Living in China, you soon learn that Chinese traditions play an integral role in everyday life for

every person. It is at the very core of Chinese culture and revolves around values and how people
interact with each other, gives a sense of personal identity and sense of self worth. These
traditional values help people solve common human problems for survival and become the roots
of tradition that Chinese people find important in their day-to-day lives.
Values for one society may seem strange to another society, but nonetheless, they are important
to that society. For instance, the painful and debilitating Chinese tradition of foot binding, as
bizarre as it may seem to our culture, to the Chinese people, it was the esoteric essence of pure
beauty and signified status within the family structure, allowing young women with lotus feet
better opportunities for marriage with well-to-do families.
Traditional Chinese courtyard life, in existence until the early 1900s, was a unique lifestyle
where Chinese families and neighbours lived in very close quarters sharing a common
courtyard and everyone knowing everyone elses business. Special rules applied for who
occupied which space in certain directions. Read more about it by clicking the link above.
Chinese Chopsticks, born of necessity in the earliest times, highly influenced the eating and
cooking traditions still followed today in China. Click on the link above to learn more about the
history of Chinese chopsticks.
Have you ever seen those beautiful tied Chinese knots? Did you know that each different design
is a good luck wish? One of the most popular knots is double happiness, which in Chinese
tradition is given to newlyweds, signifying a wish for their luck and happiness to double.
Xing, Shi and Ming are the most common Chinese family names. There are only 22 ancient
Chinese surnames still in use today. The family name indicated a blood tie within the Chinese
social structure and was a symbol of class. In ancient China, 5,000 to 6,000 years ago, women
were the clan leaders and marriages were only allowed among certain classes.
There are many colorful Chinese Festivals happening all year round. There are some major ones
that span out over several days or several weeks that are celebrated all across China, and then
there are the ones celebrated in different regions of China by the 53 different minority groups.
Chinese Festivals offer a unique insight into the rich 5000 year history and traditions of China. If
you are living in China, the Chinese people will graciously invite you to be part of their
traditional celebrations. Click the link above to check out some interesting celebrations like Qing
Ming - graveyard cleaning and picnic time, the Water Splashing Festival in Yunnan, Chinese
Valentine's Day, Dragon Boat Festival and more.
Beijing Opera is a uniquely Chinese form of theatre that relates stories of romance, legend and
battles. There used to be troupes that travelled China to put on the shows, but today, the best
place to enjoy it is in Beijing. Chinese Shadow Puppetry is an ancient form of storytelling which
was popular during the Song Dynasty during the holiday season. The stories of the shadow
puppets told of events that had happened elsewhere in the country and stories with a Buddhist
background.

The Japanese culture is a multi-layered and complex system that has been developing within
itself and forming new layers for thousands of years. When Westerners think of Japanese culture,
perhaps one of the first images that spring to mind is one of an ancient Samurai warrior wielding
his heavy sword, or perhaps they picture a young Geisha, pouring tea and serving sushi. While
these elements do play some role in the entire concept of Japan as a whole, the entire meaning
and history of the nation is larger than that.
This is a brief introduction to some concepts that would help define the role of public relations as
practiced in Japan. Although the Japanese like to think of themselves as atune to nature, much of
urban Japan is an industrialized, built-up mess. This is the result of ad hoc redevelopment after
the war(1). In Japan, there is a word, omote, which refers to the public, formal, and conventional
aspects of behavior(7). This can refer to ingrained patterns of behavior, such as how close to one
another people stand, or who shakes whose hand first at a meeting. It also can allude to behavior
in business affairs and events in a business setting. Ura, which is more valued, refers to the
private, informal, and unconventional aspects of culture(7).
Japanese people see this mode of behavior as more valuable and meaningful, however, one only
acts this way with close friends or family members.The Japanese value outside appearances very
much. This is not to say that they do not value what is private and hidden, but much importance
is placed on one's presentation and appearance.
To demonstrate this point, the Japanese businessman is compared to a Samurai warrior or
kamikaze pilot in "The Idea of Japan," "The Japanese know that you never come to a negotiation
showing your true nature. To deal effectively with you, they must find this out...It's a game of
masks at which the Japanese are adept."(3) The book goes on to cite Japan's defeat in World War
II as an open wound, and the Japanese are looking to reassert themselves through their new
economic power(3).
Social ranking and status play a part in many major institutions that one goes through in a
lifetime. In Japan, everyone is aware of everyone else's age. In some companies, newsletters that
display the ages of employees are produced for internal distribution(1). Vertical ranking, based
mainly on age, determines everything from the location of desks in a classroom to the order in
which cups of tea are distributed. These rankings are even pervasive in the language, which has
different ways of addressing others in regard to their age, whether older or younger(1).
Traditionally, the Japanese place great importance on the concept of wa, or group harmony. The value
of the common greater good is more important than valuing one's own needs. This principle is applied
in schools, as well as social groups and, later in life, the workplace(7).
The inferior partner in a relationship, whether personal or business, must allay their own wants,
thoughts, and opinions to that of the superior, so as not to cause the superior to lose face or be
humiliated. The appearance, or tatemae, is more important than the reality, or honne. Although this
may appear as hypocritical or negative to the eyes of westerners, to the Japanese this may be

completely normal(2).
Filipinos highly value the presence of their families more than anything. Regardless of the liberal
influence they have gotten from the west, the family remained the basic unit of their society. This trait
clearly shows among Filipinos abroad who suffer homesickness and tough work just to support their
families back home in the Philippines.
In a traditional Filipino family, the father is considered the head and the provider of the family while the
mother takes responsibility of the domestic needs and in charge of the emotional growth and values
formation of the children. They both perform different tasks and being remarked separately by the
children. Children see their mothers soft and calm, while they regard their fathers as strong and the
most eminent figure in the family.
Because of this remarkable closeness, parents sometimes have difficulties letting go of their children
and thus results to having them stay for as long as they want. For this somehow explains why
grandparents are commonly seen living with their children in the Philippines. Unlike the way people
grow old in the west where they are provided with outside homes and care giving, Filipino elderly enjoy
their remaining lives inside their houses with their children and grandchildren looking after them.
Another trait Filipinos made themselves exceptional from others is their strong respect for elders.
Children are taught from birth how to say po and opo to teach them as early as possible how to
properly respect their elders. These words are used to show respect to people of older level. Even
adults will be criticized for not using these words when speaking with their parents or people older than
them. Inside the family, the parents are expected to receive the highest respect from the children along
with the elder siblings; as they are given more responsibilities to look after younger siblings when
parents are not around.
Children fighting back or addressing parents or elder siblings with arrogant tone are not at all tolerated.
They are also not allowed to leave the house without their parents permission. Upon arriving home,
conservative families expect children to practice the kissing of hands or placing their parents or elder
family members hand to their foreheads with the words mano po as a sort of greeting.
Even after finishing school, Filipino children are not obliged to get out of their homes unless they want
to. In fact, most of them keep their close relationship to their parents by staying at least before they get
married. Leaving them happens only when they really have to, but usually, at least one child,
depending on his willingness and financial capabilities, stay even after marriage to support and look
after their aging parents.
More over, Filipinos keep close connection with other relatives. They recognize them from 2nd degree
to the last they can identify. As Filipinos say, not being able to know a relative is like turning their backs
from where they come from.