I've talked about volleyball before, but badminton is another uber popular sport in Taiwan. It is one sport that everybody can play, and you usually see people playing everywhere. It's very common to see people hitting the birdie back and forth in the park (without a net), as well as to see people late at night playing in a small alley under a street light.
At the many sports centers in Taipei, there is usually a whole floor dedicated to badminton courts. Usually though, it's a game played for fun, and not so much for serious competition. Most people will just hit the birdie over the net with friends for fun and have some chat, instead of playing a serious game. As such, it's an activity that many people do on a weekend afternoon to just relax and talk with friends.
Perhaps the most interesting thing is where you can find some badminton courts. There seem to be a large number up on mountains, along hiking trails. I can't imagine anybody hiking all the way up a mountain and then wanting to play badminton (and I've never seen anybody playing), but i must admit that the locations are rather beautiful.
Above is a picture of one such court. A dirt court with white canvas cut into strips to mark the lines. This one is actually a rare one that has a net. It is quite beautiful among the trees, especially with it "snowing" white flowers from the trees above.
