Culture in China

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Culture in China

Chinese Opera China is home to the richest and oldest heritage of art & literature in the world. Some famous works have been translated into foreign languages but most of them are not translated or non-translatable. Thus they are unknown to the outside world.

What should also immediately be known and understood, is that Chinese people are intensely competitive and in most situations (unless you are friends with this person), they could care less about you. One teacher puts it like this, "Public behavior of people is disgusting and the lack of politeness and respect against each other is the worst I have ever seen in Asia. One on one or in personal interactions in individual circumstances it's ok, put yourself in a market or on a sidewalk with a bunch of strangers and it's like you're invisible."

That said, Chinese culture is absolutely amazing and some of the ceremony and traditions are marvels.

Cultural Taboos in China

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Foreigners are not expected to know all of these things the minute they step off the plane and will be given great latitude, however your knowledge of what is not acceptable can make your transition to life in China much smoother.

If you want someone to come to you, don’t wave them over with an upturned finger. This is impolite. Wave them over with your fingers turned down, as if they were sweeping something toward you. The same motion is used when hailing a cab.

Norman Bethune - A Chinese Hero

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I am a Footprints teacher currently teaching senior high school in Shijiazhuang, Hebei Province, China. I arrived here in November, 2007 and am enjoying my second stint as a Footprints teacher.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit an impressive memorial in the west part of the city called the Revolutionary Martyrs’ Mausoleum. It is here that the famous Canadian surgeon and medical innovator Norman Bethune (affectionately know by all Chinese as Bai Qu En) is buried. He is probably best known for his introduction of the mobile blood bank to the battlefield and giving blood transfusions in the midst of heavy fighting. This man is a great hero in China and I think is one of the reasons why Canadians are so welcomed in this country. Often, when I am introduced to a Chinese person as a Canadian, they clasp my hand and proudly say the words Bai Qu En. I found it to be a very moving and humbling experience to visit his tomb and to read the words inscribed on it written by Mao Zedong-“we must all learn the spirit of absolute selflessness from Dr. Norman Bethune”. I would like to give you some background about this man so that you can better understand his great sacrifice for the Chinese people.

Huang Mei Opera of Anhui

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Opera has a long history in China dating back to the Three Kingdoms Period(AD220-80) but in general the more organized form of Chinese opera began in the Tang Dynasty Period with Emperor Xuanzong (712-755AD).By the end of the Ming Dynasty(AD1368-1644) hundreds of new opera forms had emerged throughout the country. These new opera forms followed regional types and combined local dialects, folk songs, music, dancing and acrobatics. Recent surveys have found over 360 varieties throughout the country and every province and autonomous region has one or more types of local opera.

Cultural Differences in China

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By being aware of some of the differences you lessen the impact of culture shock and you make your life considerably easier. Here is a list of some of the more overt cultural differences of Western culture in relation to Chinese culture:

Public Parks and Private Gardens in China

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I am a Footprints alumni teacher currently teaching oral English in Anqing, China. Anqing is a small city by Chinese standards located in Anhui province on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Nevertheless it has its fair share of parks which offer a variety of surroundings. Public parks are so important to the urban Chinese as most live in apartments.

I have come to realize that public parks in China are a microcosm of Chinese culture. Whether one visits at day break, mid afternoon or early evening, countless traditional Chinese activities are being performed or enjoyed by average citizens. These include calligraphy, tai chi, opera, fan dancing, ping pong, badminton, mahjong, and traditional and ballroom dancing, just to name a few. In the early morning many (most tend to be seniors or retired people) are doing some sort of exercise on apparatus that seem rather foreign to a western eye. Many elderly men bring their birds in bamboo cages, hang them in the trees and let them serenade the passers-by. In the afternoon mahjong and card-playing are the most popular. The early evening brings out the dancing crowd complete with instructors featuring both Chinese and western music.

Bargaining in China - Playing it Cool

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Whether you're wheeling and dealing in China, or just trying to get a few yuan knocked off the price of the Mao bobblehead, there are a few points to consider to help your negotiations go smoothly.

The concept of "saving face" is incredible important in Chinese culture. Essentially this is about avoiding being made to look stupid or to back down in front of others - a concept which isn't limited to Chinese culture. Don't go too far into anything or you may find it REALLY difficult to get out. Negotiated settlements that provide benefits to both parties are preferable to confrontation. A desire to save face may lead people to disguise uncomfortable truths or may cause them to agree with you to avoid confrontation when truthfully they don't believe a word you are saying and they aren't going to do a thing about something when you leave.