In Taiwan, sports recreation has become increasingly popular, which is not surprising considering that it was in 2001 that the two-day weekend was first introduced. The legislation reduced the work week from five and a half days to five days. This made more Taiwanese free time for recreational activities.

There was a growth spurt in Taiwan, sports recreation and group activities were and are especially popular. A large number of teams were created to compete against each other, often organized by schools, local businesses, and government offices. Basketball and softball in particular have become extremely popular, although soccer and baseball have only seen limited acceptance so far. These last two team games are becoming a very popular sport at the international level, although there is a relative lack of acceptance of the game at the national level.

Taiwan’s recreation sports have also seen a good acceptance of bat and racket sports, with tennis, badminton, and table tennis being especially popular. Water has also played an important role in the growth of Taiwan’s sports recreation and is the most popular sports activities. Swimming and diving in particular have proven popular in the sea and in pools. On weekends Taiwan’s seas and lakes fill up as people relax by windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, fishing and paragliding.

Fishing is one of the fastest growing sports activities in Taiwan, although golf is gaining popularity. World-class golf courses are popping up all over the island more and more, and the best clubs have long waiting lists of those willing to join. Taiwan has invested a lot of money in all its recreational facilities; this is evident in the overall quality of the golf courses and clubs.

Taiwan’s sports recreation also caters for more strenuous activities such as hiking and mountaineering. It seems that Taiwanese enjoy nothing more in their spare time than climbing the country’s mountains. Taiwan is relatively famous for its hills and mountains and thousands of people leave the cities every weekend to enjoy the scenery and try to climb the slopes.

Taiwan’s sports recreation is a growing pastime among Taiwanese who find themselves with more free time than ever before. As a result there has been a growth in the provision of equipment and supplies to fuel the activities. This has made sports equipment manufacturing one of the growth areas within the Taiwanese economy.