Japanese and Koreans the most and hated mainland Chinese. My friend replied, 'Well, we're from mainland China.' The old man was stunned for a moment, then tried to backtrack, saying, 'Oh, I mainly dislike elderly people from the mainland.'
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I've been twice this year, and each time I encountered someone like that (though it wasn't blatant, and I'm not entirely sure if it was discrimination. But their attitude was definitely off, especially after they saw my passport).
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So why do you still go?
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Not really, but if you do something that looks bad, I think the 'Bluebirds' (a nickname for certain political supporters) would definitely blow it out of proportion.
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Yet, the disgusting things the 'Bluebirds' do seem to be totally fine.
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Not all of them; most locals are actually quite nice. If you're there as a tourist spending money, they'll definitely welcome you. But if you're unlucky and run into some staunch 'deep-green' supporters (a political term), they might deliberately taunt you with remarks like, 'Oh, so you're from the "mighty nation"?'
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Exactly! I'm just here to see how deep the 'well' they're living in really is.
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Not at all. As long as you're well-mannered, don't cut in line, and don't speak too loudly, you'll be fine.
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Are you sure?
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Online, 'mainland Chinese' is often an abstract concept, easily manipulated by those with agendas to spin stories and fit a larger narrative, which is why it attracts so much negativity. In real life, however, you're a tangible, warm human being—someone who also speaks Chinese, perhaps shares some overlapping childhood memories, and is a friend visiting from afar.
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What's the general impression of mainland Chinese people to them, I wonder? I always had the feeling that they used to see mainlanders as poor, unsophisticated, and ill-mannered. Surely they can't still think that way now, right?
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Not at all. I've been to Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, and Kaohsiung, and everyone I met was incredibly friendly and welcoming. Many were eager to chat, especially after recognizing our mainland accent.
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So you started using Traditional Chinese characters?
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It's 2025 already, how can anyone still have such thoughts? If you encounter unfriendly people, just ignore them. I've met unfriendly individuals in Japan and Korea too. It's an issue with individuals, not the place itself. We just need to maintain our goodwill.
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Honestly, it's much better than Hong Kong. At least there's a sense of basic courtesy and decorum; they know how to be outwardly polite. It's not like Hong Kong, where many people seem like yappy little dogs, ready to pick a fight with anything and everything.
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Not at all, they are very polite. Much, much better than people in Hong Kong.