Taiwan, an island with 23 million people, is known for its bustling night markets, unique themed restaurants, and an impressive array of mock meat dishes. The country boasts the largest collection of Chinese artifacts housed in Taipei's National Palace Museum and has gained international attention for its animated news studio, Next Media Animation. Additionally, Taiwan is recognized for its excellent universal healthcare system and its obsession with Hello Kitty, reflecting its vibrant culture and innovative spirit.

1. With 23 million people crammed onto an
island that covers just more than 36,000
square kilometers, Taiwan ranks among
the 20 most densely populated places in
the world.
Although the industrious island has built a
global reputation for cheap electronics,
this is one Asian tiger that offers far more
than stickers on the backs of calculators.
Economically there's little it has left to
prove, but Taiwanese people remain a
proud and determined bunch.
Here are 10 things they do better than
anyone else.
By Tina Hsiao, for CNN
January 15, 2014 -- Updated 0809 GMT

3. Craving oyster omelets and bubble tea in the
middle of the night? Crowded with street
hawkers, the 300 or so bustling bazaars on this
tiny island operate until the small

4. 1. Night market
For an island smaller in area than Switzerland, Taiwan sure has a
lot of night markets -- an estimated 300 island-wide.
These open-air bazaars are particularly loved for street food,
referred to locally as xiao-chi, literally "small eats."
Perennial favorites are oyster omelets, stinky tofu and an
assortment of snacks on a stick straight off the grill.
Specialty drinks range from bubble tea to shots of snake blood.
According to the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, some 70% of tourists
to Taiwan will visit a night market.
The top three Facebook check-ins for 2013 in Taiwan were all
night markets; Tainan Flower Night Market (12th globally)
nabbed the top spot, followed by Luodong and Feng Chia night
markets in Yilan and Taichung, respectively.
MORE: The 10 best dishes from Taiwan's night markets

5. The island is home to a treasure of
quirky restaurant concepts: hot pink
Barbie, Hello Kitty and toilet restaurants
where guests eat out of miniature
urinals, to name a few.

6. 2. Themed restaurants
If literal toilet humor (eating out of miniature urinals and toilet bowls) is
your idea of an amuse bouche, Taiwan provides a belly full of laughs.
Modern Toilet restaurants address taboos pertaining to dining etiquette,
posing witty rhetoric on websites such as: "To eat or to pee? Now that is
the question."
At the other extreme, you can get a cutesy overdose at a Hello Kitty
namesake cafe, where everything from burger buns to soup bowls is
shaped like the mouthless cartoon cat. (For more on the kitty obsession,
read point 9 below.)
What's that? Can't get enough pink and glitter?
That's OK, because Taiwan is home to the world's first Barbie-themed
restaurant, with Mattel-approved smotherings of pink plastic and frilly
tutus.
Previous themed restaurants in Taiwan have included a cafe based on an
Airbus A380, complete with trolly dollies serving food and drinks from a
cart, as well as restaurants with jail, hospital and school-inspired themes.

7. Taiwan has a free, nationwide WiFi network. It
was one of the first places in the world to offer
free WiFi on a mass scale.

8. 3. Free WiFi
Since 2011, Taiwanese citizens have been able to
log onto iTaiwan, the island's free WiFi network.
Taiwan is one of the first places in the world to offer
free WiFi on a mass scale.
In June 2013, the service was rolled out to tourists
in four of the five largest cities, using more than
4,400 hotspots.
Visitors can sign up for an iTaiwan account with
their passport at Taiwan Tourism Bureau centers
and offices in transportation stations, then receive
complimentary WiFi in Taipei, New Taipei, Taichung
and Tainan.
More: Taiwan offers free WiFi to all foreign tourists

9. With a permanent collection of more than
650,000 items, Taipei's National Palace
Museum has the largest collection of Chinese
artifacts and artwork in the world.

10. 4.Chinese artifacts
You might think it'd be in Beijing or Shanghai, but the
National Palace Museum in Taipei houses the largest
collection of Chinese artifacts and artwork in the world.
The impressive permanent collection comprises more than
650,000 items.
Chinese history is told through bronze statues, jade carvings,
calligraphy, lacquerware and other historical pieces -- many
of which belonged to Chinese imperial families -- including
an intriguingly life-like, meat-shaped stone and a jadeite
cabbage.
Despite several rounds of building expansion, only a
fraction of the collection is on display (no more than 10,000
items at any one time), making the museum worth
returning to several times a year.
MORE: 5 Taipei hotels with megabucks art collections

11. Two members of NMA Taiwan's 400-person animation team
act out scenes that will appear in one of their popular CGI
videos. NWA's talents were exposed to the world with the 2009
release of their hilarious video of what might have happened
during Tiger Woods' infamous car crash.

12. 5. Animated news
With an army of about 400 animators, Next Media Animation (NMA), a Taiwanbased animation studio, can turn any news story into a cartoon in as fast as 90
minutes ('making-of' video here).
More impressively -- the videos are usually satirical, outrageous and hilarious.
The studio, created by a Hong Kong media tycoon, takes infotainment to another
level.
Founded in 2007 to create CGI-animated videos for news without real footage for
Apple Daily News in Hong Kong and Taiwan, the talents of Taiwan's animators were
exposed to the world with the 2009 release of their hilarious video of what might
have happened during Tiger Woods' infamous car crash.
In the video, now ex-wife Elin Nordegren chases Tiger Woods' car with a golf club
after finding out about Woods' affair.
After the video went viral, the company decided to service international audiences
in Japanese and English.
Some of the team's most popular recent works include a video about the execution
of Kim Jong-un's uncle and a review of five stories that must die in 2014.

13. They might look and taste like fish balls, but these fried
goodies are actually animal-free. Given how important flesh
is to the traditional Chinese diet, it's little surprise that
Taiwan is a leader in mock meat dishes that could fool even
the most hardcore carnivore.

14. 6. Mock meat
One of the world's most vegetarian-friendly destinations, Taiwan offers 6,000 or so
restaurants serving an impressive variety of delicious vegetarian fare to feed the
10% of the country that shuns meat.
But while it can't beat India in terms of the abundance and variety of vegetarian
dishes on offer, Taiwan is the best place to hit when you're craving meat but don't
actually want to eat any. That's right, we're talking about mock meat.
Given how important flesh is to the traditional Chinese diet, it's no surprise
Taiwan's fake meat -- usually made of soy protein or wheat gluten -- can fool even
hardcore carnivores.
Yes, there have been scandals that revealed actual meat inside supposed mock
meat dishes. But it's is a thriving industry here and is considered a staple across
Taiwan.
Mock meat stir-fries in particular taste surprisingly like the real thing.
MORE: 40 Taiwanese foods we can't live without

15. Since the first Little League World Series in 1947,
Taiwan has won more championships (17) than
any country, nearly double that of runner-up
Japan. In this snap, young Chien-Lung Lan of the
Chinese Taipei Little League slides into home base.

16. 7.Little League baseball
Baseball may be Taiwan's most popular sport -diamonds are almost as common as dumplings
around the island.
Taiwan holds the record for the most Little
League World Series championship titles (17),
nearly double that of its closest runner-up,
Japan.
Adding to a cabinet of trophies, a team from
Taiwan won the 2013 Junior League Baseball
Junior World Series.

17. Taiwanese citizens can visit any doctor
in the country. Fees are reimbursed by
the National Health Insurance
Administration, whose 2%
administrative costs are the lowest in
the world.

18. 8. National health coverage
In a year when the Obamacare debacle played out in
global headlines, it's worth to noting that Taiwan has
what many call the best universal healthcare system in
the world.
Legal residents can visit any specialist in the country.
Docs anywhere will pull up their entire medical record
via smart card, consult and prescribe Chinese medicine
and/or prescription drugs.
Fees are billed directly to and reimbursed by the
National Health Insurance Administration, whose 2%
administrative costs are the lowest in the world.
MORE: CNNGo in Kaohsiung: Taiwan's largest port and
coolest art

19. Not only does the island have a
Hello Kitty cafe, but Kitty-themed
beer, airplanes and hotel rooms.

20. 9. Hello Kitty obsession
Taiwan's obsession with the Japanese-born Sanrio character doesn't stop at feline-themed
restaurants.
Taiwan holds the distinction of being the first in the world to be honored with Hello Kittybranded beer.
Brewed by Taiwan Tsing Beer, the drink purred its way onto the shelves earlier this year.
The light brew features fruity flavors, from lime to a distinctly avant garde banana infusion.
Eva Airways in 2013 made headlines with the resurrection of its themed planes, which feature
the ubiquitous cat on everything from exterior liveries to headrest covers to fruit, which is cut
in the shape of you know what.
Eva Airways' dedicated Hello Kitty Jets site offers horizon-expanding trivia, including Hello
Kitty's height (five apples tall) and weight (three apples).
The Grand Hi-Lai Hotel in Kaohsiung offers Hello Kitty-themed rooms, the cat's iconic ribbon
and/or silhouette stamped on everything within eye(sore)'s reach.
Pink kitty curtains, kitty bath amenities, kitty tea set and a radio that plays Hello Kitty music
are all involved.
Not reaching for the insulin shot yet? Then you can book a breakfast date with a talking and
moving "live" Hello Kitty.
MORE: At last: World's first Hello Kitty Beauty Spa

21. Taiwan's national food, "xiaolongbao"
(broth-filled, bite-sized steamed
dumplings), have earned Michelin stars
and been listed in the Miele Guide.

22. 10. Little dumplings
Yes, we recognize xiaolongbao as a delicacy homegrown in Shanghai,
but Taiwan is slowly taking over the dumpling world, one broth-filled
bite at a time.
Starting from a single shop in Taipei, Din Tai Fung now serves its famed
xiaolongbao in destinations as far flung as Australia, Thailand and the
United States.
Two of its Hong Kong branches have earned a coveted Michelin star,
with the mothership Xinyi store in Taipei sneaking into the Miele Guide.
Not bad for a chain restaurant, and not a "fancy" one at that.
When Tom Cruise visited Taiwan in 2013, he joined in on the 18-pleatsper-dumpling action with a cooking class at the shop's Taipei 101
branch.
Even better? CNN put Din Tai Fung at number two on its list of best
franchises for travelers.