Chinese Customs, Culture, and Technology

Families and Community

  • Birthdays are important, especially for elders and children.
  • 抓周 (zhuāzhōu): A tradition where parents place symbolic objects in front of a one-year-old to predict their future.
    • Book: potential teacher.
    • Calculator: potential businessman.
  • Traditionally, families hold birthday banquets for elders, serving:
    • 寿桃 (shòutáo): Peach-shaped birthday cake symbolizing immortality.
    • 面条 (miàntiáo): Noodles symbolizing longevity, to be eaten without breaking.
  • Gifts:
    • Red envelopes (红包 hóngbāo) with even amounts of money (good things come in pairs).
    • Avoid number four (sounds like death).
    • Avoid clocks (时钟 shízhōng), umbrellas (伞 sǎn), or fans (扇子 shànzi), due to homophony implying endings.
  • Birthday wishes: "福如东海，寿比南山" (fú rú dōng hǎi, shòu bǐ nán shān) - wishing elders fortune as vast as the Eastern Sea and a life as long as the Southern Mountain.

Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节)

  • Celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
  • Traditions: eating mooncakes and viewing the moon.
  • Legend of Hou Yi and Chang'e.
    • Hou Yi shot down nine suns, saving the earth.
    • Received an immortality elixir.
    • Chang'e consumed the elixir and flew to the moon.

Education Systems

  • Focus on 高考 (gāokǎo, college entrance exam).
  • Emphasis on 复习 (fùxí, review) due to 压力 (yālì, pressure).
  • 修学分 (xiū xuéfēn, earn credits) for course completion.
  • Application process includes 成绩 (chéngjì, grades), 课外活动 (kèwài huódòng, extracurricular activities), 社区服务 (shèqū fúwù, community service), and 推荐信 (tuījiàn xìn, letters of recommendation).

Tea Culture

  • Tea houses (茶馆 chágǔan) are important places for socializing and cultural experiences.
  • Tea is a traditional drink throughout China.
  • Southern China is a tea-producing region.
  • Popular types:
    • 红茶 (hóngchá, black tea).
    • 乌龙茶 (wūlóng chá, oolong tea).
    • 绿茶 (lǜchá, green tea).

Peking Opera (京剧)

  • Four main roles: 生 (shēng, male), 旦 (dàn, female), 净 (jìng, painted-face male), 丑 (chǒu, clown).
  • 京剧脸谱 (jīngjù liǎnpǔ, opera masks): Colors represent different characters.
    • Red: loyalty.
    • Black: uprightness.
    • Green: brutality.
    • White: treachery.

Kung Fu (功夫)

  • Also known as 武术 (wǔshù).
  • Used for self-defense and physical fitness.
  • Shaolin Temple (少林寺 shàolínsì) is considered the place of origin (发源地 fāyuándì).
  • Notable figures: Bruce Lee (李小龙 Lǐ Xiǎolóng) and Jackie Chan (成龙 Chéng Lóng).

Artificial Intelligence (人工智能)

  • Applications include robots for household chores and companionship.

WeChat (微信)

  • Popular Chinese mobile application.
  • Functions: messaging, payments, ordering food, booking transportation.
  • Used for sending red envelopes (红包 hóngbāo) during Chinese New Year.

Travel Vocabulary

  • 交通工具 (jiāotōng gōngjù): Means of transportation.
  • Examples:
    • 航班 (hángbān): Scheduled flight.
    • 列车 (lièchē): Train.
    • 邮轮 (yóulún): Cruise.
    • 地铁 (dìtiě): Subway.

Environmental Protection (环境保护)

  • 节约 (jiéyuē): to save
  • 回收垃圾 (huíshōu lājī): Recycle trash.
  • 污染 (wūrǎn): Pollution.
  • 分类 (fēnlèi): Classification.
  • Types of waste: 干垃圾 (gān lājī, residual waste). 可回收 (kě huíshōu, recycle). 湿垃圾 (shī lājī, household waste). 有害垃圾 (yǒuhài lājī, hazardous waste).

E-commerce

  • 无现金社会 (wú xiànjīn shèhuì): Non-cash society.
  • 网上 (wǎngshàng): Online.
  • 网购 (wǎnggòu): Online buying.
  • 二维码 (èrwéi mǎ): QR code.