Tag Archives: culture
Interpreting the Grass-mud Horse
The sudden popularity of the phrase Cao Ni Ma (草泥马) or Grass-mud Horse in the Chinese cyberspace perplexed many non-Chinese speakers. If you can understand it, you will gain such penetrating insights into the cyber culture in China.
The Kang Bed in Northern Chinese Villages
1. What is it? The Kang bed is a sleeping platform widely seen in the villages of Northern China. It is a rectangular construction built on the ground of the room, and is usually located by a window. As its other name—Fire Kang—suggests, it is mainly a heated bed, which is indispensable in the rural [...]
The Top Five Culture Shocks You are Likely to Encounter in China
The five culture shocks listed here are not meant to a slur on my fellow countryman, although regrettably, China does need to improve in some of the areas listed below. Please keep two things in mind when reading this article: China is fast modernizing and many things will eventually get better; do not let these [...]
Confucianism Summed up in Three Hundred Words
This is a very concise summary of Confucius and his thoughts. This is not meant to be comprehensive, but the core ideas of Confucianism are presented here. 1. Who is Confucius? A spiritual leader and teacher born 2500 years ago, Confucius is recognized as a culturally symbolic figure of Chinese thinking. He was the founder [...]
The U.S. Dollar Inspired Spirit Money
Qing Ming or the Tomb Sweeping Day is the time for Chinese people to visit tombs, present offerings and burn the spirit money for the deceased. It typically falls on April 4, 5 or 6 every year. Last Friday, I was surprised to see that street stalls were selling the spirit money that looked like [...]
The Most Popular Instant Messenger in China
Although I don’t like QQ and use it only on rare occasions, I have to admit it is the most popular instant messenger program in China. Especially for teens and twenty somethings, this program is a must-have. QQ was known earlier as OICQ. It changed the name into QQ in 2001 because of its copyright [...]
A New Way to Find your Chinese Zodiac Sign
Your Chinese zodiac sign may be a rooster, but you are actually influenced by the dog sign. How could this be possible? 1. The Chinese calendar is lunisolar The Chinese calendar is both lunar and solar based (lunisolar). Nearly all the important traditional Chinese festivals are celebrated on the basis of moon phases. The solar [...]
Noisy Eaters? Not a Big Deal in China
The Importance of Living by Dr. Lin Yutang was once the best-selling book in America in 1938. In this book, he explains why Chinese don’t think it is a big deal to make noises when eating. Read it with a sense of humor:
The Chinese Table Manners
When you eat with Chinese people, the general rule of thumb is: just enjoy your food and don’t worry too much about the table manners. Still, the following tips may prove helpful when you are in China: It is quite alright to smack the lips or make “noises” when eating. Use two hands when passing [...]
Does China have daylight savings time?
China briefly observed daylight savings time from 1986 to 1991, but suspended it in 1992. One important reason for this is that China, the fourth largest country in the world, only has one time zone (UTC+8). Moving the clock an hour ahead would further widen the time differences between the east and west part of China. Here is an account by an American living in Xinjiang. Read more »