Background Knowledge

About China and Their

Culture
 CHINA
Chinese Name: 中华人民共和国 (zhōng huá rén mín gòng hé guó)
Area: 9,600,000 sq km (3,706,580 sq mi)
Population: 1.37 billion (as of 2014)
Capital City: Beijing
National Flag: Five-Stars-Red-Flag
Location: middle and East Asia, bounded on the east by the Pacific Ocean
Territorial Seas: the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the
South China Sea
Climate: mainly continental monsoon climate (Tibet: vertical climate zone)
People: Han Chinese (93.3%), plus 55 ethnic groups like Miao, Li, Mongolian
 CHINA

Language: Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua) based on Beijing dialect, plus

local dialects
Main Religions and Beliefs: officially atheist, Confucianism, Buddhism,
Taoism, Islam (over 22 million), Catholicism (over 4 million) and
Protestantism (over 10 million)
Currency and Monetary Unit: Renminbi / Yuan
Form of Government: system of National People's Congress
Administrative Demarcations: 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4
municipalities, and 2 Special Administrative Regions
 CHINA
China is an ancient, mysterious and beautiful land that is always appealing to adventurous foreign
visitors. It is the third largest country in the world occupying an area of 9,600,000 sq km, it spans 62
degrees of longitude and 49 degrees of latitude. Abundant in a variety of resources, plants, animals,
and minerals, the land has nurtured countless generations of Chinese people.
One of China's greatest treasures is her long, rich history. As early as 1.7 million years ago, the earliest
humans evolved on this land. The first dynasty, the Xia Dynasty, dates to about the 21st century BC.
For 4,000 years, feudalism was the dominant economic and cultural model. Then, in 1911, the
revolution led by Sun Yat-sen brought the monarchy to an end. On October 1st, 1949, PRC was
founded, fully named the 'People's Republic of China'. Since then, this country has developed
independently and vigorously. Most recently, reform and opening-up policy has energized life in this
country.

China is proud of her many people, long history, resplendent culture and distinctive customs. Among
her greatest gifts to the world are the 'four great inventions' (paper, gunpowder, printing and the
compass) .
Chinese arts and crafts, including painting, calligraphy, operas, embroidery and silk are distinctive and
unique. Kung Fu, which have only recently begun to enjoy popularity in other parts of the world have been
part of Chinese culture for centuries, and Chinese literature is testifies to the country's rich heritage. And, of
course, there is Chinese food, which has been exported to every corner of the globe.
 Chinese People

Population
China, with over 1.370537 billion people (including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) as of
April, 2011, is without doubt the most populous country in the world. According to the
census at the end of 2010, the ratio of the sexes is about 51.27% male and 48.73% female.
Some 49.68% of the population resides in the urban cities and towns while the rest is in
rural areas.

Family Planning
China has almost 20% of the world's total population. To control rapid growth in the
population growth and to ensure quality of life, 'Family Planning', is one of the basic state
policies, since 1978. As a measure to avoid over population, late marriage and
postponement of childbearing means fewer but healthier babies, something that is greatly
encouraged by the government. In 1979, China became the first country to launch the 'one
child per couple' policy.
 Chinese People

Ethnic Groups
China is a multiracial country consisting of 56 ethnic groups, the most populous being the Han
who form about 91.51% of the country's total population, while 8.49% are other 55 ethnic
minorities. All the ethnic groups live together over vast areas while some live in individual
concentrated communities in small areas. Although there are fewer people within the
minorities, they are widely distributed throughout the country.

Yunnan Province is the most multi-national region where there are 25 ethnic minorities. The
minorities mostly have their own religious beliefs, the freedom of which is highly respected and
legally protected by government.

People's Character

The Chinese are industrious, hardworking, peace-loving and a strenuous nation, while the
numerous people are hospitable, conservative, modest and in general easy to approach.
Xia Dynasty (2070-1600 BC) founder: Yu the Great

Ancient Chinas first dynasty

The records and its existence are disputed.
There is no conclusive evidence or written record from the Xia Dynasty
to prove that it existed.
Some historians still doubt the dynasty is anymore a legend.

Archaeological Evidence:
Xia Imperial Palace Relics- bronze ware, considered to be created
during Xia Dynasty
A site called (Erlitu)- discovered in the central Yellow River basin
where the Xia Dynasty is said to have ruled.
Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC) founder: King Tang

It was the second ancient Chinese dynasties.

It was preceded by the Xia Dynasty and succeeded by the Zhou
Dynasty.
The first dynasty for which there is historical record and
archaeological evidence is the Shang Dynasty. It was a small
empire in northern central China. No documents from that country
survive, but there are archaeological finds of hieroglyphic writing
on bronze wares and oracle bones. The hieroglyphic writing
system later evolved into ideographic and partly-phonetic Chinese
characters.
Zhou Dynasty (1045-255 BC)

 The Zhou Dynasty was contemporaneous with the Shang Dynasty, and then they conquered the Shang
Dynasty. Their dynasty lasted for about 800 years, but for most of the time, their original territory was broken up
into dozens of competing kingdoms, and these finally coalesced into several big and warring kingdoms by the
end of the Zhou era.
 The era is divided into three period: Western Zhou Dynasty (1045-771), Spring and Autum period (770-476)
and Warring States period (475-221 BC).

 The great literary works of philosophy and religion that became the basis for Chinese religious and social belief
stem from what is called the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476) and the Warring States Period (475-221).
Taoism, Confucian literature, and other prominent religious and philosophical schools all emerged during these
two periods.
 The major literary achievements of the Confucian Classics, early Taoist writings, and other important prose
works originated in the late Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty era.
These literary works deeply shaped Chinese philosophy and religion.
Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) founder: Qin Shinhuang

 First imperial dynasty in Chinese history.

 Shortest dynasty in China lasting for just 15 years.
 They conquered the Zhou empire, regions to the South all the way to Vietnam and to the north towards
Korea.
 The society was very centralized.
 Ended because of assassinations and foolish policies and the people rebelled.
 Qin were known for the great construction projects.
 They used the labor of millions of slaves to produce the great wall, the Qin mausoleum and the Terracotta
warriors.

 An early form of Buddhism was also established in China at that time, but their temples and literature were
destroyed and even less is known about them. The emperor wanted to reduce the One Hundred Schools of
Thought to one that he approved. He ordered the destruction of most books all over the empire. He even
killed many Confucian philosophers and teachers. He allowed books on scientific subjects like medicine or
agriculture to survive. So the “Book Burning and Burial of Scholars” was a literary disaster.
Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD)

Lasted for 200 years

Longest imperial dynasty
China expanded its territory and trade and Confucianism, Taoism, and
Buddhism developed.
Divided into three periods: Western Han (206 BC – 9AD), the Xin Dynasty
(9 – 23 AD) and Eastern Han (25 – 220 AD)
Han dynasty, China was known for Silk road trade.
Mahayana Buddhism was first to introduced into China during this time.
Sui Dynasty (581-618) – Emperor – Wen (581-604) and Yang (604-618)

A short but significant dynasty.

Emperor Wen initiated construction projects involving millions of laborers and his
major policies were spreading Buddhism, reinstituting rule by Confucian bureaucrats
and making the people poorer for his wars and construction projects.
He started to build the grand canal to help develop his own capital but he didn’t
finish it because he died and his son Yang continued it.
Emperor Wen also rebuilt the great wall.

Yang Guang - second son of Emperor Wen

- Many believed that he killed his father.
- He continued what his father doing and later the people rebelled
- He was known for spending a lot of money on luxuries.
Tang Dynasty (618-907) founder: Emperor Gaozu

 One of the most prosperous dynasties in China.

It was the golden age for poetry and printing, and the best known for tricolored glazed pottery
and woodblock printing.
Emperor Taizong- the last emperor in this era promoted Buddhism and Nestorian
Christianity. Silk road trade flourished. The spread of Buddhism was assisted with the invention
of woodblock printing techniques.
It ended because of natural disasters, defeats and rebellions.

The Tang Dynasty had a big empire that benefited from trade with the west along the Silk
Road, battled with the Tibetan Empire, and experienced the growing influence of organized
Buddhist religions. This era’s main contribution to Chinese literature was in the poetry of Dufu,
Li Bai and many other poets. Dufu and Li Bai are often thought of as China’s greatest poets.
Li Bai (701–762)
was one of the greatest romantic poets of ancient China. He wrote at
least a thousand poems on a variety of subjects from political matters to
natural scenery.

Du Fu (712-770 AD)
also wrote more than a thousand poems. He is thought of as one of the
greatest realist poets of China. His poems reflect the hard realities of war, dying
people living next to rich rulers, and primitive rural life. He was an official in the
Tang capital of Chang An, and he was captured when the capital was attacked.
He took refuge in Chengdu that is a city in Sichuan Province. It is thought that he
lived in a simple hut where he wrote many of his best realist poems. Perhaps
more than 1,400 of his poems survive, and his poetry is still read and
appreciated by modern Chinese people.
Song Dynasty (960-1279)

It was weaker than the Tang Dynasty, but the imperial government officials
made remarkable scientific and technical advances. Military technology greatly
advanced. They traded little with the west due to the presence of warring Muslim
states on the old trade routes. It lasted for 319 years.
In Song Dynasty, Daoism and Buddhism became less popular and the Neo-
Confucan thought became ther domnant phlosophy of lfe and religon.

So the era is divided into two eras called:

Northern Song (960-1127)
Southern Song (1127-1279)
Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)

 The first foreign-led dynasty in Ancient China.

Kublai Khan was the first to use paper money as the main currency.
Paper currency helped increase the empires overall wealth.
Silk Road- The Mongols major source of income and manpower

In China, the Mongols established the very rich Yuan Dynasty. In their camps, the Mongols
were entertained by shadow puppet plays in which a lamp cast the shadows of little figurines
and puppets on a screen or sheet. In the Yuan Dynasty, puppet drama continued to entertain
the rich dynastic courts in vernacular language.
 So though the Yuan Empire wasn’t ruled by Chinese, it was an era of some
historically renowned dramatic playwrights and novelists who wrote in vernacular
language.

The Yuan “Zaju” style of opera was similar to their shadow plays. Perhaps the
playwrights adopted the plots and the features. There were exciting plots,
elaborate costumes, refined music and singing, action, and dance that the
Mongols enjoyed. The music of the Zaju operas was called Yuan Qu. The
language used wasn’t the Classical Language but the vernacular language, so
that the theater might be enjoyed by everyone. After the Yuan Dynasty, the
operatic style developed into the Painted Faces style of Chinese opera that was
popular until modern times.
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)

The Chinese rebelled against the Mongols, and the Ming Dynasty era began about 1368.
The Mongols and the Ming government still sometimes fought. Because of this and the
presence of Muslim countries in between, trade with the west was reduced to the pre-Yuan
level.
Flourished with a growth in foreign trade, art and literature.
The great wall was more crucial than ever in protecting China from northern invasion during
Ming era.
Zhu Yuanzhang is an ordinary boy who reduced slavery and starvation, distributed Qing
Dynasty land to the peasants.
Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

The Qing Dynasty came under increasing attack from both internal rebellions and
foreign countries. In the 19th century, foreign literature and the West became better
known. In the middle of this era, the last of China’s four great classic novels was
written called Dream of the Red Chamber; and near the end of the era, modernistic
literature developed.
The last Chinese dynasty and the longest dynasty ruled by foreigners (the Manchus
from Manchuria, northeast of Great wall).
Had the most overseas contact.
268 years last
Puyi, the last emperor banned the foreign trade
Modern Era (1912-present) — Westernized Literature
Sun Yat-sen
led a revolution that marked the end of Chinese dynasties in which a clan rules an
empire. Of course, the big change of Chinese society that happened with the change of
government led to a change in literature.

It became westernized, and the Classical Language wasn’t used. The national
government wanted women to have more of an equal status in society, and women
writers and scholars were taken more seriously. There was a lot of politically oriented
literature printed. Scholars had access to foreign literature, and many students
studied abroad.

Until about 1923, there was a New Culture Movement. Writers generally wanted to
lead the way in transforming China into a modern industrialized country and
replacing Confucian life-style with a westernized one.
Sun Yat-sen
Customs, Culture and Traditions

China has several traditional festivals that are celebrated all over the country (in
different ways). The most important is Chinese New Year, then Mid-Autumn Festival.
China, with its "55 Ethnic Minorities", also has many ethnic festivals. From Tibet to
Manchuria to China’s tropical south, different tribes celebrate their new year, harvest,
and other things, in various ways.

 Chinese Spring Festival

 Mid-Autumn Festival
 Dragon Boat Festival
 Sisters' Meal Festival
 Tibetan New Year
 Shoton Festival
Customs, Culture and Traditions

 Drinking in China

Beer (pijiu, pronounced pee-jyoh) is very popular in China, but it is all very
similar (about 3–5% alcohol), with none of the stronger or darker varieties brewed in
the West. The other popular alcoholic drink is rice wine (baijiu, pronounced bye-
jyoh). Beware, this can be very strong (40%+ alcohol).
In China, drinking alcohol is still mainly a male custom. Male guests are routinely
offered alcohol and cigarettes at meal times (usually not breakfast). Just politely
refuse if you don't want them. An empty glass is always refilled, no matter about
protests that the guest has had enough, as a mark of politeness or good will. Often
a refusal has to be given three times. See Chinese Guest and Host Customs.
Maybe if you've had enough a good thing would be to leave your glass full. Getting
drunk is generally not seen as a problem in China and is often encouraged.
Customs, Culture and Traditions
Eating practice in China
"Sit-Down Buffet" — Share the Same Dishes
In China eating is more of a communal activity. The food in China is to be shared by all present at the table. Each
diner has their own small rice bowl, into which food from the plates and bowls in the center of the table is placed
using chopsticks, or perhaps serving spoons — a bit like a sit-down buffet perhaps.
Host Places Food in Your Bowl — Hospitality
Be prepared for your Chinese host placing food in your bowl, usually without even asking. The host will often put
chicken legs or other choice parts of the meal in the guest's bowl. Though Westerners may see this as interfering
with one's independence and personal space, it is a sign of hospitality in China.

Chopsticks, No Knives or Forks

It is common in China for everyone to use their own chopsticks for fetching food from the dishes in the center. If y
ou would prefer, for hygiene reasons, serving spoons and serving chopsticks can be provided for food in the center
of the table.
Don't be embarrassed by using chopsticks poorly or not using them at all. The main thing is that you enjoy the
food. Food is so important in Chinese culture, and the Chinese are such a practical people, that all around you will
most likely be fine with whatever method you use to eat. They will be very impressed though if you can use
chopsticks proficiently.
Customs, Culture and Traditions
 Lucky Colors - Top Three Lucky Colors
(I) Red — Happiness, Success and Good Fortune
Red represents fire and is the most popular color in China. It is also the national color representing
happiness, beauty, vitality, good luck, success and good fortune.
Red is famously popular in relation to anything Chinese and is widely used during festivals and
important events like weddings.
(II) Yellow — Royalty and Power of the Throne
Yellow — corresponding to earth — symbolizes royalty and is reserved for the emperor.
The first Emperor of China was known as the Yellow Emperor. China was often referred to as 'Yellow
Earth', and its mother river is the Yellow River. This is the most important color from an ancient
perspective.
(III) Green — Money and wealth
Green is the color of wealth, fertility, regeneration, hope, harmony and growth. Green also represents
pure and clean.
Buildings, banks and restaurants are often painted in green. Packaging for milk or produce is often in
green to indicate that the product is contamination free.
Customs, Culture and Traditions
 Lucky colors

BLUE
Blue stands for healing, trust and long life. Shades of green/blue are used to decorate homes for
longevity and harmony.

BLACK
Black corresponds to water and is considered to be a neutral color in Chinese culture and is the
color of heaven, symbolizing the northern and western sky. This color represents immortality,
knowledge, stability and power.Because of this, government cars are all black. The police uniform is
also black to project authority and control.

GOLD
Gold is a color of richness and nobility — similar to how its perceived in the West.
Customs, Culture and Traditions

Unlucky Colors
Green can be considered to be unlucky as it is associated with
infidelity. A man wearing a green hat is said to have an unfaithful
wife.

Black can be considered unlucky too given it's association to the

darkness and secrecy. The word 'mafia' translates to 'black society'
in Chinese.
Customs, Culture and Traditions
 Ancient Marriage Customs
Many of the customs related to marriage were formulated during the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD).
The exchange of betrothal gifts (from the groom’s family to the bride’s family) and dowry (from the bride’s
family) began during this time.
Betrothal gifts were so important that a marriage without these was considered dishonorable. Once
this exchange of gifts took place, the bride was taken to the groom’s ancestral home where she would
continue to live even after her husband’s death.
If after her husband’s death her family wanted her to remarry, they had to pay a certain amount to the
deceased husband’s family to get her back. The children would continue to live with their paternal
grandparents.

 Matchmaking
In ancient times matchmaking was an essential part of a marriage. Elders along with professional
matchmakers would ponder over the pros and cons of a potential proposal and after a long calculated
discussion about the couple’s social standing, reputation, financial situation and the social relationship
between the two households, marriage was finalized.
Chinese Zodiac Love Compatibility
• Traditionally Chinese people used Chinese zodiac compatibility to predict how successful
a match will prove to be.
• This kind of astrological matchmaking is done with the help of the Chinese zodiac that
consists of 12 animal signs, names and the birthdates of the couple are used to
determine how well matched the couple is astrologically.

The Marriage Market

In China real life marriage markets are set up to hunt for the perfect match. Every
Sunday parents and sometimes grandparents of eligible candidates attend the marriage
market to exchange information on their children. While there are many marriage markets in
China, the largest takes place in People’s Park, Shanghai every Sunday since 2004.

People hold up handwritten signs with relevant information on their children and a list of
requirements for the partners. Members of the family stroll through the park to look at other
signs to find the right match for their candidate. For some this is the only way of preserving
the traditional dating style that focuses on involvement of families in matchmaking.
The Wedding Tea Ceremony
In a typical tea ceremony the couple is required to serve the tea to the elders in a
sequential fashion, starting from the elders to the youngest members of the family. It is
important for the couple to serve the tea to their paternal relatives before the maternal
ones
Joining of Hair
In traditional Chinese culture one’s hair represent one’s self. At a traditional Chinese
wedding the bride and the groom both cut a lock of their hair which is then tied in a knot
and put in a bag to keep. This small ritual towards the end of the wedding signifies the
tying of the knot and becoming one in flesh and blood to live happily-ever-after.

Post-Wedding Rituals
Close friends and family accompany the bride and the groom to the bridal chamber where
a lot of teasing is done and tricks are played on the newlyweds. The couple then shares a
glass of wine. It is considered bad to touch the bridal bed and only the groom is supposed
to touch it.
Chinese Zodiac Personality
Each Chinese zodiac animal has personality traits assigned to it by the ancient Chinese. Chinese
people believe these traits will be embodied in people, according to their zodiac sign.

Zodiac Animal Personality Traits

Rat Quick-witted, resourceful, versatile, kind
Ox Diligent, dependable, strong, determined
Tiger Brave, confident, competitive
Rabbit Quiet, elegant, kind, responsible
Dragon Confident, intelligent, enthusiastic
Snake Enigmatic, intelligent, wise
Horse Animated, active, energetic
Goat Calm, gentle, sympathetic
Monkey Sharp, smart, curiosity
Rooster Observant, hardworking, courageous
Dog Lovely, honest, prudent
Pig Compassionate, generous, diligent
Thank you..