 | Chinese Customs |
| | |  | Are there any Chinese customs or practices I should be aware of before traveling to China? | | | | | | Yes. First and foremost is "saving face." It's an essential aspect of etiquette in China, but often a difficult concept for Westerners to understand. Always do your utmost to avoid placing someone in an embarrassing situation. Avoid yelling or losing your temper as these are perceived as undesirable character traits. | | Back to the Top | | | | What other customs are important to keep in mind? | | | | | | Chinese don't often shake hands at first greeting; when they do, the handshake is soft rather than firm. A slight bow, however, can be considered proper, particularly on meeting important officials or your elders.
Greeting strangers on the street with a "hello" or "good morning" is not customary in China.
In conversation, however, Chinese will not hesitate to inquire about your marital status, age, salary, place of work - questions sometimes off-putting to Westerners. In China, such questions convey interest and honest curiosity.
Travel Tip: Bring along pictures of your family, pets and home! Share them with the locals - it's fun!
| | Back to the Top | | | | Where can I get more information regarding the cultural differences between my home and China? | | | | | |
For information on Chinese customs and greetings click here.
For interesting insights on China's concerns regarding their own manners and behavior, click here. | | Back to the Top | | | | Chinese History |
| | | | What makes China's history so compelling? | | | | | |
In two words: "Rich" and "Long."
It's a mistake to attempt to understand China as a country. China is actually a world - a world of most every inhabitable clime and geography, a world populated by the Han Chinese majority and no fewer than 55 minority populations - the largest counting over 15 million members.
Beyond this almost unimaginable variety of peoples is a recorded dynastic history dating back over 3,600 years. Through the millennia, capitals have grown rich or withered miserably; borders have come and gone; palaces and walls have been built, destroyed, rebuilt, and destroyed yet again.
Through those same millennia, rivers have nourished soil yet sometimes destroyed crops and lives; mountains have both protected and challenged; fertile valleys have fed and been fought over - yet China, with 1.3 billion inhabitants, remains - continually inventing, re-inventing, adapting and re-adapting! | | Back to the Top | | | | If China is a "world" of so many different groups, what keeps it together? | | | | | | For thousands of years China - the "Middle Kingdom" - was often a tight, but sometimes a very loose grouping of distinct geographical regions. Though often politically and economically tied together by an Emperor and sharing a common currency, a common written language, and more or less similar cultures, these various regions had distinct customs, distinct cuisines, and distinct spoken languages.
As the final years of China's dynastic history was coming to a close in the mid- to late-19th century, the country remained a relatively loose assemblage of regions. And even as English, French, German, Portuguese and American entrepreneurs began carving out trade zones and securing colonies in China, there was little sense of unified alarm. Furthermore, internal corruption, cynicism and intra-dynastic quarreling brought on additional fragmentation and destabalization.
Many historians believe that the events of the early 1930s (if not the loss of Taiwan to the Japanese in 1895) planted the seeds of Chinese nationalism. When Japan invaded Manchuria and later moved on through the south and west, a sense of alarm arose throughout the country. Even the two major political groups in China (the Communists under Mao Tse-tung) and the Nationalists under Chiang Kai-shek) united against their common threat. For the Chinese, this "War of Resistance Against Japan" added to the rising tide of nationalism. As this war merged into the even larger conflict, World War II, feelings of Chinese nationalism strengthened.
When World War II came to a close in 1945, the two factions (Communists and Nationalists) resumed their internal conflicts. However, the Nationalists (supported to some degree by the West), were increasingly viewed as no longer representing the best interests of the nation - a nation whose infrastructure was devasted by an 8-year war that had killed at least 20 million of its people. The seeds of nationalism planted by the Japanese invasions soon after grew into the formation of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949.
Vast improvements in transportation, communication, and living standards - particularly since the 1980s - have further strengthened a sense of Chinese cohesiveness and nationalism. Recent events such as the completion of the Three Gorges Dam and the Beijing Olympics have added to the spirit of national pride and unity. And even in tragedy - witness the recent 7.9 earthquake in Sichuan Province - the unity of the Chinese people is increasingly evident.
| | Back to the Top | | | | How many dynasties have there been and during what years did they exist? | | | | | | The precise numbers vary among historians, but China has seen about 18 dynasties come and go, many interrupted by periods of unrest and civil disunity. Here's a brief list:
- Shang Dynasty (1600 - 1050 BC)
- Western Zhou Dynasty (1066 - 771 BC)
- Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 - 221 BC)
- Qin Dynasty (221 - 206 BC)
- Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - AD 9)
- Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25 - 220)
- Sui Dynasty (581 - 618)
- Tang Dynasty (618 - 907)
- Five Dynasties & 10 Kingdoms (907 - 960)
- Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1126)
- Southern Song Dynasty (1127 - 1279)
- Yuan Dynasty (1279 - 1368)
- Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644)
- Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911)
Since 1911, China has passed through something of a rollercoaster ride of political and economic systems. Though officially a communist state since 1949, China has taken increasingly bold steps to adapt a unique blend of socialist centrality with supply-and-demand realities. So far, this adaptation has proved largely successful; living standards and disposable incomes have risen dramatically over the past two decades. | | Back to the Top | | | | Aren't different dynasties noted for different achievements in art, literature and culture? | | | | | | Yes. Chinese history is studied and revered by all Chinese but everyone has their favorite dynasties, emperors and achievements.
For many Chinese, it is the Tang Dynasty that exemplifies the "Golden Age" of their long history. It was a period of economic wealth and political stability, both of which fostered an unprecedented flourish of the arts, literature and science. Other "Golden Ages" often noted are the Song and Ming Dynasties. | | Back to the Top | | | | China Facts & Trivia |
| | | | Chinese Firsts | | | | | | You probably already know that Chinese invented gunpowder (and firecrackers), porcelain (the very reason we call our china "china") and paper. But did you know they were also the first to invent the wheelbarrow, moveable-type printing, the decimal system, the abacus, the umbrella, kites, the harness, the stirrup and the compass? | | Back to the Top | | | | Food Trivia | | | | | | Chinese eat a lot of fish - some 45 pounds per person per year. That's 3 times as much as Americans. Fish-farming was invented in China; so was ice cream, pasta and whiskey. The Chinese have an expression, "We eat anything with four legs but the table; anything that flies but the airplane." | | Back to the Top | | | | Fast Food Trivia | | | | | | Surprise, surprise - the world's #1 Fast Food market is the US! But did you know the #2 spot is held by China? In China, KFC tops the list with over 1,400 outlets - more than any nation outside the U.S. McDonald's claims over 800 locations (3 of them drive-thrus) and their count is growing at therate of 100 new outlets a year.
A drive down a busy shopping boulevard in many cities in China will include KFC, McDonald's, Burger King, Pizza Hut, and Dairy Queen outlets. And in this nation which traces a 5,000-year history of tea drinking, Starbucks now offers over 230 outlets in 22 mainland cities - the first arriving in Beijing in 1999. For a while (2001 - 2007) there was even a Starbucks (albeit small and easy to miss) within that city's Forbidden City! Recently, local opposition forced its closure citing the need to maintain respect and reverence for the Forbidden City's special place in the nation's history. (One could imagine a similar concern if that company were to open up a coffee shop within the Taj Mahal or the U.S. Capitol rotunda!) | | Back to the Top | | | | Panda Ponderings | | | | | |
- Pandas are bears but they don't hibernate. One reason is that they don't have to - they live in a generally equable climate with bamboo - their mainstay - available year round. Secondly, their diet of bamboo would not sustain them during hibernation.
- Pandas eat anywhere from 35 to 65 pounds of bamboo a day - there are some 15 varieties of it they'll consume. But Pandas will also eat the occasional mouse or two if they're really hungry.
- Pandas spend 12 to 16 hours a day eating. Mornings are usually when they're at their hungriest.
- The sex of a Panda can't readily be determined until it's several weeks old.
- Only the Giant Pandas are black and white; the smaller "Red" Pandas are a rusty brown. Red Pandas have long tails. Both are endangered species.
- Adult male Pandas tip the scales at about 275 pounds; females weigh in at around 230.
- The Chinese name for Panda is "Xiongmao" which means "giant bear cat."
- When born, Pandas are all white, blind, and about the size and weight of a large apple.
| | Back to the Top | | | | Hu's on First? Chinese Names | | | | | | China's population is about 1.3 billion but 96% of them share 200 family names. Chinese names are written with the family name first; the given name follows. For instance, the basketball player Yao Ming, if expressed in the Western convention, would be Ming Yao ("Ming" being his first name and "Yao" being his family name).
The Top 10 Chinese family names, in order, are:
- Li
- Wang
- Chang
- Liu
- Chen
- Yang
- Huang
- Chao
- Chou
- Wu
(Hu's not on first; the name ranked #15)
For the record, the Top 10 US family names are, in order: Smith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown, Davis, Miller, Wilson, Moore, Taylor.
| | Back to the Top | | | | Update on a Dam: The Three Gorges | | | | | | May 20, 2006: Concrete for the final wall was poured, completing the dam's main span. Work remains on the $25 billion project, including installation of the 26 hydroelectric turbines expected to provide almost one-ninth of China's electricity needs. Over 100 workers have died during the construction of the dam and about 1.3 million people along the Yangtze River will have been relocated upon the project's completion in 2009. The dam is 607 feet high, over 1 1/4 miles wide. | | Back to the Top | | | | Where's the Wall? | | | | | | The Great Wall of China is shrinking. While there's ongoing and admirable progress in the preservation and reconstruction of the most-visited segments of the Great Wall, outlying segments continue to "disappear." It seems local construction projects (the wall travels through no fewer than 17 Chinese provinces) occasionally "borrow" building materials from the wall. It's ironic that a wall once built to protect its people may soon warrant protection from its people! | | Back to the Top | | | | The Yangtze - the River of Many Names | | | | | | At over 3,800 miles, the Yangtze is the world's third longest river - only the Nile and the Amazon are longer. It covers a lot of territory and it carries a lot of names, too. From its source in the Tibetan Plateau it's locally known as the Danqu; then the Tuotuo, then the Tongtian, and through the Sichuan province it's called the Jinsha. Originally, the name "Yangzi" applied only to the lower, final stretch of the river but as this was the name the first traders from the West heard, it's the name they stuck to the entire river. And, to complicate things just a bit more, most Chinese now call the river the "Chang Jiang," (literally "Long River"). | | Back to the Top | | | | Forbidden City Facts | | | | | | The Forbidden City occupies 170 acres - about twice the size of the Kremlin and over three times the acreage of Buckingham Palace. A 30-foot wall and 20-foot-deep moat surrounds the city. Although off-limits to almost all Chinese for almost 500 years, there were also service staff employed within the Forbidden City who in their lifetimes never set foot outside the walls! | | Back to the Top | | | | That's Easy for You to Say - Chinese Pronunciation | | | | | | First, understand that there are no fewer than 100 spoken dialects of Chinese. Some are so different as to be mutually incomprehensible, although the written language is readable by all. Chinese TV stations, broadcasting primarily in Mandarin (the official Chinese dialect today) frequently offer sub-titles for those who remain unfamiliar with that official dialect. Virtually all young and middle-age people speak Mandarin, as well as their local dialect. Mandarin is the native dialect of the northeast, particular in and around Beijing.
The "Pinyin" (literally, "spell sound") system of employing roman letters to transcribe Mandarin Chinese is now standard. The complexities are well beyond the scope of this FAQ but for starters most letters (at least those at the beginning of a Chinese word) are pronounced as in their approximate English counterparts. Exceptions: Q as in "CH(urch)", ZH as halfway between "J(oke)" and "CH(urch)", G as "K(ite)", X as similar to, but softer than "S(hell)", and Z as "(suDS)". For example, Beijing is pronounced approximately as "Bay Jing," Xian as "Shee-Ahn," Chongqing as "Chong Ching."
For help in Mandarin Chinese pronunciation click here.
| | Back to the Top | | | | Common Chinese Words & Phrases | | | | | | The following are the English word/phrase, followed by the Pinyin equivalent and (within parentheses) the approximate Mandarin Chinese pronunciation:
- Hello: Ni Hao ("Knee-how")
- Hello, how are you?: ("Knee-how Mah?)
- Goodbye: Zaijian ("Dzai-jyen")
- Please: Qing ("Cheeng")
- Thank you: Xie-xie ("Shyeh-shyeh")
- Yes: Shi ("Sher")
- No: Bu ("Boo")
- No - I'm not interested: Bu Yao. ("Boo Yow")
- How much? Duoshao ("Dwo-shahw)
- Sorry: Dui bu qi ("Dway boo chee")
| | Back to the Top | | | | One, two, three, four... | | | | | | Here are the numbers, from One to Ten:
- One: Yi ("EE")
- Two: Er ("Ehrr" - similar to "Air")
- Three: San ("Sahn")
- Four: Si ("Sue")
- Five: Wu ("Woo")
- Six: Liu ("Lee-oo")
- Seven: Qi ("Chee")
- Eight: Ba ("Bah")
- Nine: Jiu ("Jioh")
- Ten: Shi ("Shure" -similar to "sure")
Keep in mind, the above pronunciations are approximations. Your Let's Travel China Tour Escort will have you speaking like a local by the end or your tour!
It should also be added here that Chinese "count" with their fingers. Much as we will hold up our index finger or thumb to indicate "one," or all five fingers to indicate "five," the Chinese do likewise. But they continue to ten and beyond. Again, your Tour Escort will be your teacher and you'll quickly learn the numbers for 6 and above. | | Back to the Top | | | | Recommended Reading |
| | | | What guide books do you recommend? | | | | | | There are dozens of excellent guide books to China. Our first recommendation, however, is to choose the newest guide books available - preferably no older than 2 years.
- "China: DK - Eyewitness Travel Guide" is excellent.
- "Lonely Planet: China" is also excellent.
- "National Geographic Traveler China" offers beautiful photography.
| | Back to the Top | | | | Are there any novels, history books or videos on Chinese culture you recommend? | | | | | | Yes - there are many!
- "Swallowing Clouds: A Playful Journey Through Chinese Culture, Language & Cuisine" by A. Zee. This book provides a humorous yet informative slant on Chinese culture. You'll learn the histories of Chinese characters - both the language kind and the sometimes colorful personalities in Chinese history and legend.
- "The Cambridge Illustrated History of China" by Patricia Buckley Ebrey, is one of the best illustrated history books on China to be found anywhere.
- "1421: The Year China Discovered America" by Gavin Menzies. Though controversial (most historians dismiss the author's theory that Chinese explorations included trips up the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, for example) Menzies' work remains compelling and the book makes for a good read!
- "The Genius of China" by Robert Templeton. As inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs over thousands - not just hundreds - of years, the author suggests we re-consider and take notice of the vast scientific and engineering potential of this nation. (Each year, China graduates more English-speaking electrical engineers than does the U.S.!)
- "The Great Wall: From Beginning to End" by Michael Yamashita. This excellent book features 160 Great Wall images by the world-famous National Geographic photographer, Michael Yamashita (text by William Lindesay accompanies the photos).
- "Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China" by Jung Chang. This book comes to us under recommendation of one of our tour participants, J. Banks. Tracing the lives of three women (grandmother, mother and daughter), the reader can gain important insight into the recent history of the Chinese people.
- "China's Brave New World - And Other Tales for Global Times" by Jeffrey Wasserstrom. This excellent book comes to us by tour participant M. Fisher. Mr. Wasserstrom has made multiple journeys to China over the past 20 years; his observations and experiences are honest, entertaining and revealing.
- "Not One Less" Directed by Yimou Zhang; starring Minzhi Wei, Huike Zhang. This video tells a heart-rending story of a 13-year-old student at a rural school who has been given the respsonsibility of watching over the class while the schoolmaster has left to care for an ailing mother.
| | Back to the Top | | | | What interesting websites should I check out before leaving for China? | | | | | | Here again, there are dozens. Our list includes these four sources:
- For common Mandarin Chinese phrases and a helpful pronunciation guide click here.
- For information on the Chinese zodiac click here.
- For Wikipedia's Chinese History Timeline click here.
- An excellent "Travelogue" website is offered up by David Wong, an American ex-pat now living in Urumqi, China. He travels frequently throughout China and his writings and photos are well-presented and informative. To access his website click here.
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