Off the top of your head, how many Taiwanese brands can you name? If none come to mind right away, you might be surprised how many you may already know.
In 2022, Taiwan came in as the 16th largest trading economy in the world, raking in over 800 billion US dollars in total merchandise trade for the year. And it’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Here are five famous Taiwanese brands you might have bought before and/or already have in your home right now.
1. Acer
One of the most well-known computer and electronics brands in the world, Acer was created in Taiwan. Founded on the 1st of August 1976 in Hsinchu, it’s now headquartered in Taipei. Originally known as Multitech, it changed its name and became Acer in 1987.
Acer was the sixth-largest PC vendor by unit sales in 2022, only just beaten by the next Taiwanese brand on our list:
2. ASUS
Like Acer, the similarly named but separate company, ASUS, is a computer and electronics company also created in Taiwan. Founded in 1989 in Taipei, ASUS was named Taiwan’s Most Valuable International Brand in 2022 by global brand consulting agency, Interbrand – for the ninth year running. And it was the fifth-largest PC vendor by unit sales in the same year.
3. HTC
Founded in 1997, HTC (short for High-Tech Computer) is known for their smartphones and tablets. Although it doesn’t have the same kind of fanbase as Apple and Samsung, it remained a firm contender in the world of smartphones for a long time.
In fact, HTC was the first to offer a smartphone with an Android operating system, and used to be the largest maker of Android phones in the world.
Thanks to stiff competition in the last decade, the company isn’t as strong as it once was. But it hasn’t vanished just yet, and still continues to sell technology globally.
4. Chatime
Most bubble tea fans already know that the tapioca-filled drink originated in Taiwan. And there are now many bubble tea brands that started in Taiwan that have gone global. But the largest one to date, and possibly the most famous, is Chatime.
Known natively as 日出茶太 (Rì Chū Chá Tài), Chatime was founded in Hsinchu, in 2005. By 2006 they opened their first store in the US. And now they are in 38 countries, with over 2,500 outlets. There are currently over 30 stores in the UK alone, with 10 of them being in London, and over 20 stores in Mainland China.
5. Din Tai Fung
Famous for their juicy soup dumplings (小笼包 xiǎo lóng bāo) and consistent quality, Din Tai Fung (known natively as 鼎泰丰 Dǐng Tài Fēng) was founded in Taiwan in 1972 by Bing-Yi Yang.
Din Tai Fung had, up until then, been a small shop run by Mr Yang selling Din Mei Oils, which he bought wholesale. He set up the shop after losing his previous job at a shop called Heng Tai Fung when it closed down. But when more convenient tinned oils went on sale in the 1970s and the sales of Din Mei Oils fell, Mr Yang and his wife decided to also start selling homemade soup dumplings. Which, of course, became very popular very quickly.
As of January 2020, it has over 170 restaurants in 13 countries, including over 30 in Mainland China and two in London.
Want the chance to learn more about Taiwan by visiting the country itself? Check out our homestay Mandarin learning programmes here.
