Chinese Culture and Traditions
This section of our web site 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 many Traditional Festivals , Astrology , Everyday customs and traditions , Dragons , Chinese New Year , Deities , Feng shui , Qi (or Chi) , Traditional medicine , Yin - Yang and the Yi Jing .
The arts are also well represented: The many styles of Opera , Traditional Music , Symbolism in art , Paper-cuts , Shadow puppets and story-telling , Architecture , Jade and of course Porcelain .
We cover the many Chinese pastimes: Chinese chess (Xiang qi) , 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’ .
Getting by in China There are many customs and traditions that you should know before traveling to China. Our customs page covers such things as giving gifts, banquets, sealing business deals and how to behave in public. A respect for age old traditions will impress your hosts who will appreciate your efforts to embrace the culture. Read more…
Quintessence of the Nation Traditional Chinese Opera was the entertainment of all Chinese over many centuries. A long evening performance contains elements of drama, music, comedy, acrobatics and martial arts. Each region has its own distinctive form. Over time complex body movements represent specific meanings as a very sparse set is used. The art form has inspired many Western composers and playwrights to emulate the style. Read more…
Peony The peony is a frequent art motif in China. It is considered one of the best flowers of spring and was much loved by Empress Wu Zetian . Read more…
Chinese money As in so many other things, China was the first to introduce paper currency and has had a standard coinage for thousands of years. Read more…
Symbols and Motifs Chinese arts and handicrafts are full of hidden symbols. Bats, goldfish, peonies and bees all give a specific meaning to a painting or decoration. Exploring the world of Chinese symbolism opens up a whole new layer of appreciation. Read more…
Chinese Calligraphy The Chinese language is a treasure trove of history and traditions. The language script has been in use for over 4,000 years. Fine historic pieces by the great masters continue to achieve as high a price at auction as a great painting. To appreciate Chinese writing it is important to know how the characters are made with the brush. Read more…
Three Character Classic The Three Character Classic (San Zi Jing 三 字 经 ) was for centuries a language primer for children who aspired to a scholarly life. It introduces the student to Chinese history, philosophy as well as the most common characters. It contains many exhortations for the student to study long and hard. Read more…
Precious Jade Jade is highly valued in China, and much of Asia, above gold and diamonds. The gemstone that is harder than steel can be carved into exquisite shapes. Read more…
Owls The owl is a bird of ill omen in China and is considered to be unlucky. Read more…
How to write Chinese characters Many Chinese spend a great deal of time studying calligraphy. To be able to write (or more accurately draw) Chinese characters requires lots of practice as well as knowing both the brush strokes and the order in which to make them. Read more…
Book: The Complete Confucius Understanding the teachings of Confucius is essential to understanding both Chinese history and the future. This modern translation of the old sage's work from 2,500 years ago. It includes not only the Analects of Confucius but also The Doctrine Of The Mean and The Great Learning .Amazon details... ➚
Delicious Chinese food A fine Chinese meal is a carefully balanced mixtures of flavors, textures, colors and food types. Although Western fast food has made major inroads in the cities there is still a great appreciation of Chinese food as one of the finer pleasures in life. Etiquette at formal banquets is important for visitors to understand before visiting China. Each region in China has its own variations with specialities, the cuisine in southerly Guangdong is very different from that of northerly Gansu. Read more…
The Chinese Language Let's get you started with a few simple sentences and phrases in both spoken and written Chinese. We begin with key concepts and introduces the most common and useful words and phrases in Chinese. Read more…
China's Ancient Script The discovery of a huge number of 'oracle bones' has greatly added to the knowledge of the origins of China's written script. It pushes back the written language to at least 3,500 years ago. Careful study of the inscriptions is still revealing information about life in Shang dynasty times. Read more…
Chinese porcelain Together with tea and silk, porcelain from China is its most famous export. Prized the world over, high quality porcelain commands high prices at auction. Like silk the secret of its manufacture was a closely guarded secret for centuries. Read more…
Pantheon of Chinese gods and heroes China has a rich array of heroes, gods and goddesses to draw on. Temples are full of images of people from China's long history. Often an historical figure is over time upgraded and considered an immortal. Most depictions can be identified by the objects the deity is carrying. Some are associated with Buddhism others with Daoism and quite often no particular religion at all. Read more…
Proverb
各 自 为 政
Gè zì wéi zhèng
Each following his own policy
Acting selfishly. Following own plans and ideas with no regard for others.
All about Chinese proverbs
Understanding the Date and Time in Chinese Telling the date and time is essential for travelers. In China the Arabic numbers are used for writing but the Chinese characters are used for reading. Read more…
Celestial Buddhas and Deities of the Northern, Western, and Central Dipper Constellations. c.1500CE. Image by LACMA ➚ available under a Creative Commons License ➚