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Culture Documents
population and influence, but it can still seem a very different and mysterious
culture. Here are 10 fascinating facts that will help you understand Chinese culture.
Even over 2,500 years on, Confucian beliefs are still ingrained in mainstream ethics
and religion, and this can be seen as you travel throughout China.
This led to haughty refusals of foreign trade, then military defeats by Europe, and
forced treaties, marking the end of the imperial era.
Chinese people are very proud of their long history and profound culture, which you
are likely to notice on your trip when you communicate with Chinese people and
visit tourist sites, which often have signs to emphasize their importance in global
history.
Chinese people place great importance on family, and family structure. Marriage,
family, and children are all extremely important, and many Chinese families' lives
revolve solely around the youngest children.
Grandparents tend to live with their children even after they are married and have
their own children, and children are expected to look after their parents once they
are married and working. When it is time to celebrate a traditional festival, family
gatherings are key.
Basketball, volleyball, and badminton are more popular with Chinese youth
nowadays, but table tennis remains #1 with the growing older population.
Chairman Mao made ping pong the national sport in the 50s, as a vehicle to
recovering national pride and facilitating international relations. This explains why
China always does so well in global ping pong tournaments (better than any other
country at any sport).
This also explains why many neighborhoods in China have public ping pong tables,
as Chinese people love to play sports together outside (especially the elderly).
Calligraphy is more than arty writing — it's about discovering the deeper
meaning of Chinese characters.
In China, calligraphy itself is a revered and much-practiced traditional art form, that
has also led to the development of many other Chinese art forms.
Chinese kung fu can be dated to primeval society, when people used cudgels to
fight against wild beasts, which gradually turned into a form of self defence and
hunting.
Later on, kung fu evolved to be a kind of martial art, used to train soldiers and
improve their morale ahead of wars (at a time when there were various battles
fighting over land and philosophies — the Spring and Autumn period (770–476
BC)).
Tea is the national beverage of China, and in traditional Chinese tea culture the way
you drink tea, and which tea you drink, can show your social status.
Today, having a pot of tea when visitors come around is the typical way of
welcoming said visitors.
Tea ceremonies or visits to tea houses can also be an important way to finish
business transactions.
8. The Han are the majority, and officially
China has 55 minorities.
The Chinese government officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups in China, but the
Han ethnicity make up the most (an estimated 92 percent of the total Chinese
population).
Each ethnic minority has their own social customs, language, culture, dress,
language, and more.
Traveling to places like Guangxi or Yunnan will allow you an insight into these
different groups, who all have varying cultures.
The most important festivals include Spring Festival (also known as Chinese New
Year), Lantern Festival, Qingming or Tomb Sweeping Festival, Dragon Boat
Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival.
10. Fortune cookies are not a thing in China —
but food really is.
You might be surprised to discover this, but fortune cookies are not a thing in China.
Chinese restaurants in China do not, and have never, served them to their
customers.
However, China's is definitely a food culture. The Chinese eat a huge range of food,
many of which have symbolic meanings. Foods are often the high point of festivals,
and the first thing many Chinese ask is "Have you eaten?".