Hi, briauna. This is also not a correction, but I think it's easier to read long comments in this section.

Don't be too scared by the first comment. I think it is hard for someone who eats meat to gauge the possibilities for a vegetarian in China. I'm vegetarian too, originally for religious/health reasons as a child, and now I find meat unappetizing after not eating it for 15 years. I'm currently in Shanghai. I've also spent a few months in a suburb of Guangzhou and in Hong Kong. Thus, my experiences are somewhat limited, but hopefully this will be of some help.

Basically, it all depends how strict you are. Many places offer delicious vegetable, egg, and tofu options. Sometimes, these dishes come with a sauce or broth that may or may not contain some animal products--you will probably never know. If you can be a bit ignorant and avoid the sauce if it tastes like meat/seafood, these are good options. Additionally, if I go out with other people and they order something that has meat and other things in it, I will just eat everything except the meat. But this is usually not necessary.

If you are more strict, try to order vegetable dishes that don't have sauce or broth--many menus have pictures and sometimes English captions, except in the tiny hole-in-the-wall restaurants. You can ask whether something is vegetarian, but be aware that some Chinese people think that seafood, broths, sauces, etc. don't count as meat.

Out of the three cities I've lived in, Hong Kong was the worst place for vegetarian food. In some places, literally every item on the menu had meat as the main focus. I did see a couple vegetarian/vegan restaurants on the street, though! They specialize in making vegetarian/vegan food that tastes like meat so that didn't work for me, but it may work for you. There is also a vegetarian/vegan restaurant down the road from my residence here in Shanghai. Just keep your eyes peeled!

Chinese people often find it pretty ridiculous that I don't eat meat. Some Chinese people believe that if you want to improve some part of your body (heart, brain, intestines, eyes, blood, etc.) you should eat that part of animals.

Because there is not much dairy in Chinese food, make sure to eat enough variety including tofu, eggs, and beans, so that you get enough protein. I usually try to order something with both vegetables and a protein, rather than just plain vegetable dishes that my Chinese friends often suggest.

In sum, it's really not that bad. You don't have to cook all the time or scout out temples. There are still lots of delicious Chinese foods that you can try! Let me know if you have any questions.

Vegetarian in China/Taiwan?

Sorry I'm writing in English, I don't know enough Mandarin yet.
I know writing in English isn't improving my writing skills in Mandarin... :/

So, I haven't been on here on (italki) in ages and still don't know too much how this works. I was just thinking about food in China or Taiwan, and on a whelm whim decided to write something. I'm a vegetarian, and have had read a couple of articles saying that it is difficult to be vegetarian or vegan in China. They made it seem like vegetarians and vegans were are nonexistent there in China! I wanted to know if that this is true. and Are there any vegetarian restaurants or shopping places mall that offer  sell such items made just for to them? I know that there are places like that here (in America). So, just wondering...

I am sure that they are!  After all there are Buddhist temples in China.  With the ongoing meat scandals over there, I am sure people are very wary :)

This is a reply, not a correction. BTW, you can just post it in the discussion place if you need advice.

No, there are few restaurants food vegans in China. You can, however, definitely buy vegetables in markets, shopping malls and supermarkets, and cook them yourself.

Unlike in some western countries, here, it's next to impossible to find a restaurant for vegetarians. If you are a serious vegetarian, you ought to understand that a dish defined as vegetable in the menu might not be pure vegetable. Chefs sometimes use, for example, meat soup to add to the flavour. This is because there's no stern regulation for vegetarian's food industry and the deamanding is negligible. Very few restaurants consider you a vegetarian because you order but vegetable dishes. You need a clear request. Nevertheless, the restaurant is still possible to override it without your knowledge.

Few temples have nearby restaurants serving only vegetarians. They are only available near some very popular temples in big cities. These restaurants are famous for their style, not because they are for vegetarians. It's still possible that they use meat as a secret ingredient. It's an open secret here that Buddhist monks and nuns are employees and entrepreneurs, who work in their working hours. They are husbands, wives, fathers, housewives and so on in their leisure time and lunch break. Eating meat or breaking their commitments won't be punished outside their working hour.

In short, buying vegetables and cooking them yourself is the only solution here for a serious vegans.

This is a reply, not a correction. BTW, you can just post it in the discussion place if you need advice.

No, there are few restaurants serving food for vegetarians in China. You can, however, definitely buy vegetables in markets, shopping malls and supermarkets, and cook them yourself.

Unlike in some western countries, here, it's next to impossible to find a restaurant serving for vegetarians. If you are a serious vegetarian, you ought to understand that a dish defined as vegetable in the menu might not be pure vegetable. Chefs sometimes use, for example, meat soup to add to the flavour. This is because there's no stern regulation for vegetarian food industry and the population of the customers are small. Very few restaurants consider you a vegetarian because you order but vegetable dishes. You need a clear request. Nevertheless, the restaurant is still possible to override it without your knowledge.

Few temples have nearby restaurants serving only vegetarians. They are only available near some very popular temples in big cities. These restaurants are famous for their style, not because they are for vegetarians. It's still possible that they use meat soup as a secret ingredient. It's an open secret here that Buddhist monks and nuns are employees and entrepreneurs, who work in their working hours. They are husbands, wives, fathers, housewives and so on in their leisure time and lunch break. Eating meat won't be punished outside their working hour.

In short, buying vegetables and cook them yourself is the only solution here for a serious vegetarian.

"Yes we can!" LOL, Sure you can find plenty in Taiwan. Not just restaurants exclusively running for vegetarians, but also street vendors in the night market who sell 素鹹酥雞, 素滷味 and so many (if you don't know much of these characters, just have an idea of getting some instant food such as McDonald's fried chicken or hamburgers but in "vegan version"). It is very aware there, that in some companies coworkers themselves would have an oder and a list of how many without beef or pork and such to their long-term cooperative restaurant(s) for the delivery service.