Why is Taiwan so prone to typhoons?

I'm moving to Hsinchu TAIWAN to teach English in October.?

• Is there anyone that knows something about Hsinchu, Taiwan? I am an American and I don't know much about the city. I love the beach and body surfing. Any nice beaches close by? Whats the water temperature? Do they get typhoons there? Any nice entertainment spots or clubs? How will the people greet an American? I respect all cultures and will make a big effort to fit in. Will many people like shop owners etc speak English? Thank for your help.

• Answer:

  Hsinchu is about a 1hr drive south of Taipei. To be honest, it's not exactly an exciting place to be as it's very centered around the tech industry. The perfect comparison would be San Jose vs San Francisco. You will prob get a lot of teaching sessions with locals at the tech companies working on their English to improve their ability to expand business overseas etc... if you're open to learning Mandarin and trying lots of great food, then it'll be a good experience for you. As for the beach, surfing etc... there are places to do this and the water is quite warm (Taiwan is a hot place after all) but you'll prob need to drive at least an hr from Hsinchu towards the coast. Don't count on much for a nightlife in Hsinchu besides a few good pubs/bars. There a couple decent places... one I've been to is called the "Pig & Whistle". You will find that almost nobody in local shops, restaurants (night markets) will speak English. They will all know how to speak Mandarin with a large % of them usually speaking Taiwanese. If you want more "action & nightlife" then head up to Taipei on the weekends... I'm sure you won't be disappointed. Nightclubs, bars, KTV (karaoke) bars, night markets, shopping etc etc... There are always lots of Typhoons that hit Taiwan in the summer... it's usually nothing too serious. Good luck!