Chinese Culture：You must know these

Chinese traditional culture, embodying the essence of the nation’s 5,000-year history, is profound and wide-ranging. Tourists immersed in Chinese life witness its daily expression. For a richer travel experience, understanding its core aspects is essential.

Beijing Opera

Peking opera, as a shining pearl of Chinese traditional culture, has a long history of more than 200 years. It combines music, singing performance, pantomime, dance and acrobatics, presenting an intricate artistic aesthetic. This art form is not only loved by domestic audiences, but also highly praised by international friends.

Peking opera originated in Beijing during the Qing Dynasty around 1840 and reached its artistic peak in the 1930s. During this period, it was not only popular in Beijing, but its influence also extended to the entire Hebei Province and surrounding areas including Tianjin.

The Roots of Beijing Opera

Peking opera originated in China. It is a kind of opera art that has gradually developed and grown on the basis of local operas such as Anhui Hui opera, Hubei Han opera, Jiangsu Kunqu opera and Shaanxi Qinqiang opera, drawing on the strengths of various operas. Peking opera music belongs to the Banqiang style, with percussion instruments such as gongs and drums as the main instruments, and string instruments such as erhu (known as the “Chinese violin”), huqin, and yueqin (known as the “moon guitar”), etc. This accompaniment method makes the music of Peking opera more expressive and has a unique artistic charm.

Expression

Its artistic expression is rich and varied, mainly including four major performance skills: singing, acting, reciting, and fighting. Singing refers to singing skills, acting refers to performance movements, reciting refers to spoken dialogue, and fighting refers to fighting scenes and skills. These skills are the basis for Peking Opera actors to learn since they were young.

There are many types of roles in Peking Opera, mainly divided into five major roles: Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, and Chou, each of which has its own unique style and characteristics. Among them, the “Sheng” role is mainly responsible for playing male roles, which are divided into Wensheng and Wusheng; the “Dan” role plays female roles, which can be divided into Qingyi, Huadan, etc.; the “Jing” role plays male roles with strong or rough personalities, usually requiring facial makeup; the “Mo” role plays middle-aged male roles with changeable personalities; the “Chou” role is known for its humor and wit, and mostly plays comedy roles.

Each role has its own matching characteristic costumes and masks, and the colors and patterns on these costumes and masks contain profound meanings, which can show the character traits and emotional state of the characters. For example, red usually symbolizes loyalty, bravery and chivalry, black represents uprightness, and white often represents sinisterness and treachery.

chinese Kung Fu

Chinese Kung Fu, also known as Wushu, has a long history and originated in ancient China. It is a remarkable art form that combines exercise, practical self-defense and discipline. It has become famous as an important part of Chinese culture.

The art form is known for its dynamic and smooth movements. In most cases, Chinese Kung Fu is practiced with bare hands, but sometimes simple weapons such as sticks are used.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, many schools of Chinese Kung Fu were created and flourished. Among them, Tai Chi, Xingyiquan and Baguanquan are the most famous. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, since 1949, Chinese Kung Fu has won global recognition and love.

Shaolin Kung Fu

Shaolin Kung Fu is one of the oldest and most well-known forms of Chinese martial arts, combining Zen philosophy with martial arts techniques.
This unique martial arts system originated from the Shaolin Temple in Dengfeng, Henan Province. The temple is famous for its beautiful natural scenery, magnificent mountains, lush green trees, fresh air, and tranquil environment. These superior natural conditions provide a unique environment for practicing martial arts, helping practitioners to achieve spiritual tranquility and concentration.

Tai Chi

Tai Chi, a Chinese martial arts style, is widely praised for its profound historical heritage and unique effects in strengthening the body. It has now been widely adopted as a popular fitness method around the world.
When traveling in China, you can often see men, women, young and old, practicing Tai Chi in parks or open areas in the early morning, especially the elderly. Through the practice of Tai Chi, they not only exercise their bodies, but also embody a life attitude of traditional Chinese culture.

Famous Actors

Mr. Bruce Lee, as a world-renowned Chinese martial artist and movie star, has made outstanding contributions to the promotion of Chinese martial arts culture.
Since the release of his martial arts-centric movies, Chinese Kung Fu has won unprecedented attention and love around the world.

Chinese Tea

When talking about Chinese culture, tea naturally becomes an important topic. Chinese tea culture is a long-standing tradition that involves both the processing and the enjoyment of tea, which is significantly different from the tea culture of Europe and Japan.

There are many types of Chinese tea, including the world-renowned green tea, oolong tea, black tea, scented tea, white tea and yellow tea, each with its own unique color, aroma and taste.

In China, drinking tea has been sublimated into an art, called tea-making. This is not only an appreciation of the quality of tea, but also a spiritual meditation and social activity.

In the busy daily life, occasionally stopping, brewing a pot of tea, and tasting it alone in a quiet corner can not only refresh the mind, but also purify the soul. Usually, Chinese people prefer to enjoy the fragrance of tea in places with fresh air and quiet environment.

China is famous for its beautiful gardens, which have breathtaking landscapes and a peaceful atmosphere. Drinking tea in these gardens has always been one of the favorite elegant things for Chinese people, representing a spiritual enjoyment and social pleasure.

Chinese Zodiac Signs

The zodiac is widely known in many countries in Asia, Eastern Europe and North Africa, including China. The Chinese Zodiac, also known as the “Chinese Zodiac“, is a unique way of counting years in my country. It combines the twelve earthly branches with the twelve zodiac animals to represent people born in different years. This cycle repeats every twelve years.

In China, the rat is traditionally used as the starting constellation of the zodiac. The twelve zodiac signs are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, chicken, dog and pig, and each sign corresponds to a specific earthly branch and Chinese character. In Chinese astrology, the zodiac animal corresponding to the year represents how others perceive you or how you present yourself to the outside world.

In addition, the zodiac has an important function, which is to help calculate a person’s age. By knowing the current zodiac year, we can calculate someone’s actual age. For example, if the Year of the Ox is 2011, then a person born in 2011 under the sign of the Ox may be 12, 24, 36 or 48 years old, while a person born in the year of the Rabbit may be two years younger than the Ox.

In China, the year of birth of the zodiac animal is called the “Benmingnian”. It is a folk custom that in the Benmingnian, people wear red clothing, such as socks, ribbons, clothes, underwear, belts or bracelets, etc., to seek good luck and avoid evil.

Table Manners

As an important part of Chinese culture, table manners carry rich cultural connotations.
In social occasions, this etiquette is not only reflected in the basic links such as inviting guests, seating, and dining, but also in the details of using daily necessities such as chopsticks and teapots, which together constitute the elegance and harmony of Chinese food culture.

Inviting guests

When the guest enters the room, the host will stand to welcome him until he sits down. The host is responsible for ordering the food, and the guest needs to remain humble and listen.
Before the meal, the host will take the initiative to propose a toast to show respect and welcome to the guest. After the guest expresses his gratitude for the host’s invitation, the host will invite the guest of honor to taste the delicious food first.

Seating

In Chinese culture, round tables are a common dining table for gatherings. At a round table, the seat facing the entrance is usually considered a distinguished seat and should be reserved for the person of the highest status. The seats to the left of the guest of honor are arranged in descending order of importance.

Eating

Most food should be picked up with chopsticks, and only in rare cases should it be picked up with hands. When drinking soup, avoid making sucking sounds.
During the meal, the host should ensure that every guest can taste every dish. The Lazy Susan (or turntable) should not be turned if someone is eating from the plate with chopsticks.

Chopsticks

Chopsticks are used primarily in Chinese meals, and there are certain protocols governing their use. Chopsticks are not used to play with food or common dishes, and should be neatly placed aside after use.
It is impolite to point at someone with chopsticks. Never use chopsticks to dig into food in common dishes. Chopsticks should not be banged like drums.

Teapot

China’s tea drinking culture has a long history, and there are some special etiquettes to follow when using a teapot. First of all, you should never point the teapot directly at anyone, which is considered extremely rude.
If you want to make tea for yourself, remember to ask others if they need more tea first, and be sure to serve others before pouring tea for yourself. This not only shows respect for others, but also makes the entire tea drinking process more harmonious and beautiful.

China Cuisine

China boasts a culinary tradition of over 5,000 years, with a food culture that reflects its vast civilization. Its cuisine is renowned for its distinctive seasonings, masterful cooking techniques, varied ingredients, and memorable flavors, universally adored by food enthusiasts worldwide.

China’s food styles vary, together forming the eight major culinary schools in China, including Cantonese cuisine, Shandong cuisine, Jiangsu cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Fujian cuisine, Hunan cuisine, Anhui cuisine and Zhejiang cuisine. Each cuisine has its own unique characteristics and charm, showing the richness of Chinese food culture.

Sichuan Cuisine

Sichuan cuisine, originating from Sichuan Province in southwest China, is known for its unique flavor. Garlic, chili, pepper, ginger, peanuts, and sesame paste are commonly used in Sichuan cuisine cooking, giving it a bold and spicy flavor. This distinctive taste has made Sichuan cuisine famous worldwide. Among its most representative dishes is hot pot soup.

Anhui Cuisine

Anhui cuisine originated in the Huangshan region of China and reflects the local traditional cooking methods. Its flavor is somewhat similar to Jiangsu cuisine. The cuisine is less focused on seafood and more on local herbs and vegetables. Due to the influence of geographical conditions, Anhui has abundant bamboo and mushrooms, which have become key ingredients in Anhui cuisine.

Shandong Cuisine

Shandong cuisine, also known as Lu cuisine, is an important part of the imperial family’s imperial diet. It is widely popular in North China and less common in the south. Its cooking methods are diverse, including classic dishes such as braised abalone, sweet and sour fish and Texas chicken, especially the nine-turn large intestine. Don’t miss it.

Fujian Cuisine

Fujian cuisine, also known as Min cuisine, is one of the eight major Chinese cuisines. It uses fresh mushrooms and bamboo shoots as the main ingredients to create unique woodland cuisine. Fujian cuisine is often served in soups, which are carefully cooked by stewing, steaming, boiling, etc.

Su Cuisine

Jiangsu cuisine, also known as Su cuisine, is a fusion of the styles of Yangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou and Zhenjiang. It is widely popular for its unique flavors and cooking techniques. If you visit the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, you might as well try authentic Jiangsu delicacies such as Jinling salt-marinated duck, crystal meat, and crab shell meatballs.

Cantonese Cuisine

Or Guangdong cuisine, one of the eight major Chinese cuisines, has a long history and enjoys an international reputation. The most representative Cantonese dish is dim sum, and these small delicacies are mostly cooked by steaming, frying, stewing and roasting. In addition, rice noodle rolls, lotus leaf rice, and radish cakes are also common delicacies on Cantonese menus.

Hunan Cuisine

Hunan cuisine, often called Hunan cuisine, is loved by chefs for its spicy, fresh and colorful flavors. Traditional cooking methods include stewing, frying, and roasting. Thanks to Hunan’s rich agricultural resources, the local area is able to use a variety of fresh ingredients.

Zhejiang Cuisine

Also known as Zhejiang cuisine, it is one of the eight major culinary traditions in China, and is characterized by light taste and soft flavor. Zhejiang cuisine is mainly composed of four styles: Hangzhou style, Shaoxing style, Ningbo style and Shanghai style, each with its own unique ingredients. For example, Hangzhou style is famous for bamboo shoots, Shaoxing’s freshwater fish, Ningbo’s seafood and Shanghai’s snacks are all unique.

Chinese Festivals

China has a long history of more than 5,000 years. During your visit to China, you will find many traditional festivals.
For example, the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival. Each festival has its own unique symbols and traditions. By learning more about these festivals, you will be able to appreciate the charm of Chinese culture more comprehensively.