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Understanding Chinese Culture

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brett:
Hi guys,

This question has been bothering me for a while. My lady worried that I did not know that much about Chinese culture. But I have enough lucky cats and woks in my house to prove that I know more about China than most Westerners.

So that got me thinking. The differences between Hong Kong Chinese culture and what I saw in Hubei Province - are these due to differences between the mainland and Hong Kong, or is it more of a Cantonese/Sichuan thing?

I think 1% of the UK population is of Chinese ethnicity, but the vast majority are Cantonese. Consequently it is actually quite difficult to find mainland stuff over here (e.g. Sichuan restaurants are very rare compared to Cantonese).

Here's some things I noticed:

In Hong Kong there were many temples. I don't remember seeing any in Yichang or Wuhan. Did they mostly disappear in the cultural revolution?

In Hong Kong many business had little shrines outside or inside. Again I didn't remember seeing any in Hubei Province. I saw plenty of lucky cats, but that was about it.

The Hong Kong hotel I stayed in had no 4 or 14th floors. For a time I was actually petrified that my lady would find out my house number is 14. But now I don't think it would bother her.

My Chinese culture book mentions colours that ladies don't like wearing, yet my lady wears them. It also mentions that ladies don't tend to celebrate their 30th birthdays, but mine just did :huh:.

RegnisTheGreat:
In Hong Kong there were many temples. I don't remember seeing any in Yichang or Wuhan. Did they mostly disappear in the cultural revolution?

They were mostly destoryed in the "Old Four" campaign during the cultural revolution.

In Hong Kong many business had little shrines outside or inside. Again I didn't remember seeing any in Hubei Province. I saw plenty of lucky cats, but that was about it.

Again, the "Old Four" camapign during the cultural revolutoion. Manay peopel took the shrines down to avoid being pesecuted.

The Hong Kong hotel I stayed in had no 4 or 14th floors. For a time I was actually petrified that my lady would find out my house number is 14. But now I don't think it would bother her.

Four in Cantonese sounds close to the Cantonese word for Death. The no 4 or 14 is most prevalent in the Cantonese speaking area. It has started to spread out more but its not as prevalent in general.

My Chinese culture book mentions colours that ladies don't like wearing, yet my lady wears them. It also mentions that ladies don't tend to celebrate their 30th birthdays, but mine just did Huh. Depends on what colour and your lady, it could again be a Cantonese thing or just she's an ultra modern woman for you.

brett:
Thanks guys. Yes my lady thinks I need to learn more about her culture, but I'm thinking... er, what kind of things? I guess she could mean the food, the festivals, the chopsticks usage and the language. Maybe I should hang my washing from an electricity pole or wash my vegetables in the street :icon_confused:?

But as to Chinese soap operas, well I'm not likely to ever become a fan of those. And Chinese popular culture, well I filled my suitcase with bargain priced music CDs and DVDs but once I took away the Jolin Tsai (Taiwan) and the Korean artists it turned out I hadn't actually found any mainland Chinese artists at all :icon_cheesygrin:.

Paul Todd:
Brett,

If you want to learn about Chinese history and culture and impress your lady visit  http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/   I posted the link on another thread a while back. It's well worth a few hours of your time

Willy The Londoner:
I find the biggest shame is that some people come to China and do not embrace the Chinese culture or the way of life.

The first thing they look for is McDonalds, KFC and Starbucks ands make these places their comfort zones.  

And they stay in £100 a night hotels where the staff speak Engish.

Its like going on a package tour that takes in The Great Wall, Tianimen Square and the Terracotta Warriors and the tourists think they know China!!!

If your going to marry a Chinese lady you need to live with them, eat what their family eats and know exactly what problems they face in every day life and how they deal with matters within a family.  

Is it not a wonder that when some men leave visiting China the ladies think they have met just another tourist?

Willy

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