Chinese Culture

Philosophy and Religious:

The Chinese philosophies of not taking wealth won by unjust means, contentment in life, the transience of riches and interdependence of disaster and fortune came into being more than 2,000 years ago. These philosophies have become a unique feature of the Chinese nation.

Yin and Yang: Ancient Chinese philosophers saw two aspects to every phenomenon, and they used the concepts of yin and yang to explain the inner materialized powers that are mutually beneficial and conflicting. They regarded the yin and yang as the basic law of the universe and used the concepts to explain social phenomena.

Customs and Practices:

Wedding practices: The six courtesies are: the marriage proposal, asking for names, praying for good fortune, sending betrothal gifts, extending invitations and welcoming the bride. Most modern Chinese couples now marry at their own free will and adopt Western practices, but they still retain some traditions, such as offering tea to their parents.

Birth Customs: The 12 animals, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig, were linked to the year in which one was born. When a Chinese baby is born, the animal sign of that year would be his animal sign. As time passed, the 12 animal signs developed into a system for divining one’s fortune. Marriage partners could be picked based on the compatibility of their animal signs.

Social Etiquette

The Chinese are naturally hospitable and China has been called “the country of etiquette”. In daily social dealings, etiquette is a must. In olden times, there were more social courtesies, and males and females even had different rules to follow.

In some places, it is taboo to use these articles as gifts: handkerchief, scissors, umbrella, and clock.

Chopsticks are used at Chinese banquets, and there are some rules governing their use: Don’t hit an empty bowl with chopsticks; don’t plant chopsticks upright in the rice, etc.

There are others subjects, for example, Dress, Tea, Medicine, Food, Martial Arts, Crafts, etc.

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