Chinese

Culture

Chinas
profile

GeneralFactsaboutChina

China, an ancient, mysterious and beautiful

land, is always appealing to adventurous
foreign visitors. As the third largest country
in the world occupying an area of 9,600,000
sq km, it spans 62 degrees of longitude and 49
degrees of latitude. A wide variety of terrain
and climate shape its numerous natural
attractions. Abundant in a variety of
resources, plants, animals, and minerals, the
land has nurtured countless generations of
Chinese people.

GeneralFactsaboutChina

One of China's greatest treasures is her long,

rich history. As early as 1.7 million years ago,
the earliest humans evolved on this land. The
first dynasty, the Xia Dynasty, dates to about
the 21st century BC. For 4,000 years, feudalism
was the dominant economic and cultural model.
Then, in 1911, the revolution led by Sun Yat-sen
brought the monarchy to an end. On October
1st, 1949, modern China was founded as the
'People's Republic of China'. Since then, China
has developed independently and vigorously.
Most recently, reform and opening-up policy
has energized life in China.

GeneralFactsaboutChina

China is proud of her many people, long

history, resplendent culture and distinctive
customs. Among her greatest gifts to the world
are the 'four great inventions' (paper,
gunpowder, printing and the compass) .
Chinese arts and crafts, including painting,
calligraphy, operas, embroidery and silk are
distinctive and unique. Martial arts, which have
only recently begun to enjoy popularity in other
parts of the world have been part of Chinese
culture for centuries, and Chinese literature is
testifies to the country's rich heritage. And, of
course, there is Chinese cuisine, which has been
exported to every corner of the globe.

BasicDetails:
FullName:ThePeople'sRepublicofChina
Location:EasternAsia
Area:9,600,000sqkm
Population:1.3billion(asof2004)
CapitalCity:Beijing
NationalFlag:FiveStarsRedFlag
TerritorialSeas:theBohaiSea,theYellow
Sea,theEastChinaSea,andtheSouth
ChinaSea
Climate:extremelydiverse;tropicalin
southtosubarcticinnorth

BasicDetails:
People:HanChinese(93.3%),plus55ethnic
groupslikeMiao,Li,Mongolian
Language:MandarinChinese(Putonghua)based
onBeijingdialect,pluslocaldialects
MainReligionsandBeliefs:officiallyatheist,
Confucianism,Buddhism,Taoism,Islam(over
22million),Catholicism(over4million)and
Protestantism(over10million)
CurrencyandMonetaryUnit:Renminbi/Yuan
Government:Communiststate
AdministrativeDemarcations:23provinces,5
autonomousregions,4municipalities,and2
SpecialAdministrativeRegions
ChinesePresident:HuJintao

Stereotypes
&
Taboos

Stereotypes

All Chinese people are short.

All Chinese people are good at
Mathemathics and science.
Chinese people eat rice and noodles
every day.
Chinese people live with their parents
all their lives.
Chinese people are always suspicious
of non-Chinese people.

Stereotypes

Chinese people live with their parents all

their lives.
All Chinese people know how to grow rice.
All Chinese people are Kungfu masters.
Every Chinese person owns a bicycle.
All Chinese have poor vision.
Chinese people are extremely competitive.

Stereotypes: Northerners
Northerner:

Istallerandlargerinstature
HassmallereyeswithsingleeyelidsHasa
relativelydolechocephalicskullandlonger
face
Haslighter,fairerskin
SpeaksMandarinwithanorthernaccent
Eatsmorenoodles,dumplingsandwheat
basedfoodsratherthanricebasedfood
Ismoreboisterousandopeninpersonality,
withmoredirect"thunderbolt"displaysof
emotions

Stereotypes: Southerners
Southerner:

Isshorterandsmallerinstature
Hasarelativelybrachycephalicskulland
shorterface
Haslargereyeswithdoubleeyelids
Hasdarker,tannedskincolor
SpeaksMandarinwithasouthernaccent
and/orasoutherndialectsuchasYue
(Cantonese),Wu,Hakka,Xiang,MinorGan
Eatsmorericebasedfoodratherthanwheat
basedfood
Ismoreindustriousandentrepreneurial,with
morereserveddisplaysofemotions

Taboos
Like any other race the Chinese has
their fair share of taboos, some of
them are related to the language and
culture.
Death is a taboo which is not to be
discussed in joyous occasions such as
Chinese New Year, weddings or
birthdays.
The number 4 phonetically sounds so
much like death, that the numbers 4,
14, 44, etc, are avoided as far as
possible. Given a choice a Chinese
would not buy house No. 4 of a given
street.

Taboos

In the company of fishermen, do not turn the

fish over. It symbolises boats capsized.
Never buy a clock as a present for any
Chinese friend. The word clock, has similar
sound with the end . Giving a clock as a
gift [songzhong] sounds likebeing present at
the bedside when a person takes his last
breath.
Never buy a green hat for any male married
friend, as wearing a green hat has the same
meaning that his wife commits adultery.

Chinese
Etiquette

MeetingEtiquette
Greetingsareformalandtheoldest
personisalwaysgreetedfirst.
Handshakesarethemostcommonformof
greetingwithforeigners.
ManyChinesewilllooktowardsthegroundwhen
greetingsomeone.
Addressthepersonbyanhonorifictitleandtheir
surname.Iftheywanttomovetoafirstname
basis,theywilladviseyouwhichnametouse.
TheChinesehaveaterrificsenseofhumour.
Theycanlaughatthemselvesmostreadilyifthey
haveacomfortablerelationshipwiththeother
person.Bereadytolaughatyourselfgiventhe
propercircumstances.

GiftGivingEtiquette
Ingeneral,giftsaregivenatChineseNew
Year,weddings,birthsandmorerecently
(becauseofmarketing),birthdays.
TheChineselikefoodandanicefoodbasket
willmakeagreatgift.
Donotgivescissors,knivesorothercutting
utensilsastheyindicatetheseveringofthe
relationship.
Donotgiveclocks,handkerchiefsorstraw
sandalsastheyareassociatedwithfunerals
anddeath.
Donotgiveflowers,asmanyChinese
associatethesewithfunerals.

GiftGivingEtiquette
Donotwrapgiftsinwhite,blueor
blackpaper.
Fourisanunluckynumbersodonot
givefourofanything.Eightisthe
luckiestnumber,sogivingeightof
somethingbringslucktotherecipient.
Alwayspresentgiftswithtwohands.
Giftsarenotopenedwhenreceived.
Giftsmayberefusedthreetimesbefore
theyareaccepted.

DiningEtiquette
TheChineseprefertoentertaininpublic
placesratherthanintheirhomes,especially
whenentertainingforeigners.
Ifyouareinvitedtotheirhouse,considerita
greathonour.Ifyoumustturndownsuchan
honour,itisconsideredpolitetoexplainthe
conflictinyourschedulesothatyouractions
arenottakenasaslight.
Arriveontime.
Removeyourshoesbeforeenteringthe
house.
Bringasmallgifttothehostess.
Eatwelltodemonstratethatyouareenjoying
thefood!

Tablemanners:
Learntousechopsticks.
Waittobetoldwheretosit.Theguestof
honourwillbegivenaseatfacingthedoor.
Thehostbeginseatingfirst.
Youshouldtryeverythingthatisofferedto
you.
Nevereatthelastpiecefromtheserving
tray.
Beobservanttootherpeoples'needs.
Chopsticksshouldbereturnedtothe
chopstickrestaftereveryfewbitesandwhen
youdrinkorstoptospeak.

Tablemanners:
Thehostoffersthefirsttoast.
Donotputbonesinyourbowl.Placethem
onthetableorinaspecialbowlforthat
purpose.
Holdthericebowlclosetoyourmouthwhile
eating.
DonotbeoffendedifaChineseperson
makesslurpingorbelchingsounds;it
merelyindicatesthattheyareenjoyingtheir
food.
Therearenostrictrulesaboutfinishingall
thefoodinyourbowl.

TippingEtiquette

Tippingisbecomingmore
commonplace,especiallywith
youngerworkersalthough
olderworkersstillconsiderit
aninsult.Leavingafewcoins
isusuallysufficient.

BusinessEtiquetteandProtocol
Relationships&Communication
TheChinesedon'tlikedoingbusinesswithcompanies
theydon'tknow,soworkingthroughanintermediary
iscrucial.Thiscouldbeanindividualoran
organizationwhocanmakeaformalintroductionand
vouchforthereliabilityofyourcompany.
BeforearrivinginChinasendmaterials(writtenin
Chinese)thatdescribeyourcompany,itshistory,and
literatureaboutyourproductsandservices.The
Chineseoftenuseintermediariestoaskquestionsthat
theywouldprefernottomakedirectly.
Businessrelationshipsarebuiltformallyafterthe
Chinesegettoknowyou.
Beverypatient.Ittakesaconsiderableamountoftime
andisboundupwithenormousbureaucracy.
TheChineseseeforeignersasrepresentativesoftheir
companyratherthanasindividuals.

BusinessEtiquetteandProtocol
Rankisextremelyimportantinbusiness
relationshipsandyoumustkeeprankdifferencesin
mindwhencommunicating.
Genderbiasisnonexistentinbusiness.
Neverlosesightofthefactthatcommunicationis
official,especiallyindealingwithsomeoneofhigher
rank.Treatingthemtooinformally,especiallyin
frontoftheirpeers,maywellruinapotentialdeal.
TheChinesepreferfacetofacemeetingsrather
thanwrittenortelephoniccommunication.
Mealsandsocialeventsarenottheplacefor
businessdiscussions.Thereisademarcation
betweenbusinessandsocializinginChina,sotryto
becarefulnottointertwinethetwo.

BusinessMeetingEtiquette

Appointmentsarenecessaryand,ifpossible,shouldbe
madebetweenonetotwomonthsinadvance,preferably
inwriting.
Ifyoudonothaveacontactwithinthecompany,usean
intermediarytoarrangeaformalintroduction.Oncethe
introductionhasbeenmade,youshouldprovidethe
companywithinformationaboutyourcompanyand
whatyouwanttoaccomplishatthemeeting.
Youshouldarriveatmeetingsontimeorslightlyearly.
TheChineseviewpunctualityasavirtue.Arrivinglateis
aninsultandcouldnegativelyaffectyourrelationship
PaygreatattentiontotheagendaaseachChinese
participanthashisorherownagendathattheywill
attempttointroduce.
SendanagendabeforethemeetingsoyourChinese
colleagueshavethechancetomeetwithanytechnical
expertspriortothemeeting.Discusstheagendawith
yourtranslator/intermediarypriortosubmission.

BusinessMeetingEtiquette
Eachparticipantwilltakeanopportunityto
dominatethefloorforlengthyperiodswithout
appearingtosayverymuchofanythingthat
actuallycontributestothemeeting.Bepatientand
listen.Therecouldbesubtlemessagesbeing
transmittedthatwouldassistyouinallayingfears
ofongoingassociation.
Meetingsrequirepatience.Mobilephonesring
frequentlyandconversationstendtobeboisterous.
NeverasktheChinesetoturnofftheirmobile
phonesasthiscausesyoubothtoloseface.
Guestsaregenerallyescortedtotheirseats,which
areindescendingorderofrank.Seniorpeople
generallysitoppositeseniorpeoplefromtheother
side.

BusinessMeetingEtiquette
Itisimperativethatyoubringyourown
interpreter,especiallyifyouplantodiscusslegal
orextremelytechnicalconceptsasyoucanbrief
theinterpreterpriortothemeeting.
Writtenmaterialshouldbeavailableinboth
EnglishandChinese,usingsimplifiedcharacters.
Beverycarefulaboutwhatiswritten.Make
absolutelycertainthatwrittentranslationsare
accurateandcannotbemisinterpreted.
Visualaidsareusefulinlargemeetingsand
shouldonlybedonewithblacktypeonwhite
background.Colourshavespecialmeaningsandif
youarenotcareful,yourcolourchoicecouldwork
againstyou.
Presentationsshouldbedetailedandfactualand
focusonlongtermbenefits.Bepreparedforthe
presentationtobeachallenge.

BusinessNegotiation
Onlyseniormembersofthenegotiating
teamwillspeak.Designatethemostsenior
personinyourgroupasyourspokesmanfor
theintroductoryfunctions.
Businessnegotiationsoccurataslowpace.
Bepreparedfortheagendatobecomea
jumpingoffpointforotherdiscussions.
Chinesearenonconfrontational.Theywill
notovertlysay'no',theywillsay'theywill
thinkaboutit'or'theywillsee'.
Chinesenegotiationsareprocessoriented.
Theywanttodetermineifrelationshipscan
developtoastagewherebothpartiesare
comfortabledoingbusinesswiththeother.

BusinessNegotiation
Decisionsmaytakealongtime,asthey
requirecarefulreviewandconsideration.
Undernocircumstancesshouldyoulose
yourtemperoryouwilllosefaceand
irrevocablydamageyourrelationship.
Donotusehighpressuretactics.You
mightfindyourselfoutmanoeuvred.
Businessishierarchical.Decisionsare
unlikelytobemadeduringthemeetings
youattend.
TheChineseareshrewdnegotiators.
Yourstartingpriceshouldleaveroomfor
negotiation.

BusinessCards
Businesscardsareexchangedaftertheinitial
introduction.
Haveonesideofyourbusinesscardtranslated
intoChineseusingsimplifiedChinesecharacters
thatareprintedingoldinksincegoldisan
auspiciouscolour.
Yourbusinesscardshouldincludeyourtitle.If
yourcompanyistheoldestorlargestinyour
country,thatfactshouldbeonyourcardaswell.
Holdthecardinbothhandswhenofferingit,
Chinesesidefacingtherecipient.
Examineabusinesscardbeforeputtingitonthe
tablenexttoyouorinabusinesscardcase.
Neverwriteonsomeone'scardunlesssodirected.

Chinese
cuisine

Cuisine
Duringalongperiodofproductionandliving
practice,Chinesenationhasmadegreat
contributiontotheworldontheaspectsof
foodresourceexploration,foodtreatment,
nutritionandhealthcare,dishwaredesign
andcuisineaesthetics.Chineseintellectuals
havecreatedcountlessdisheswithapt
names,aromas,flavorsandcolors,greatly
enhancingthediningexperience.
Generallyspeaking,Chinesepeoplemainly
liveonthefivecommoncerealsand
vegetablesandaddedbyasmallsupplyof
meat.

Cuisine
CuisineinChinaisaharmoniousintegrationof
color,redolence,taste,shapeandthefineness
oftheinstruments.
ItisnoexaggerationtosaythatChinesecuisineis
dainty,initsitems,esthetics,atmosphere,and
effects.

Amongthemanycookingmethodstheyuseare
boiling,stewing,braising,frying,steaming,
crisping,baking,andsimmeringandsoon.
Whentheyfinishtheirmasterpiecestheyare
arrangedonavarietyofplatesanddishesso
thattheyarearealpleasuretoview,tosmell
andultimatelytosavor.

Cuisine

Thediversityofgeography,climate,
costumesandproductshaveledto
theevolutionofwhatarecalledthe
EightCuisines:
1. ShandongCuisine,
2.SichuanCuisine,
3.GuangdongCuisine,
4.FujianCuisine,
5. JiangsuCuisine,
6. ZhejiangCuisine,
7.HunanCuisine,and
8.AnhuiCuisine

1. ShandongCuisine
Thisisthelocalflavor
ofJinanCityand
Jiaodongpeninsula
derivedfromtheuse
ofshallotsandgarlic.
Bothrestaurantchefs
andthoseinfamilies
areexpertincooking
seafood,soups,meat
andoffal.Therecipes
arethosethatoncedelighted
theroyalcourtandwereservedtotheemperor.

1. ShandongCuisine
Thetypicalmenucanincludemanydelicatedishes
suchas:
Braisedabalonesmooth,delicate,freshand
savory
SweetandSourCarpwithcrispexteriorand
tenderfishinterior,alittlesweetandsour
Breewithacomplexclear,mildandfresh
'EightImmortalsCrossingSeateasingArhats'
Thisisastarterbeforeacelebrationfeast.Itis
luxuriousandtraditionallyusesasitseightmain
ingredients:fin,seapumpkin,abalone,asparagus,
prawnsandham.Thestockisflavoredwithfish's
swimmingbladderandfishbones.Thesesymbolize
theeightimmortalsandtheArhats[Buddhist
saints]aresymbolizedbytheinclusionofchicken
breast.

2. GuangdongCuisine
GuangdongCuisinetakesfineandrareingredients
andiscookedwith
polishedskillsandina
daintystyle.It
emphasizesaflavor
whichisclearbutnot
light,refreshingbutnot
common,tenderbutnot
crude.Insummerand
autumnitpursuesclarity
andinwinterandspring,alittlemoresubstance.
Thesauteeddishesalwaysrelyuponexquisite
presentationinvolvingcuttingandcarvingskills.

2. GuangdongCuisine
Typicalmenuherecanultimatelyembodythese
characteristics:
Chrysanthemumfishchefswithadept
cuttingtechniquesshapethefishlike
chrysanthemums,eachindividualmorselbeing
convenienttoenjoywitheitherchopsticksor
forks.
BraisedSnakeporridgechooseraremeatof
cobra,grimalkin,andpullet,braised
elaborately,alsocalled'Dragonandphoenix
contending'(LongFengDou).
Roastsucklingpigafameddishwithrather
longhistory,goldenandcrispexterior,and
tendermeat,withdensearoma.

3. SichuanCuisine
Thiscombinesthecuisines
fromChengduand
Chongqing.Fromasearlyas
theQingDynasty
(16441911),bookshad
systematicallyrecordeda
totalof38cookingmethods
liketoscald,wrap,bake,mix,
stew,andadhere,etc.itfeatures
pungentseasoningswhichwere
famedas'ThreePeppers
(Chinesepricklyash,pepperandhotpepper),'threearoma
(shallot,ginger,andgarlic),'SevenTastes'(sweet,sour,
tingling,
spicy,bitter,piquant,andsalty),and'eightflavors'(fish
flavored,sourwithspice,peppertingling,oddflavor,tingling
withspice,redspicyoily,gingersauce,andhomecooking).

3. SichuanCuisine
Deliciousdishesmenu:
StirfriedTofuwithMincedBeefinSpicyBeanSauce
Arealfeastoftenderbeancurd,mincedbeef,pepper
andbeansauce.Itissaidthatitwasmadebyapock
markedbutingeniouswoman,thusthenameMaPo
Tofu(pockmarkedwoman'sbeancurd).
LampshadowBeefwithlarrupingtechniques,thebeef
iscutinverythinsheet.Whenapieceiscarried,itlooks
liketranslucentpaper,slipperyandreddish.Whenput
underthelamporlight,aredshadowwillappear.
LungPiecesbyCoupleaquitepopularinChengdu.It
gotthenamebecausethedishwaseversoldbeacouple
andtodayitremainstheoriginalsavor,tendermeat,
tinglingandspicy.
GongBaoJiDinginChineseitiscalledGongBaoJi
Ding.Thisisatenderchickendish,tenderasthemeatis
quicklyfried.Flavoredwithpeanuts,thisistastyand
verypopular.

4. HunanCuisine
Hunancuisinelaysastresson
theuseofoil,densecolor,and
echniquesthatproducecrispness,
softnessandtendernessaswellas
thesavoryflavorsandspices.Stewed
fins,friedfreshcabbagewithchestnuts,
DongAnzichicken,immortalchicken
withfiveelements,areofthehighest
reputation.ChairmanMao,together
withotherleaderspraisedtheHunancuisinein1958.
StewedfinshadbeenfamousduringtheQingDynasty.
Choicefins,chickens,porkarestewedinchickensoupand
sauce,tastingreallyfreshandmellow.
Immortalchickenwithfiveelementsmeanstoputfive
elements,litchi,longan,reddates,lotusseeds,andmedlar,
intothebodyofachicken,thentobraise.Thetasteisrather
peculiarbutitissaidtohavetheeffectofstrengtheningthe
constitution.

5. JiangsuCuisine
JiangsuCuisinedevelopedfromthe
localrecipesofYangzhou,Suzhou
andNanjing.Itsmaincooking
techniquesarebraisingandstewing,
therebyenhancingtheoriginal
flavorandsauce.Theelegantcolor,
novelsculpts,withsaltandsweet
tastewillsootheyourstomach.

5. JiangsuCuisine
Themosthighlyrecommendedcoursesare:
Threesetsofducksaninterlinkingdish,thatisto
putpigeonintowildduck,thenputthewildduckintoa
fowlduck.Whenstewed,thefowlduckistender,the
wildonecrisp,andthelittlepigeondelicate!
BoileddrythreadofTofuthankstotheexquisite
skillofthechefs,theTofucanbecutintoverythin
threadswhichhavechancestoabsorbthesavorof
soup.Whenchickenpiecesaddedtothesoup,thedish
iscalled'chickendrythread';likewise,whenshrimp
added,itmakes'shrimpdrythread'.
Lion'sheadbraisedwithcrabpowderthereisa
metaphorinthedishname.InactualfacttheLion's
headisaconglomerationofmeatthatisshapedlikea
sunflowerandresemblesalion'shead.Itcanbebraised
inaclearsoup,orberedcookedinadensesoup.A
seasoningofcrabpowderenhancestheflavor.

6. ZhejiangCuisine
AsZhejiangcuisineconsistsof
hundredsofsmalldelicaciesfrom
itsmaincities,ittakesin
Hangzhou'sfinenessand
diversification,Ningbo'ssoftnessandoriginality,and
Shaoxing'spastoralinterests.Hangzhou,oncethe
capitaloftheSouthernSongDynasty(11271279),it
iscustomarytoendowcuisinewithdainty
placenames.Thechieftechniquesof
cookinglieinthemethodsusedsuchas
frying,quickfry,stirfry,braising,and
steamingthusrenderingthedishesboth
salubriousandsavory.

6. ZhejiangCuisine
Westlakebraisedfishinvinegarisatraditional
delicacyinHangzhou.Itissaidthattherewasonce
aboywhomadehislivingbyfishing.Whenhefell
ill,hissisterinlawfishedforhimandbraisedthe
fishshecaughtwithamarinadeofvinegarand
sugar.Hewassaidtohavemadeanimmediate
recoveryaftereatingit.Theboy'sstoryarousedthe
attentionoftheemperorandtherecipehasbeen
usedeversince.
ShelledshrimpscookedinLongjingteaasthe
Longjingteaistakenfromthebestteain
Hangzhou,whichisrecognizedforgreenness,
fragrance,puretasteandelegantlooks,whenthe
livingshrimpsarestirfriedintheLongtea,the
dishsendsanartisticaromaandisquitedelicious.

7. FujianCuisine

Fujiancuisinehasfourdistinctivefeatures,thatis,
finecuttingtechniques,alternativesoups,unique
seasonings,andexquisitecooking.Chefscan
alwayscutthethinjellyfishintothreepiecesand
intoverythinthread.Andthankstotheabundant
resourcesofmarineproducts,thesoupofthis
cuisinegenrehasitsfreshnessandkeepsitsown
savorwithease.Theseasoningsaddsweetandsour
flavorstothedishes.Toadd
toitsappealthefoodis
servedinoronelegantbowls
orplates.

7. FujianCuisine
Appealingdishesarecountless,sowecanonlyexemplify
someofthem:
Friedgoldenbambooshootwithchickenminceevery
100gofwinterbambooshootswillbecutinto500600
stripswiththesamelengthandbreadth.Thentheycan
blendwiththeverysmallpiecesofchicken.
Buddhajumpingoverthewallthemostfamousand
classicaldish,whichhasalonghistorysincetheQing
Dynasty.
Dongbidragonpearlitchoosesmaterialsfromtherare
longantreesofthousandyear'shistoryinKaiyuanTemple
inQuanzhou,thedelicatescentisrathercatching.
'FriedXiShi'stongueismadefromthelocallyproduced
Fujianmussel.AccordingtolegendtheconcubineXiShiof
thekingofWustatewasthrownintheseatiedtoahuge
stonebythewifeofGouJian,thekingofYuewhodestroyed
Wu,topreventherhusbandbeingseducedbyherbeauty.
Intheareaoftheseawhereshesank,aspecialbreedof
musselappearedandthiswassaidtobeXiShi'stongue.

8. AnhuiCuisine
Itismainlycomposedoflocal
flavorsofHuizhouandotherareas
alongtheYangtzeRiverandthe
HuaiRiver.Amongthedishesonthe
Ahhuicuisinemenu,youwillfindlessfriedorquick
frieddishesthanthosethatarebraised.People
hereareinclinedtoadd
hamasseasoningandsugar
candytoenrichthefreshness
andarequiteaccomplishedin

theartofcooking.

8. AnhuiCuisine
Amongthesedelicacies,someofthe
traditionalonesareoutstanding:
'Braisedturtlewithham'theoldestdish
usingthespecial'Matiturtle'.Thedelightful
tasteofthisdishhasinspiredpoets.
'FulijiGrilledchicken'thecooking
techniquewasderivedfromDezhoubraised
chickenofShandongProvince,with
improvementofthetechniquebytheFuliji
chef.Thegrilledchickenisgoldenand
tempting,andthemeatissowellcooked
thatitfallseasilyfromthebone.

Customs
&
traditions

Customs & traditions

Characterizedbydiversestylesandthemes,
traditionalChinesefestivalsareanimportantpart
ofChinesehistoryandculture,bothancientand
modern.Acloserelationshipexistsbetweenmanyof
thetraditionalfestivalsandchronology,
mathematics,theChineseCalendarandthetwenty
foursolarterms.Manyofthecustomsconnected
withthetraditionalfestivalshavelinkswith
religiousdevotions,superstitionsandmyths.The
formwhichmostofthefestivalstaketodaywas
establishedaroundthetimeoftheHanDynasty
(206BC220)andformanyyears,variouseminent
poetshavewrittencountlessmasterpieces
describingthefestivalsandarestillrecitedregularly
today.

Customs & traditions

Almosteveryfestivalhasitsownuniqueoriginsand
customswhichreflectthetraditionalpracticesand
moralityofthewholeChinesenationanditspeople.
Thegrandestandmostpopularfestivalsarethe
SpringFestival,theLanternFestival,theQingming
Festival,theDragonBoatFestival,theDouble
SeventhFestival,theMidautumnFestival,the
ChongyangFestival,andtheLabaFestival.

Customs & traditions

Festival

Date

Spring
Festival

1st day of the

first lunar month
- the end of
Lantern Festival

Lantern
Festival

Customs

pasting Spring Festival scrolls, the

character 'Fu', and paper-cuts
pictures, displaying firecrackers and
fireworks, paying New Year visits,
and eating jiaozi.
15th day of the
watching lanterns and fireworks,
first lunar month guessing lantern riddles, performing
folk dances, and eating yuanxiao.

Qingming
Festival

April 4th or 5th

of the solar
calendar

tomb sweeping, spring outings, and

flying kites.

DragonBoat
Festival

5th day of the 5th dragon boat racing, eating zongzi,

lunar month
wearing a perfume pouch and tying
five-colour silk thread, and hanging
mugwort leaves and calamus.

Customs & traditions

Festival

Date

Customs

DoubleSeventh
Festival

7th day of seventh

lunar month

Midautumn
Festival

15th day of the 8th

lunar month

Chongyang
Festival

9th day of the 9th

lunar month

LabaFestival

8th day of the 12th

lunar month

praying for skillful hands,

appreciating the stars, and
eating noodles, jiaozi, and
wontons.
appreciating and offering
sacrifice to the moonlight
and eating moon cakes.
eating Chongyang cake,
drinking chrysanthemum
wine, climbing mountains
and appreciating beautiful
chrysanthemums.
eatinglabariceporridge

Quiz: Doing
Business in
China

Quiz: Doing Business in China

1.Itisacceptabletoanswerphonecallsin
meetings.
A.True
B. False

2.Whichoftheseshouldyounotdoduringa
businessmeeting?
A. AddressanyonebuttheheadoftheChinese
contingency
B. Showemotion

3.Whichoftheseshouldyoudowhen
negotiatinginChina?
A.Inflateyourprices
B. Pretendtorejectdemands
C. Concedeeasilytodemandsforconcessions

Quiz: Doing Business in China

4.Whichoftheseshouldyoutryandhaveon
yourbusinesscards?
A. Title
B. Age

5.Whowouldyouexpecttomakedecisions
fromnegotiationsandmeetings?
A. Thenegotiationteamthroughconsensus
B. Mostseniorrankingattendee
C. Yourdirectcounterpart

6.AhandshakeinChinashouldbe...
A. Limpandbrief
B. Strongandlengthy
C. Firmbutbrief

Quiz: Doing Business in China

7.Aggressivenegotiationtacticsarerecommended.
A. True
B. False

8.Giftswithinthebusinesscontextareseenasbribes?
A. True
B. False

9.TheChinesepreferbusinesscommunicationby
whichofthesemethods?
A. Phone
B. FacetoFace
C. Writing

10.Howshouldonereceivebusinesscards?
A. Bothhands
B. Righthands
C. Withlefthandproppedbyright