1. CULTURE PROJECT CHINA By Grace Jang Lexington Christian Academy Global Studies Concentration

2. Table of Contents  Explicitly visible culture  Language  Food  Music  Popular Mass Media Culture  Art  Classic Literature  Clothing  Invisible Culture  Communication  Pace of Life  Conclusion

3. Explicitly Visible Culture

4. Language  Chinese comprises of seven main dialects.  The official national language is Mandarin and is most widely used in Beijing.  Hong Kong and overseas Chinese communities use Cantonese most commonly.  Chinese characters…  have more than 3000 years of history.  originated from hieroglyphic writings and developed into calligraphic writing.  altogether exist in more than 80000 word forms, though only 3000 words are used to express over 99% of the information in written form daily.  exist in simplified and traditional styles. Simplified styles are used in mainland China, Singapore, and overseas Chinese communities in Southeast Asia; traditional styles are accepted in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and overseas Chinese communities in North America.

5. Chinese Values in the Language  Most of Chinese characters reflect the meanings. Many of these show the Chinese cultural values of social hierarchy, harmony with nature, group orientation, discipline, and so on.  ex) 教 which means to teach, is a combination of a character that means a whip and a character that means to obey one’s parents. This shows the cultural value that in a traditional Chinese society, discipline was regarded as necessary in education. 教

6. Food  Varies greatly in different regions  Some of the most famous dishes in each region:  Beijing: Beijing Duck  Sichuan: Spicy foods like Mapotoufu and Kungpao Chicken  Cantonese region: Sweet and tender foods like steamed egg  Rice is the staple food, and tea is the most common beverage.

7. Chinese Values in the Food  That there are a great variety of dishes in China reflects the cultural and ethnical diversity in China.  The mealtime customs show the Chinese cultural values of cooperation and togetherness, respect for the elders, and formality.  Everyone shares food at a table  togetherness  They should wait until the eldest at the table starts eating  respect for the elders  It is rude to leave chopsticks sticking straight up in a bowl of rice  Chinese funeral custom of putting sticks in a bowl

8. Traditional Music  National music(guoyue): music that was written for Chinese traditional instruments as a response to a nationalistic feeling  Instrumental  Bamboo pipes and qins are among the oldest known instruments in China  Chinese orchestras traditionally consist of bowed strings, woodwinds, plucked strings, and percussions  Chinese opera  has been popular for centuries, especially the Beijing Opera  Highly-pitched vocals, string instruments, percussion  Chinese folk music

9. Modern Music  Modern Chinese music pieces are similar to the Western music in either, or both, their style or use of Western instruments.  There are a great variety of music styles possible because…  Chinese melody + Western instruments  Western melody + traditional Chinese instruments  Western instruments + traditional Chinese instruments (orchestra)  Young Chinese people enjoy going to concerts of famous Chinese pop stars, just like in Western societies.

10. Chinese Values in the Music  Purpose of music: in the traditional Chinese society, music and artists are supposed to serve ordinary citizens and be completely integrated into the masses. This idea has been further emphasized by the Communist Party leaders.  The use of traditional Chinese instruments and the unique music styles reflect the rich historical and cultural background of the Chinese.

11. Popular Mass Media Culture  Chinese movies are becoming increasingly popular worldwide. There are various genres, but the most popular ones are comedies, imperial dramas, and crime-melodramas.  Television serials are also popular in China. They also come in various genres.  Chinese films and dramas are getting more popular around the world because they are good ways of learning Chinese language.

12. Chinese Values in the Popular Mass Media Culture  Chinese movies and dramas show the everyday lifestyle of the Chinese people, like their fashion trends, career lives, school lives, and family atmosphere. Many of them show imperial cultures in the past Chinese dynasties.  Chinese mass media culture is becoming more modern and Western, but still has traditional Chinese elements that makes it unique from that of other countries.

13. Chinese Art (Visual Art)  Paintings:  painted with a brush dipped in black or colored ink on silk or paper  the finished work can be a handscroll or a hanging scroll  Mostly depict nature like landscapes, flowers, and birds, or Chinese rulers.  Sculpture:  Ritual bronzes from the early dynasties. Ex) Terracotta Army for Qin Shi Huang’s Tomb  Most of the later sculptures were Buddhist figures.  Pottery  Porcelain and ceramics for the imperial court  China has had a lot of raw materials for ceramic industry

14. Chinese Art (Architecture)  The underlying principles in Chinese architecture are…  Bilateral symmetry for a sense of balance, but gardens were asymmetrical for a sense of enduring flow  Enclosure – buildings surround a courtyard or a skywell  Hierarchy – rooms facing south, in private location, and getting lots of sunlight are reserved for the elderly members of a family or for ancestral plaques. The junior or less important family members used eastward or westward rooms. The buildings near the front were used by servants or hired help.  Horizontal Emphasis – emphasis on breadth, not height.  Cosmological concepts – feng shui(geomancy) and Taoism.  Architectural types: commoner residences, imperial courts, religious structures  Modern architecture: great cities demand more for Western, high-rising architecture style than traditional, low-lying style to accommodate rising population. Still, many architects attempt combining traditional Chinese style with modern Western style.

15. Chinese Art (Architecture) Pictures

16. Chinese Values in the Art  The subjects of the visual art (nature, imperial figures, and Buddhist figures) all reflect the traditional culture of China. Chinese have reverence for nature, have a history of imperial dynasties, and follow Buddhism as their religion.  The architectural style reflects the Chinese cultural values like balance, enduring flow, social hierarchy, Taoism, and geomancy.

17. Chinese Classic Literature  Dynastic court archives  Historiographical texts, the foundation of which were laid by Sima Qian.  Classical texts: philosophical and didactic  Five Classics: I Ching, Classic of Poetry, Classic of Rites, Classic of History, Spring and Autumn Annals.  Four Books: The Analects of Confucius, Mencius, Doctrine of the Mean, The Great Learning  Classical poetry  Classical prose  Vernacular fiction  The Four Great Classical Novels: Dream of the Red Chamber, Water Margin, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West

18. Chinese Values in the Classic Literature  Most of the early Chinese classics were philosophical or historical rather than fictional. These works discuss the Chinese values and philosophies like Confucianism and Taoism.  The novels, poems, and songs are fictional and tell stories covering a wide range of subjects. They reflect the cultural values of familial obligation, social order, and harmony.

19. Chinese Traditional Clothing  Each social class had different clothing style. Ex) Dragon embroideries and bright yellow color can be used only by emperors.  Fashion trend also changed as dynasties changed. Ex) Black was the most dignified color in Xia dynasty; red in Zhou dynasty.  Different types of traditional Chinese clothing:  Hanfu: most widely used traditional clothing  Qi Pao: dress for women  Tang Zhuang: Chinese suit  Used silk and cotton often.

20. Chinese Values in the Traditional Clothing  Chinese clothing reflects China’s long history of rigid social hierarchy. Each social class wore different clothing styles and this helped distinguish them from one another according to their social status/ occupation/ class/ gender.  Chinese clothing also shows how Chinese history comprises of numerous dynasties. The changing fashion trends as the dynasties changed distinguish one dynasty from another and define each dynasty’s characteristic.

21. Invisible Culture

22. Chinese Communication Style  Indirect: Chinese find it very difficult to decline someone’s offers, give negative comments, or convey bad news.  Formal: Chinese don’t use hand gestures or body language much. They express their meanings with their speech rather than body languages.  Restrained: Chinese don’t place a heavy emphasis on emotion.  Chinese use different wordings, sentence structures, gestures, and expressions when speaking to older people or workplace seniors.

23. Chinese Pace of Life  Fluid time: deadlines and scheduling are set and expected to be observed, but re-scheduling or requests for delays are not uncommon.  Slow: in China, the pace of life is slower than in the West. There is much less sense of urgency among Chinese than among Americans.  Business world: China’s economy is growing very fast, and the background for this is the increasing sense of speed in Chinese business world.

24. Conclusion  Chinese culture – both explicitly visible and invisible facets -- reflects the “bottom of the iceberg” aspects, such as their values, beliefs, and history.  Chinese culture has developed over a long period of time into a unique ensemble of modernity and tradition.  Chinese culture has diversity due to its numerous different provinces.  Modern Chinese culture is a combination of the Western-influenced aspects and traditional, historical Chinese aspects.

25. Sources  http://www.chinalanguage.com/ http://www.chinalanguage.com/  http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/language.htm http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/language.htm  http://www.foodbycountry.com/Algeria-to-France/China.html http://www.foodbycountry.com/Algeria-to-France/China.html  http://www.laurustravel.com/images/peking_duck.jpg http://www.laurustravel.com/images/peking_duck.jpg  https://suptonmclaughlin.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/e27773173_13d7613 ec5bg2_blog-e1377763042721.jpg?w=300 https://suptonmclaughlin.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/e27773173_13d7613 ec5bg2_blog-e1377763042721.jpg?w=300  http://www-tc.pbs.org/food/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2011/10/mapo- doufu-31.jpg http://www-tc.pbs.org/food/wp-content/blogs.dir/2/files/2011/10/mapo- doufu-31.jpg  http://s3.thingpic.com/images/Zz/wnD37H3uQkaXPW9At1JH8Xfx.jpeg http://s3.thingpic.com/images/Zz/wnD37H3uQkaXPW9At1JH8Xfx.jpeg

26.  http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Chinese-Business-Communication- Style.html http://www.worldbusinessculture.com/Chinese-Business-Communication- Style.html  http://www.iorworld.com/china-cultural-insights---worldview---cultural- assumptions---communication-style---business-practices-pages-478.php http://www.iorworld.com/china-cultural-insights---worldview---cultural- assumptions---communication-style---business-practices-pages-478.php  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_music#Traditional_music https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_music#Traditional_music  http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/93Arts4675.html http://arts.cultural-china.com/en/93Arts4675.html  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_architecture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_architecture  https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Chinese_art https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Chinese_art  http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/clothing/ http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/clothing/