The formation of Taiwan's popular customs may be considered as of three distinct types.

1) Taiwan popular customs which originated on the Chinese mainland. Those inhabitants of Taiwan who emigrated there from mainland China brought with them many customs and habits. These include styles of clothing, cuisine and architecture which characterized their everyday life, as well as such customs as ancestor-worship, marriage ceremonial and mourning rites, all of which are identical to those of the mainland.

2) Customs developed within Taiwan proper. Many special customs arose in response to Taiwan's unique geographical environment and social background. For example, in former times the Chinese settlers on Taiwan felt powerless in the face of such disasters as typhoons, shipwreck, epidemics and attack by aboriginal peoples. Thus styles of worship unique to Taiwan grew up as attempts to seek supernatural aid in times of extreme distress. Also, since many Chinese immigrants arrived in Taiwan without any family, the practice of taking in foster children was far more widespread in Taiwan than on the mainland.

3) Customs formed through outside influences. The inhabitants of Taiwan came into contact at various periods with the aboriginal peoples, the Dutch, the Spanish and the Japanese. Although these external cultural influences were at best only slight, superficial traces of them still remain. There is for example a Ta-chia type of woven matting which originates in a handicraft learned from the aborigines living near Ta-chia in the early eighteenth century. In addition, Japanese tatamis, raw fish, judo and Japanese forms of address such as 'obasan' are still widespread in Taiwan.