Taiwan’s “Vegetarian Paradise”: From Religion to Daily Life

Source: Taiwan Panorama “A Vegetarian Paradise: Taiwan’s Meatless Success” (Lynn Su, March 2023 issue; original in English)

A takeaway box of tofu, vegetables and mushrooms from a vegetarian buffet in Kaohsiung, Taiwan — A vegetarian meal assembled from a buffet counter at a vegetarian restaurant in Kaohsiung. Photo: Mx. Granger / CC0 / Wikimedia Commons

Summary

It traces Taiwan’s vegetarian roots to the Dutch period (1624–1662), taking hold through folk religion and religious teachings.
On scale, it says Taiwan has over 3 million vegetarians and about 6,000 vegetarian restaurants, drawing attention from overseas media.
Since the 1990s, it says vegetarianism has widened from a religious practice to a lifestyle choice driven by health and environment.
Major convenience chains (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Hi-Life) carry vegetarian lines; 7-Eleven is said to offer over 300 items.
In Changhua, eateries cluster around Qing-era religious sites; some restaurants attract meat-eaters with elaborate techniques.

The main hall of Mengjia Longshan Temple in Taipei, with visitors in front — The main hall of Mengjia Longshan Temple in Taipei, a place where popular religious practice is part of daily life. Photo: Bernard Gagnon / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Editors’ comment

It is striking that religious vegetarianism and lifestyle vegetarianism overlap in the same city. We also avoid treating Shojin and modern veganism as the same thing (Shojin vs. Vegan Food).

These figures come from a Taiwanese publication, and the underlying data is not shown, so we are careful about stating “about 6,000” as fact. We will add Taiwanese venues as official information is confirmed, such as Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum and Little Tree Food.

* This page is the editors’ summary of the article above, with our commentary. Please check the original for details and exact figures.