Chinese Culture

The Chinese civilization, also known as Huaxia civilization, is one of the oldest civilizations in the world and the longest lasting civilization in the world. It has been 5,000 years since the time of the Yellow emperor. With the prosperity of China’s national strength and the improvement of international status, some countries in Asia and Europe have given high recognition and attention to Chinese culture. Chinese culture is extremely diverse and varying in regions, which includes religion, food, style, language, marriage, music, etiquette, morals and many other things that make up how a group acts and interacts.

China History

Chinese history refers to the history from the birth of Chinese civilization to the present. China has a long history of about 5,000 years since the reign of Yellow Emperor. It has gone through many regime evolution and dynastic changes., which was once the most powerful country in the world, attracting worldwide attention for its economy, culture and technology. Yuanmou man is the oldest hominoid in China and the oldest dynasty is Xia Dynasty. Chinese society has progressed through five major stages – Primitive Society, Slave Society, Feudal Society, Semi-feudal and Semi-colonial Society, and Socialist Society. 

Chinese Agricultural Calendar

China is one of the first countries in the world to invent the calendar. The appearance of the calendar has a profound impact on the development of national economy and culture. Also called Rural Calendar or Former Calendar, Lunar Calendar is the traditional calendar of China, which is an integrated lunar-solar calendar as it embraces the movement of the moon as well as that of the Sun. Lunar calendar (Yinli in Chinese) is that based on the moon’s orbit around the Earth and Solar calendar (Yangli in Chinese) is based on the positions of the Sun through the seasons.

Chinese Architecture

Chinese architecture is one of the major categories in the history of world architecture. For thousands of years, its unique feature of wooden construction system has become the essence of Chinese classical architecture culture, which has spread to east Asian culture areas such as Japan, South Korea and Vietnam.

Chinese Arts & Crafts

China is famous for its wide variety of arts and crafts with excellent workmanship. Its arts and crafts play a very important role in China’s traditional culture, with a long and glorious history. They are regarded as an elegant combination of precious or special materials with elaborate designs. Chinese Government has done a lot to protect Chinese traditions, and many of the master artisans have had their skills handed down via one generation to the next. Of all the Chinese arts and crafts, the most representative are Chinese Embroidery, Chinese Lanterns, Chinese Paper Cuttings, Chinese Cloisonne,etc.

Chinese Clothing

Chinese clothing has a long history, which leaves a precious heritage for the world. With five thousand years of Chinese history and 56 ethnic groups, Chinese textile printing and dyeing technology had led the world for thousands of years. Almost every dynasty has its distinctive characteristics of clothing culture, and every ethnic group dresses differently. China is the most developed country in clothing culture in the world.

Chinese Etiquette

China is a country been known for its ceremonies and etiquettes through the ages. As one of the oldest living civilizations on Earth, China has been developing its culture over millennia and forms its unique customs. What might be culturally acceptable in the West might be taboo in China (and vice versa!) So pay attention to the Chinese taboos when you plan to have a visit in China! 

Chinese Furniture

Chinese furniture is one of those rare categories of art that appeal across generations and cultures. The furniture also follows the footsteps of times to develop and innovate continuously. It is an important foundation for the establishment of work and living space. By now, there are various categories with different material and applications.

Chinese Kung Fu

Kungfu, also called Wushu or Chinese martial arts, is the fruit of Chinese people’s wisdom. It is a traditional Chinese sport which applies the art of attack and defence in combat and the motions engaged with a series of skill and tricks. It is also an important part of Chinese traditional culture and is the unique “martial art” in the world. Chinese Kungfu has exerted a great influence on the world. Not only has there been a great deal of Chinese and foreign film and TV work, but also Shaolin boxing, Shadowboxing, Wing Chun and other Chinese Kungfu that have been widely spread around the world. At present, Chinese traditional Kung Fu has been fully preserved and promoted in China.

Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine is an ancient system of health and wellness that’s been used in China for thousands of years, which is based on balance, harmony, and energy. Often referred to as “TCM,” practitioners use herbs, diet, acupuncture, cupping, and qigong to prevent or treat health problems. More and more, people use practices like these from traditional Chinese medicine to not only fight disease, but also prevent it. 

Chinese Musical Instrument

Chinese musical instruments have a long history. It can be confirmed from the unearthed cultural relics that there are a variety of musical instruments as far as the pre-Qin period, such as bone whistle unearthed in Zhejiang Hemudu cultural relics, Jiahu bone flute in Wuyang county(舞阳县), ocarina in Xian Yangshao culture relics, chimestone and python skin drum in Anyang Yinxu culture relics, chime, stone-chime, Jian drum, panpipe, Sheng, bamboo flute, Se discovered in tomb of Yi , Suixian county(随县)… These ancient instruments show the wisdom and creativity of the Chinese nation. Each of them produces a different and unique sound and effect.

Chinese Performance

For thousands of years, Chinese people of all ethnic groups created hundreds of diversified forms of performing arts, each of which has a lot of genres and styles that make a glorious big Art Treasure-house. The best in Chinese performing arts includes Chinese opera, puppet show, shadow play, acrobatic performance, Chinese folk music, Quyi, as well as dance and drama of minority nationalities. All these colorful forms of performing arts are the inexhaustible source of Chinese art exchange with foreign countries. As early as two thousand years ago, China had cultural exchanges with foreign countries.

Chinese Zodiac

The Chinese zodiac, also known as the “Shengxiao(生肖)”, is based on a twelve-year cycle, each year in that cycle related to an animal sign, including rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. 2019 is a year of the Pig, starting from February 5th 2019 and ending on January 24th 2020. Next year is a year of rat and 2021 is the year of ox. You can use the zodiac calculator to search for your Chinese zodiac animal sign.