Immigrant culture and businesses flourish in Taiwan
Immigrant culture and businesses flourish in Taiwan
2025-09-26
In recent years, the sizeable Southeast Asian community in Taiwan has introduced more than just their cuisine to locals. From Muay Thai to Vietnamese head spa, they’re bringing trendy experiences otherwise not known to locals. Let’s take a look in our weekly special.
Punches and grunts fill the space. They’re practicing Muay Thai, a popular sport in recent years.
Muay Thai pad work emphasizes a steady rhythm above all. The trainee must accurately hit the target held by the coach. The coaches here are all from Thailand.
Max
Muay Thai coach
I’ve always liked Muay Thai. I used to watch the players and think they’re so good and so strong, and I wanted to be like them.
Thum
Muay Thai coach
I’ve wanted to compete since I was little, because my family didn’t have much. When I was seven or eight, I only made around 150 or 200 baht per session, but it made me so happy.
Thum, who’s now 37 years old, started practicing Muay Thai as a kid to earn money, like many others in his native country. After some 20 to 30 years, it’s become a bona fide skill.
And here’s the person who brought them to Taiwan.
Kelly Tang
Muay Thai gym owner
Unlike many other sports, Muay Thai uses the whole body. There’s the elbow, the knee strike and also turns, and also punching and kicking, really varied. I found it more exciting, and also lost weight very quickly. I lost almost 5kg just two months in.
Tang started practicing Muay Thai five years ago to lose weight, during which she met Lin Jing-cheng, a professional Muay Thai boxer.
The two of them soon became a couple and eventually opened four Muay Thai gyms in Kaohsiung. Tang travelled to Thailand herself and recruited 11 coaches. This not only gave Taiwanese boxers a chance to train with seasoned coaches, it also deepened cultural exchanges between Taiwan and Thailand.
Lin Jing-cheng
Muay Thai boxer
Speaking of the Thai coaches’ credentials and experience, they’ve all participated in hundreds of professional matches. Taiwanese coaches really don’t have that kind of experience if I’m being honest.
What was once a weekend past-time for migrant workers, is now a trendy workout in the country. In the past four years, the number of Muay Thai boxers in Taiwan almost tripled, from a little over 200 to almost 600.
Max
Muay Thai coach
When Thai boxers compete, they are prepared with wits and movements. They’re fast. They move fast, strike fast, kick fast and kick hard. We’re here to teach them how to make more effective strikes. We must teach them false moves. Thai boxers do employ false moves.
Thum
Muay Thai coach
You must think about your strategy, and not just attack. You’ll lose stamina.
Taiwan is a country of immigrants. There are now more than 800,000 migrant workers. Adding marriage migrants and overseas compatriot students, that brings up the number to over 1.6 million.
Chen Hui-fen
National Taipei University of Education
We have lots of new immigrants. We also hope that they can assimilate and conduct exchanges with Taiwanese society in a way that precludes cultural autonomy and greater personal agency. Meaning, when we’re interacting with them, we can also learn from their cultural strengths, unlike in the past, or even at present still, when we’re extracting another group’s labor to do tasks we ourselves aren’t willing to do.
The immigrant community in Taiwan was predominantly manual laborers, but now, an increasing number are skilled workers introducing an international flair to local life.
At 7 p.m. the gym comes alive with office workers looking to work out, lose weight, and learn self-defense.
Thum
Muay Thai coach
I hope they become really good. After all, they did pay, if we can’t make them happy, they won’t come back.
Chen Hui-fen
National Taipei University of Education
It’s a conceptual shift from fighting to workout. On a societal level, I think Taiwan’s martial arts gym model is a great incubator for Muay Thai.
There are lots of customers in the waiting area of this Vietnamese head spa. Meanwhile, the phone is ringing off the hook.
Cheng Chiu-huai is from Vietnam. After ending her previous marriage, she met Kuo Chin-fu, a Taiwanese businessman. Cheng had always wanted to open a hair and nail salon, but Kuo had other ideas. Having been thoroughly impressed with Vietnamese head spa while in the country, Kuo suggested that they bring the experience to Taiwan. In 2021, at the peak of Covid, the couple opened Taiwan’s very first Vietnamese head spa.
Cheng Chiu-huai
Vietnamese head spa owner
I want customers to feel like they’ve traveled abroad when they come here. Everyone working here is Vietnamese and from the way they speak, it’s obvious they’re Vietnamese. Some of our clients even want to learn Vietnamese.
Kuo Chin-fu
Vietnamese head spa owner
We’ve been doing well since the beginning. Our clients are from everywhere, even from the south.
This golden hydrotherapy device is an instantly recognizable trademark of Vietnamese head spa. A hair wash in Taiwan normally costs around NT$200, but be prepared to shell out at least NT$1,500 here for a session, starting at 90 minutes. It may seem like a lot, but there’s a whole range of cleansing and pampering treatments from head to toe.
Client
I think it’s great, whether for men or women. It feels really great to come here and relax.
Cheng Chiu-huai
Vietnamese head spa owner
In Vietnam we scratch our clients’ scalp with our nails when giving a head wash. But in Taiwan, it seems that clients prefer the pads of the fingertips. So we really need to switch up our technique. I make sure our employees don’t grow their nails, even just a little bit must be trimmed.
But for a cultural product to break into a new market, it must teeter the fine line between authenticity and palatability.
Chen Hui-fen
National Taipei University of Education
It must make a lot of adjustments when being introduced to the Taiwanese market, we call this process adaptive innovation, or by another term, innovation recontextualization. In that way, a hair wash is no longer just a hair wash. There’s a conceptual shift. What was a hair wash now becomes a spa treatment.
According to the Ministry of Finance, there were more than 20,000 hair salons in Taiwan in 2023. But in the past two years or so, more than 100 hair salons added are Vietnamese head spas. For Cheng’s establishment alone, seven branches were opened in just four years. They employ more than 200 Vietnamese people, many of them single mothers divorced from their Taiwanese ex-spouse.
Cheng Chiu-huai
Vietnamese head spa owner
I am also a marriage migrant, and a new immigrant. I hope I can take care of my compatriots.
Cheng’s business also shows how immigrants can find their niche and succeed in Taiwan.
Chen Hui-fen
National Taipei University of Education
In the earlier days, new immigrants usually open restaurants when starting a business. But we can see how with head spas or Muay Thai, they’re actually bringing a whole new skillset with their business ventures. I believe this helps improve the social standing and image of new immigrants in Taiwan.
Nuel, another Muay Thai coach, shares his life with friends and family back in Thailand through livestreams.
Kelly Tang
Muay Thai gym owner
They have uprooted their lives to come here. They send two-thirds of their salary to their wives and children in Thailand. They usually keep less than NT$10,000 for themselves, so they are really frugal.
Tang says being with the Thai coaches day in and day out has completely removed any prejudice she might have held against Southeast Asian migrants.
Kelly Tang
Muay Thai gym owner
This group of Thai people are really responsible and disciplined. So I’m so grateful that they’re willing to come here and be so far away from their homes. So I try to treat them as well as I’m able to.
Lin Jing-cheng
Muay Thai boxer
As long as you treat them well, they reciprocate manifold. They’ll really go the distance. They will feel that we too are really passionate about Muay Thai. They tell me that they’re really happy and willing to impart their skills.
Thum
Muay Thai coach
When Lin went to Thailand to compete, I was so happy that he won. I took him there twice and he also won twice. I’m really happy.
Thanks to these Thai coaches in Taiwan, more and more people have taken up Muay Thai. This helps raise the visibility of the sport and perhaps make it an Olympic sport someday.
Meanwhile, Cheng and her husband are also planning on opening new branches in Vietnam, and hope to expand to other countries too.
Chen Hui-fen
National Taipei University of Education
Taiwan is a really diverse society that can nurture lots of innovative ideas. Because we’re accepting of new things, innovations that are successfully trialed in Taiwan can then have a greater chance of success in the rest of the world. I think all this is great.
Immigrants are bringing their skills and business ideas to Taiwan, and Taiwan in turn helps their innovations take root and flourish, opening up new possibilities in cultural exchanges between Taiwan and the world.
For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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#TaiwanCulture #culture #fusion #Thailand #Vietnam #muaythai #headspa #relaxing #selfcare
越式洗髮 泰拳教室 台灣掀起異國文化消費旋風
2025-09-26
近年來，台灣的新移民工作變得多元，不再只是從事勞力工作或開設小吃餐館。其中，坊間興起的「越式洗髮」，標榜不只有洗頭，還提供了全身按摩、敷臉等一整套琳瑯滿目的服務；另外由泰國教練親自教課的「泰拳館」，也刮起運動新風潮。新移民在台灣創業，引領的異國消費文化，如何改變你我的生活，一起來看看。
打靶聲、嘶吼聲，聲勢震撼，這是近年來很夯的泰拳。
泰拳打靶著重攻擊的節奏和穩定性，要在不同的距離和時機，精準擊中教練執靶的位置。而這群指導台灣選手的教練，全都來自泰國。
[[泰國籍泰拳教練 麥斯]]
“是我喜歡(泰拳)，我看他們是，哦好厲害，很強大，我想要一樣。”
[[泰國籍泰拳教練 圖姆]]
“小時候想打比賽，因為我們沒有錢。打比賽，小時候七歲、八歲，打一次150、200(泰銖)就很開心了。”
37歲的圖姆來台灣三年，從小為了賺錢練泰拳，這是多數泰國人練拳的主因。一項運動堅持了二、三十年，成了興趣，更是自信又專業的技能。
而把這群泰國教練帶到台灣的是她。
[[泰拳館負責人 Kelly]]
“泰拳它有別於一般這些運動，是因為泰拳它是全身性的，它有手肘、有膝撞，還有轉身，然後有拳、有腿，它是比較多元性的，所以我覺得好像比較有趣，而且那時候我瘦很快，我去試了兩個月就瘦了快五公斤。”
五年前為了瘦身的Kelly，認識了台灣泰拳國手林勁成。
兩人從相識到相戀，從練泰拳到開拳館，五年來在高雄拓展四家店。Kelly親自飛泰國，陸續找來11名泰拳教練，除了提升台灣國手實力，也展開台灣跟泰國的另一層文化交流。
[[泰拳國手 林勁成]]
“泰國教練他們的師資跟經歷來說，他們都是經歷上百場職業的比賽，所以這部分的經歷跟教學上，其實在台灣的師資上，是真的比較缺乏。”
泰拳在台灣原本是移工的假日活動，現在變成健身新風潮，近四年來，參與泰拳賽事的人數，從200多增加到快600人。
[[泰國籍泰拳教練 麥斯]]
“泰國人打比賽，他們有IQ、技術、動作，動作快、打快、踢快、踢重，我們來這裡是要教他們怎麼進攻好一點。要教他們假動作，泰國人是有假動作。”
[[泰國籍泰拳教練 圖姆]]
“你要先想怎麼打，不是要一直要打、讓自己沒力。”
台灣是多元族群國家，移工數突破80萬，如果加上婚姻移民和僑生等，廣義的新移民已經超過160萬人。
[[台北教育大學教育學系教授 陳蕙芬]]
“我們有很多新移民進來，我們也希望他們能夠在某一種情況下，有文化自主性，用更有主體性的方式，來跟台灣社會去做融合跟交流。等於是我們在跟他們互動的時候，我們可以擷取他文化的精華，而不是像過去，或者是說現在還是有一些，我們可能好像是在用別人的勞力，來做一些我們不願意做的事情。”
來到台灣的新移民，從過往的勞力階級，到現在的專業人士，從食衣住行育樂各個面向，引領一股新的異國風潮。
晚上七點拳館很熱鬧，上班族下班後往拳館跑，不外乎想健身、瘦身，還想學防身。
[[泰國籍泰拳教練 圖姆]]
“我希望他們變厲害，因為他們有付錢，沒有讓他們開心就不來了。”
[[台北教育大學教育學系教授 陳蕙芬]]
“所以從格鬥變到健身，這個是在概念上的調整，再來在社會層級的話，我覺得在台灣的道館模式，給了泰拳滿好的孵育的方式。”
台中這家越式洗髮旗艦店，等待區不少人在候位，預約客持續湧入。
鄭秋懷來自越南，結束一段婚姻後，遇到台灣人郭金福。鄭秋懷一直想開美容美甲店，但很有商業頭腦的先生，念念不忘在越南體驗過的越式洗髮，2021年不畏疫情，夫妻倆在台北開了全台第一家越式洗髮。
[[越式洗髮企業老闆娘 鄭秋懷]]
“我想給客人感覺到，來我們這邊，有一種想法是像你出國一樣，到一個地方全部是越南人，講話那些都就是越南人，有的客人還想學越南話。”
[[越式洗髮企業老闆 郭金福]]
“我們一開始就走得很順了，客人都從各地來，甚至從中南部很多客人。”
半圓弧形環以密集水柱按摩頭皮、肩頸，成了越式招牌。台灣傳統洗髮約200元，越式洗髮一個半小時1500元起跳，但從頭到腳，從耳朵到肩頸背，清潔按摩舒壓通通搞定。
[[越式洗髮消費者]]
“我覺得男生女生都滿適合，來這邊放鬆的，感覺滿棒的。”
[[越式洗髮企業老闆娘 鄭秋懷]]
“我們在越南都用指甲，去幫客人去抓、洗頭，但是我覺得在台灣的客人，都喜歡用指腹，所以這個是很大要調整，我叫我員工不能有指甲，有一點點指甲都剪掉。”
異國文化想要開拓新市場，既要保留正宗「原汁原味」，還要有「微調」的新滋味。
[[台北教育大學教育學系教授 陳蕙芬]]
“他在進入台灣這個市場的時候，他有做很多的調整，我們把它叫創新調適，或者我們有另外一個名詞，叫做創新再脈絡。他把洗髮超越了原來洗髮的目的，所以他就是在概念上去做了調整，本來是洗髮，現在可能現在叫做療癒。”
依財政部統計，2023年美髮業者高達兩萬多家 ，但近兩年來，以「越式洗髮」商業登記的店家就超過百家。以鄭秋懷的店為例，四年內全台展店七家，聘用兩百多名越籍員工，其中不乏失婚的單親媽媽。
[[越式洗髮企業老闆娘 鄭秋懷]]
“我自己也是嫁過來台灣，是新住民，所以我想是可以照顧我們的同鄉。”
鄭秋懷從越籍配偶，搖身一變成了創業家，是越南姊妹心目中，美麗又成功的具體實踐。
[[台北教育大學教育學系教授 陳蕙芬]]
“新移民他們在台灣比較早的創業項目，應該是開餐館，但相對起來，我們可以想像洗髮跟泰拳，它其實更接近專業，這個對他們來說等於是創業，我覺得對新移民，在台灣的定位跟形象上，應該是有所提升。
開直播分享日常，是泰拳教練阿諾和家鄉親友最好的聯繫方式。
[[泰拳館負責人 Kelly]]
“尤其他們要離鄉背井，他們每個月的薪水是寄三分之二回泰國，給他們的老婆跟小孩，他們身上都只會留不到一萬元，他們就是很省吃儉用。”
和泰國人朝夕相處的Kelly坦言，這群教練顛覆了她過往對東南亞移民的印象。
[[泰拳館負責人 Kelly]]
“他們就是很乖，很有紀律的一群泰國人。所以我很感激說，他們可以願意來這邊，然後離鄉背井，所以就是盡全力的對他們好。”
[[泰拳國手 林勁成]]
“只要你對他好，他一定會加倍對你，就是對你釋出善意，他們會覺得說，我們也很熱愛泰拳這項運動，他們給我的回饋是很開心，很樂於去教導。”
[[泰國籍泰拳教練 圖姆]]
“阿林去泰國打比賽，他贏的時候我很開心，我帶他去兩次他贏兩次，很開心。”
泰國教練深耕台灣，讓越來越多人愛上泰拳，提高泰國能見度，目標讓泰拳進入奧運賽事。企圖走向世界舞台的還有他們。
新住民鄭秋懷決定把越式洗髮，在台灣的成功模式，搬回越南展店。未來目標拓展其他國家。
[[台北教育大學教育學系教授 陳蕙芬]]
“台灣就是一個很多元化的社會，但它變成是一個可以孵育很多創新的地方，因為我們可以接受一些不一樣的東西，經過我們的試驗，可以讓創新更接近世界的口味跟水準，我覺得這是很棒的發展方向。”
來自異國的種子經過台灣風土人情滋養，長出豐碩的果實，新移民以專業創業，引領出新的異國消費文化，早已改變你我的生活，而這樣的軟實力，從台灣出發 逐步向世界延伸。
更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
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