 Taiwanese people don't just buy clothes, shoes, and electronic gadgets. When you walk along a shopping street, you'll definitely notice some stores that are very different from those that you see in the West. The most unusual ones are the places that sell traditional Chinese medicines. These medicine stores usually look quite old-fashioned, and they're full of old wooden cabinets with drawers. You'll also see jars containing herbs, roots, and other strange-looking objects. In times gone by, Chinese medicine involved the use of rare animal parts like antlers, but many of these things are now illegal in Taiwan. Most medicines are made from plants and funguses, although insects are sometimes used. The people who own these stores are very knowledgeable and are able to prepare prescriptions for many illnesses. Something else that's good for your health is Taiwanese tea. Some of the best tea in the world is grown in this country, and stores selling it can be found everywhere. The aromas coming from these stores are incredible, and you might find it difficult not to walk inside and take a look around. You'll find shelves lined with packs of locally grown teas and tables where customers sit and sample the produce. The best teas have complex and subtle flavors, and they can be very expensive. But unless you're a tea connoisseur, you might want to buy a cheaper version instead. Another common sight along Taiwan's roads is a type of store that sells things for people worshipping in temples. They are usually very simple places, as they don't keep many items in stock. Inside and outside, you'll see piles of paper money and bundles of incense and candles. Often, pieces of paper money will be folded up to make models of lotus flowers. As Taiwan has developed, some older kinds of stores have been replaced by newer, brighter outlets. Old-fashioned grocery stores used to be found everywhere around the country. With modern convenience stores becoming so popular, many of these family-owned places have closed in recent years. They still exist in countryside areas and on the edges of towns, though. They're usually a lot cheaper than convenience stores, and you can often find snacks, drinks, and candies that you wouldn't get in other places. There are other interesting stores that might be familiar to foreign tourists. What makes them so special is their size. Stationery stores in Taiwan are often huge places that carry hundreds of different types of pens, pencils, and notebooks. You'll also find materials for handicrafts, sports equipment, gift boxes, and toys. That might seem like a wide range of products, but Taiwan's general merchandise stores have much, much more. It's incredible how many different things you can find in these places. There's furniture, tools, toiletries, clothes, gardening equipment, and almost anything else you can think of. Walking around a general merchandise store can be fun, as you never know what you're going to see. 台灣人不只買衣服、鞋子和電子產品。當你走在街上一定會注意到一些大異於西方國家的商店，最特別的是傳統中藥行。這些中藥行通常看起來相當老式，裡面擺滿了老舊的木頭抽屜櫃。你會看到一個一個裝著藥草、植物根和其他怪模怪樣藥材的罐子。過去中藥會使用稀有動物的身體部位，例如鹿茸，但是現在很多在台灣都已經禁用了。大部分藥材由植物和菌類製成，有時昆蟲也會入藥。中藥行的老闆非常博學多識，很多病症他們都能配藥。 另一種有益健康的是台灣茶。世界頂級的茶葉有部分產自台灣，到處都有茶行。店內茶香撲鼻，讓人很難不進去瞧一瞧。裡面架上會排一包包當地產的茶葉，還有桌子可以讓客人坐著品茶。頂級茶的味道富有層次而細緻，要價可能不貲。因此除非你是品茶行家，否則可能還是會選便宜一點的茶葉。 台灣街頭常常可以看到一種商店，是賣拜拜用品的。這種多半是樸素的小店面，不會囤太多商品。店裡店外堆著紙錢和大把的香燭，紙錢也常折成蓮花。 台灣是已開發國家，有些老店已經消失，取而代之的是新穎、明亮的商店。過去，老式的柑仔店遍佈全台各地，近幾年隨著現代便利商店越開越多，許多這種家庭式的商店已紛紛歇業，鄉下地區和城鎮邊緣倒是還看得到。賣的東西通常比便利商店便宜很多，而且常有其他地方沒賣的零食、飲料和糖果。 還有其他一些外國觀光客可能比較熟悉的有趣商店。它們特別之處在於佔地大小。台灣的文具店經常好大一間，裡面賣的筆、鉛筆和筆記本就有好幾百種不一樣的，還兼賣手工藝材料、運動器材、禮盒和玩具，看起來已經是包羅萬象，但台灣的雜貨店賣的東西還更多。很難相信在這些地方可以找到這麼琳瑯滿目的物品，有家具、工具、化妝品、衣服、園藝用品，幾乎你想得到的都有。逛雜貨店的樂趣多多，因為你不知道會挖到什麼寶。 | 
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