Szechuan cooking is hot and spicy, based on red chilli pepper and garlic. Dishes include Mother Ma's bean curd , aubergine with garlic sauce, Gungbao chicken , fried prawns with pepper sauce, and minced chicken with Gingko nuts. Fried breads make a pleasant change from rice. Shanghai cooking is mostly seafood with rich salty sauces. Hunan has both spicy and steamed dishes including steamed ham and honey sauce, diced chicken with peanuts, steamed silver thread rolls and smoked duck.
Taiwanese cooking is mostly seafood with thick sauces.
It relies on garlic in the north and soy sauce in the south. Most bars have counter service. There are no set licensing hours and alcohol is widely available. Taiwan has an abundance of nightlife, and Taipei in particular is lively at night. Western-style entertainment can be found in hotels, and in the many discos, clubs, restaurants and cinemas in Taipei.