I mean, I agree with a kernel of what you're saying, particularly about encouraging people to leave their comfort zones. And frankly I think Taiwan is actually a pretty friendly place, and I am genuinely happy that aspects of the overall Chinese civilization were able to separate from what happened on the mainland. But the author is clearly not shitting on anyone by describing his experience- he was a young man who learned some important lessons about his personal needs, which didn't line up with his initial expectations. Where he learned that lesson is really orthogonal to the point.
