To hear people in the West tell it—people who, by and large, have never ventured East—all people in Taiwan have always worn masks. Some cite SARS; others cite some obscure principle of local culture, which they can of course never describe in any details.
The reality, of course, is the same as it is in Japan, China and the rest of Asia: Masks were extremely rare in Taiwan before covid-19, more or less how they are in the US and Europe now.
Now, I realize that choosing to write about masks in Taiwan is a political minefield, even years after the end of the pandemic. At the same time, I’ve read so many lies that I feel no choice but to set the record straight.
Why Lies About Masking in Taiwan Annoy Me
When I first started seeing occasional Taiwan masks on previous trips (and around Asia, in general), I quietly began researching whether or not they served any purpose. They very clearly didn’t. In fact, as recently as 2019, it was difficult to find a single mainstream scientist who would concede any medical benefit whatsoever to wearing masks. They were, at best, a totem. The underlying facts of epidemiology haven’t changed since then.
Nor has the fact that pre-2020, most people in Taiwan just never wore masks. Indeed, part why I felt compelled to look into mask wearing before the pandemic was because of how strange it seemed even in a Taiwan, a country where masking was certainly not taboo, even if it was pretty rare. The tendency of certain Westerners to paint pictures of an Eastern world that never actually existed is delusion at best, and gaslighting at worst.
5 Myths About Masks in Taiwan
Masks were common in Taiwan before covid
Anecdotally, I almost never saws masks before covid-19, neither in Taiwan nor in Japan, Hong Kong or throughout Southeast Asia. When I did, it was some random person preparing food, or glued to their phone on public transport or walking out of a hospital. If I had to put a number on it, I’d say that no more than 5% of people in Taiwan were ever wearing masks at a given time.
Masking in Taiwan is about stopping disease spread
Of the Taiwanese who masked before covid, at least a small majority were doing so for reasons of shyness or vanity. While some others (i.e. food preparers) would mask ostensibly for hygiene, the idea of wearing a mask because you had the flu or a cold would’ve seemed ridiculous. At most, a mask could simply signal to others that you were sick and to stay away, though most people didn’t wear masks to begin with.
Foreigners are expected to mask in Taiwan
Although Taiwan briefly enforced a nationwide mandate at junctures in 2021 and 2022, masking was only rarely a legal requirement. Nevertheless, as mandates have fallen away, many foreigners (including, deplorably, many foreign residents of Taiwan who know better) have spread the lie that a broad social expectation for masking exists in Taiwan. This is simply not true.
Masking is central to Taiwanese (and Asian) culture
People will argue for a long time about whether Taiwan masks rules had anything to do with science. This is fair, and not offensive at all. What bothers me is that idea that covering one’s face (let alone in fear, or for protection) is inherently a Chinese or Asian cultural expression. It not only signals total ignorance of Eastern culture, but caricatures it in a way I can only describe as racist.
Masks meaningfully reduced the spread of covid-19 in Taiwan
Did you know that there was no nationwide mask mandate in Taiwan in 2020? It was only during major waves in 2021 and 2022 that masking became a legal requirement; even then, it was a reactionary policy at best, since most of the world had realized what I knew from pre-pandemic research: That masks neither slowed nor stopped the spread of covid-19 in Taiwan.
Why Some Westerners Idealize Mask Wearing in Taiwan (and the Rest of Asia)
To hear non-Asian mask enthusiasts tell it, people in places like Taiwan wear masks (and have always worn masks) because masks actually do stop the spread of all diseases. Taiwanese (and other Asians) know this not because of science, but because of “respect” or “consideration.” This leads to adulation that is infantilizing and orientalistic, in addition to being scientifically misplaced.
To put it another way, these fanatics (who are not, in many ways, very different from fundamentalist Christians or Islamic militants, at least not in their devotions) see masking in Taiwan as a representation of Taiwan’s morals. By supporting this behavior, which is apparently so central to the Taiwanese identity, they assume that some of that goodness will rub off in them. In other words, it’s a circle-jerk.
Other FAQ About Masks in Taiwan
Do you still need masks in Taiwan?
Masks have not been legally required anywhere in Taiwan since early 2023. Nor is there any social pressure to wear them, whether you’re Taiwanese or foreign. Unfortunately, a lot of Westerners (particularly those on Reddit and other sites like it) have chosen to spread rumors contrary to this. Don’t believe them.
Why do so many people wear masks in Taiwan?
Prior to covid-19, masks were actually very uncommon in Taiwan. There was a brief surge in their usage during and just after the SARS pandemic in 2003, but as late as 2019, you would only rarely see masks in Taiwan. Unfortunately, Taiwan’s government exaggerated both the severity of covid-19 and the efficacy of masks, which is why so many Taiwanese continue to cling to them years after the covid pandemic has ended.
Are there covid restrictions in Taiwan?
The last covid restrictions in Taiwan expired in early 2023. There are no longer any rules related to mask wearing in any setting, nor do any entry restrictions or quarantine policies exist. I don’t blame you for thinking otherwise, however, given how long it took for Taiwan to get back to normal compared to other places in the world.
The Bottom Line
Masks were a rare sight in Taiwan before 2020. While you’d occasionally see them on Taiwanese trains, or when people were preparing food or working in hospitals, a near-totality of people in Taiwan went bare-faced before covid-19. The idea that there’s some deep-seated cultural or historical for Taiwan’s current fixation on masks is wrong, and I’d even argue a bit orientalist. As far as I can tell, the reason for this is two-fold: The Tsai government A) exaggerated the severity of covid-19 and B) over-sold the efficacy of masks. Regardless, the pandemic is over—why not hire me to plan your trip to Taiwan?
