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Q: What aspect of Chinese culture do you like most?
And here's the reverse of my question from yesterday. We all have things to bitch about, but what about the positive aspects of Chinese culture? For me, it's got to be the kindness of strangers. Numerous times have I found myself invited to random strangers' homes for dinner with no motive other than to learn more about me and my culture.
well, to know the two sides of Chinese Culture, i think that you need to stay long enough in China or learn Chinese.
a lot of superficial things that can be seen easily and those things that you may not like. many others can be only seen if you have very close Chinese friends or you share the same language. the Chinese humor, for example, is one of the things. And also the way Chinese treats family....
There is no single Chinese culture. There are 56 recognised ethnic groups in China, each with their own distinctive culture and subcultures, and all vastly different from the others.
My favourite of these cultures would have to be the Tibetans. They have maintained their traditional culture far more than most of the others, even while facing great adversity.
mattsm84:
I think we can safely assume that the OP means Han culture. Its the dominant one, and the one that the central government in Beijing is actively trying to impose on the people living Tibet and Xinjiang. Although to be fair the CCP isn't the only Chinese government to do something like this. The KTM did something similar to the Tiawanese after the end of the civil war, and the Qing dynasty imposed a great deal of Manchurian culture, like wardrobe and hair cuts, on the south of China, which was mostly Han, when they defeated the Ming dynasty.
Traveler:
They are hardly justification for far greater atrocities in the 21st century.
mattsm84:
I don't intend them as justifications, but rather using them to create context through a set of historical precedents. I'm sure that history will judge them for what they are doing now, and I'm sure that the Chinese will realize that there is a better way to go about doing what they are doing, although before they do they'll have to reappraise their relationship with harmony/conformity.
I really like their dedication to family. Actually, one thing that does cause me shame while living here is that my family back in the US can often seem cold by comparison. On the flip side of that, I think that developing a system of morality based solely around how one treats his or her family or institutions that are judged to be family like takes the whole thing a step or two too far. But on the day to day its a wonderful thing to truly be a part of and its probably the one single thing that couldn't get anywhere else and couldn't live without now that I have it. When my wife and I move back to the US, I hope that its something that we can instill in our family. Although anybody that's seen the Godfather can tell you how long that can be expected to last...
That said, I realize that it could be a major liability if they are bat shit insane, as seems to be the case with Pogger's in-laws. Still though, that does make my wife's family seem even that much better that they're not crazy (or at least haven't yet lost their minds.)
I also like their dedication to education. Sometimes I think they get a little caught up and the method, memorizing the material by rote so that they can do well on a test, that they lose sight of the goal, understanding the material so that they are better prepared for adult life. That I make a pretty good living off of it is just icing on the cake though.
Willingness to work,
Willingness to learn,
Unwillingness to accept welfare
Realisation and acceptance that your life and the lives of those who depend on you is your responsibility and yours alone.
These points of course have counters, but that is not what this thread is asking.
Their love for their country. Every Chinese is proud to be Chinese, you can't see that in my country.
Their respect for teachers, back at home teaching is more challenging.
Their filial piety is worth observing. In Russia youngsters fly the nest as soon as they are 18 & many don't even bother to call their parents.
Their respect for seniors, old people back at home don't enjoy such a privilege.
Traveler:
China has this month passed laws forcing adult children to visit their parents, as it is a major social problem.
There were more than 100,000 protests involving more than 100 people last year, all against government. People seem very dissatisfied with the country they live in.
I like old history and architecture. My first trip to China was to see sites. I was a bit disappointed that China has so few monuments from the past. The Great Wall is mostly ruined and showed me that Chinese build stairs and still do that are not safe, easy or comfortable to walk on.
Culture, define it? Culture: The system of shared beliefs, values, customs, behaviours, and artifacts that the members of society use to cope with their world and with one another, and that are transmitted from generation to generation through learning. Also The arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively.
I think people are people, but I think the Chinese suffer from superstition, ignorance and often irrational thinking.
The most positive aspect of Chinese culture has to be all the legs. So many legs.
TedDBayer:
I think my glasses have a special coating on them ,so I don't see men. I can zero in on a nice woman from about half a mile.
1,diligence
2,open to foreign culture and religions,willing to learn from the developed countries
3,value education
4,value families
5,their personalities are peaceful rather than aggressive, they are quite humble in general
6,generally speaking,Chinese are quite patriotic,even after they have moved to the other countries.Though many people want to go overseas,it doesn't mean they don't like China,they emigrate just to get more money or a better environment(as China is indeed quite polluted and the education is far behind many west countries).In the other words,they go oversea just for material reasons rather than dislike of China.Also I have to confess that there are a lot of people not content with the party now,but the party is the party,it isn't equal to the country.Maybe many people dislike the party,but most Chinese do like the country.
7,respect for the elders and teachers
8,hospitable to foreigners(though they maybe kind to cold to their compatriots sometimes.)
i just name a few,there must be some others.I wrote the above from a general level,it means ,most Chinese are like this,but there are certain to be exceptions considering the numerous people in this country.I think i have said too much,don't take me as a wumao.I can write even more when it comes to the bad points,you know that.
this my change but the cut throat western way of lay off the older more compensated for the younger cheaper worker is not as prevalent here. and older people can still work and make an income. some may say this is better efficiency but i always hated firing older workers when i was told to do so in the corporate world, guess thats why i left the corporate bs, i hope they keep some respect for the elders but this is probably the foolishness of my alter ego.
