Culture

The Art of Queueing (or Not)

Páiduì

The short answer

Queueing (排隊, páiduì) in Taiwan and China varies: Taipei metro platforms are famously orderly, while crowding still happens in some settings in mainland China. Habits have changed fast with urbanisation.

Where

Taiwan/China

Category

Social Norm

When

Daily

Origin

Modern

What it is

A sometimes flexible approach to forming lines. While orderly queues are common in official settings line-cutting or crowding can occur in others.

Why it matters

Reflects a complex interplay of collectivist culture and individual urgency. The behavior is changing with modernization.

Fun fact

Taiwan has a culture of 'queueing for queueing's sake': a long line is seen as proof the food is worth it.

Kungfucius says: Taiwanese people will queue two hours for a new bubble tea shop and call it a hobby.

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