Chinese Culture and Traditions

This section has pages covering the many Chinese customs and traditions.

The beliefs and mythology are a core part of Chinese culture so we introduce Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, Ancestor veneration. On the lighter side there are pages on all the traditional festivals, astrology, dragons, Chinese New year, deities, feng shui, Qi or Chi, traditional medicine, Yin - Yang and the Yi Jing.

The arts are well represented including: Shadow puppets; story-telling, Various styles of Opera, Traditional Music, Symbolism in art, Paper-cuts, Architecture, Jade and of course Porcelain.

We cover the many pastimes unique to Chinese culture including: Chinese chess (xiangqi), Mahjong, Game of ‘Go’ (weiqi), Kite flying and Tai Chi.

We also cover more general aspects of Chinese culture including: Chinese inventions, Examination system, Food in China (with separate sections on rice and tea), Chinese silk, Ancient coins and why we call China 'China'.