If the enemy forces are strong, try to subdue their general; if the general is wise, try to crush his willpower. When the general becomes infirm and the soldiers listless, their combat power will dwindle. It is of benefit to resist an invasion; security can be attained by internal unity. War is a continuation of […]
Since the aged are highly respected in China, the birthday celebration for them is attached with great importance. Generally birthdays over 55th are called “Shou”(longevity), especially the multiples of ten named “Zheng shou”(integer age of longevity). Men don’t celebrate 10th birthday and women don’t celebrate their 9th, because in the southern dialects the word ten […]
Lao Zi, a thinker during the late Spring and Autumn Period, had a famous saying: “Pretending not to know when you know, how superb.” He meant that it was superb tactics to pretend not to know when one in fact knows. Chinese people follow an important rule in handling complex personal relations: be intelligent about […]
ji3 suo3 bu2 yu4，wu4 shi1 yu2 ren2 己所不欲，勿施于人 Confucius held that if there was one word that could serve as a guide throughout one’s life, it should be “forgiveness.” He said: “Do not do to others what you don’t want to be done to you.” The “forgiveness” he referred to, means putting oneself in the […]
Phoenix is a legendary bird in Chinese myth. It has been regarded as the head of all birds and a symbol of auspice for thousand of years. It is said that social stability usually follows the appearance of a phoenix. The phoenix is described to have a chicken’s head, snake’s neck, swallow’s jaw, tortoise’s back […]
There is a very famous picture in China named “song he yan nian”(the pine and the crane lengthen the life), it is to wish longevity. For thousands of years, Chinese people have been fond of pine because it is evergreen, cold-resistant and long-lived. Even two thousand years ago, Confucius said that pine withers later than […]
Chinese consider gifts as an important part to show courtesy. It is appropriate to give gifts on occasions such as festival, birthday, wedding or visiting a patient. If you are invited to a family party, small gifts like wine, tea, cigarettes or candies are welcomed. Also fruit, pastries and flowers are a safe choice. As […]
Neighbors seem to be an important part of community relationship in China. For instance, if a couple had a noisy fight and the neighbors heard it, they would come over to calm them down. Or, if both the husband and the wife are working, they will give their house key to the old woman next […]
“Li” in China not only refers to not only gifts, but more often than not, courtesy and modesty towards people. Politeness is extremely important in contacts among Chinese people. It helps you approach the other side and establish a good relationship. Politeness or rudeness is a key factor behind success or failure in China. When […]
In China, various customs are associated with the quality of fertility as symbolized by dragons. In Hunan and Hubei provinces, women wanting to be pregnant will let the dragon circulate their bodies and give money or gift to the dragon dance team as reward. A boy is placed on the back of the dragon and […]