China and its’ Culture The older and the more I grow up the more I realize how different cultures are around the world. Based on geography and and size many different things can vary. One culture that sticks out to me and was something that for me is very unusual is the Chinese culture. Based on one’s his or hers ancestors people in China differentiate their culture in language, population, religion, and food. To begin, language is something that differentiates us and for China they all speak chinese. There are seven main groups of dialect which each have their own variations. Mandarin dialect is spoken by about 71.5 percent of the population, then the Wu which is 8.5 percent, the Yue which is also known as the Cantonese and is spoken by about 5 percent. Then is the Xiang and the amount of people who speak it is 4.8 percent, Min is 4.1 percent, and Hakka is 3.7 percent, and lastly, is Gan and only 2.4 percent speak it. Standard Chinese which as I mentioned above is Mandarin, is based on the Beijing dialect and as from the amount of population that speaks it you can see that it would be the national language. In schools and things this is the language that is taught but based on where in China you live it can vary. Language variations are more common in areas like central and southern China. When looking more into actually how their language looks it is quite interesting. They use characters and little marks, thoughts, or principles. They use what is called the Romanized
It doesn’t matter what kind of ethnicity you are, or how you were brought up. Everyone is deeply rooted in their own culture. “Culture” has a different meaning to everyone. Comparing American culture to Chinese culture we will find many different meanings to the word “culture”. For example, we Americans are always looking for something bigger and better for our future, and the Chinese are content with a small reserved lifestyle with no intentions of changing it for something bigger. A culture is a way of life of a group of people-the behaviors, beliefs, values, and symbols that they accept, generally without thinking about them, and are passed along by communication and imitation from
Ancient Chinese symbolism, myths and traditions promoted a distinct culture in China as is evidenced by creating a unique architecture, reflecting a spiritual aesthetic in art and literature, and prompting the observance of ancient customs. The Ancient Chinese left an indelible mark on China’s culture. The first Chinese communities that settled the Yellow River basin and spread their belief set in motion a worldview that influenced the Chinese people and caused a dominate culture to emerge. Each generation was accustomed to accepting the stories that had been passed down by previous generation. Since the symbols, myths and traditions were popular and deeply embedded into society the customs were easy to maintain.
China is a big country where traditions vary depending on the region and the ethnicity (Zimmerman, 2015). Some of the ethnic groups that integrate the Chinese culture are the Han Chinese which is the larger group with more than 900 million people (Zimmerman, 2015); the Mongols, the Manchus, the Naxi, the Tibetans, and the Hezhen. Each group represents a region of China and the variety on its customs and traditions are what make China one of the richest cultures of the World.
Furthermore, the language, art, and celebrations are a few of the intriguing aspects of the Chinese culture. Initially, there are seven dominant dialects of the Chinese language. Each of these languages also have their own variations. For instance, Mandarin dialects are spoken by 71.5 percent, Wu 8.5 percent, and Yu (also known as Cantonese) 5
1 in 6 adults residing in what was once among the most literate nations in the world have been deemed “functionally illiterate”. During the 1800s, over 90% of the former nations population could speak our native tongue. Currently, only about 0.2% of our population is fluent in the indigenous language. Welcome to Hawaiʻi!
There are about 195 countries worldwide, yet if one were to be questioned about any one specific culture, they would not be able to answer. As already known, the United States is a country of immigrants. It could be described as “a ‘melting pot’ in which different cultures have contributed their own distinct ‘flavors’ to American culture” (Zimmermann, 2017). One of the most distinct cultures that have entered America would have to be the Chinese culture. China is a unique country in itself yet with so much to learn, it is safe to say that the average person would not know a small fraction of what makes up the Chinese culture. China, as every other country, is unique due to its tourism, customs, family life, and its government.
The culture changes throughout the world as the language, values beliefs, traditions, or customs change as you roam across it. Although I know of perhaps a little of it, just an eighteenth of what I could possibly can possible, there are many cultures that are throughout this world and although my mom is from Europe I can’t possibly say that I have more than one culture within my household. Culture
This paper focuses on two cultural artifacts and portray the differences between China Western Han dynasty (206 BC-9 AD) and Athen, Greece (ca. 50-540BC) vessels. To this end, this paper will provide insight into skilled vase techniques between two cultural regions.
Cultural values are the core principles and ideals upon which societies exist. Those values reflect several parts of a community, including customs, traditions, rituals, and religious beliefs among others. Cultural values are passed along from one generation to another and define the way of our everyday life. With the increase in globalization, it is important to understand cross-cultural values, and as parents or educators who are involved in the process of raising the next generation to understand some cross-cultural values and guide the children to appreciate the diverse environment that surrounds them in class, in playgrounds, or even in families.
To a great extent the European imperialism undermined Chinese culture, Chinese culture is one of the world’s oldest cultures, around thousands of years old. The area in which the culture is dominant covers a large geographic region in which eastern Asia with customs and traditions varying, greatly between provinces, cities, and even towns as well. About 1.4 billion people live in China, with each community creating their own culture.
China’s culture saw some drastic changes during the 19th and 20th centuries, from the influx of new influences from the West to the more culturally sterile regime of Mao Zedong. In the early 20th century, Shanghai was a top cultural center in the East, and its achievements, although almost lost due to decades of conflict and political struggle, were preserved and built upon in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Following the social reforms, post-Mao China was ripe for reintroduction of culture, and Taiwan’s close proximity and similar origins helped smooth the transition and pave the way for China’s return from the cultural dark ages.
The majority of people are some Chinese, although there are many ethnic groups that would all be considered “Chinese,” the most common being Han. The next most common race is Mongol, followed by Korean, Russian, and Uzbek. Unlike the United States, there are two official languages in China, Mandarin Chinese and Standard Mandarin. Mandarin Chinese is mostly spoken in the north and southwest parts of the country and Standard Mandarin is mainly spoken everywhere else. The two most followed religions in China are Buddhism and Taoism.
Chinese culture is truly one of the great civilization our world has come across. It boasts a vast geographic expanse, over 4000 years of written history, as well as a rich and profound traditional society. Many aspects of Chinese civilization can be traced back many centuries. It is so diverse and unique, yet harmoniously blended, and presents itself a priceless benefit to the world.
The Chinese alphabet is very different from the others because characters represent whole ideas, concepts, or words. The dialect does not determine the symbols to be used and they are uniform throughout the different dialects. Chinese people speak the Mandarin and Cantonese. Cantonese dialect happens to be common and it is mainly spoken in the south while Mandarin is common in the northern part of the country. It is worth noting that a dialect is the way words are pronounced but not how they are written. Moreover, it is
China has about five thousand years history which is a very long period of time. Also, the Chinese civilization was growing with these periods of time and it will continues greater than ever. Many wars and unhappinesses were happening during this period. Although, the time has passed, the histories and the civilizations have not passed. These family virtues, serious, working attitudes, sense of justice and the great Confucian tradition have been deeply assimilated into the Chinese people. Some Chinese traditions are different from North American’s. The Chinese culture has many special characteristics which are very interesting for people to learn.