Culture of China
By: Meztly Diaz
Family Structure
Modern Chinese families have 2 generations, but the traditional families have 3 generations which include children, parents, and grandparents. Grandparents are respected greatly due to their wisdom of the past years while children are expected to obey, and treat the older with respect. The grandfather has most of the control, but the grandmother has more power on the women of the house. The older people raise the children, but the parents have the biggest responsibility. Boys are better than girls in China since they carry on the family tradition, bring all the money, and don't leave when they are married.
Modern
The modern Chinese family with 2 generations.
Children
Chinese children would have to respect their elders.
Traditional
The traditional Chinese family with 3 generations.
Chinese Foot Binding
Chinese foot binding was a really hurt full thing that had to happen to Chinese girls. The whole purpose was to make girls look beautiful. Chinese people thought women with small feet were fragile and needed help. They thought that wealthy men would notice and marry the daughters. Foot binding symbolized beauty.
Chinese Foot Binding
this is how Chinese foot binding looks like
Chinese foot binding
this is how small a foot would look like
The difference
this is the difference between a normal foot and a shoe for the people who had foot binding
A pained recalling of foot-binding
Birth Ceremonies
The birth of a baby in China is a happy event, and usually to announce a child's birth, most of the parents hang markers on their doors. To show that it is girl who was born, she has a handkerchief on the right side of the door. To show that it was a boy that was born, he has a bow on the left side of the door.To announce the birth of the baby to relatives, parents send red dyed eggs to the relatives. The eggs are red since that is a lucky color in China. A baby is named after one month of being born since babies usually die before that. When a baby is named it is called the naming ceremony.In the naming ceremony the children's heads are shaved, and parents give prayers asking ancestors to give the child a longer life. After the ceremony, the parents hold a feast where the guests give the family gifts.
Names Of Chinese Poeple
A baby would be named 1 month after it was born since babies would often die before. A Chinese person's name would be the name of the family first then the name of the person. This was a way to avoid related people marry each other originally. All Chinese names have a specific meaning, but girl's names would often mean flowers or beauty while the boy's names would mean courage or strength.
Chinese Homes
Chinese homes face inward to to represent that a the family exists as one unit. To enter a Chinese home you have to pass through a gate, step over a threshold, and then you walk around a screen. This is done to keep ghosts and evil spirits away since they believe that ghosts move in straight lines. Also most rooms do't have doors allowing people to move freely from one room to the next.
Weddings
Parents would usually pick who their son/daughter would marry and they wouldn't see each other until the wedding day. That was before the 1990's, now they can choose who they will marry. Even though they can marry who ever they want, in some religions parents introduce their son and daughter. If they get engaged, the parents would choose the best wedding day with the help of an astrologer. Usually the bride visits her future husband family and serves them tea. To thank her, they give her money. On the wedding day the groom goes to his wife's home for a good-bye meal with her family. Then the family makes a feast where the newly wed couple receives money. When the couple marries, the bride wears a red wedding dress and a red veil while the groom wears a dark suit, dark shoes and a red silk slash.
Festivals
Chinese festivals are very important parts of the history and culture of China. Chinese festivals are based on the lunar calender. The most important festival so far is celebrated on the Chinese New Year. The festival is called the Spring Festival, but there are still many other festivals that are celebrated and make people happy and joyful.
Great Wall Of China
The Great Wall of China was built to keep foreign invaders out. The Wall was built around 2,200 years ago, and it was is 4,000 miles long reaching from the Yellow Sea to deserts in the West. The Great Wall Of China represents the strength of the country. Around 400,000 people died building the Wall. Every year thousands of tourists visit the Great Wall of China.
Ways Of Thinking
There are many ways of thinking in China like Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Confucianism is the belief that learning is the answer to good behavior. Taoism is the belief that people should live simply and in harmony with nature. Buddhism is the belief that praying, right thoughts, and good deeds can find relief to life's problems.
Confucianism
This is a double happiness Confucianism symbol
Taoism
this is the Taoism symbol
Buddhism
This is the Buddhism symbol
Kongfuzi
The person who thought of Confucianism, the belief in good behavior.
Laozi
The person who thought of Taoism, the belief of a simple life with nature.
Buddah
A symbol of Buddhism, the belief in prayers,right thoughts, and good deeds.
Leadership In China
For many years, until the 1900's a lines of family rulers would be in charge until they were overthrown.The line of family rulers is called a dynasty. The rulers would be emperors or empresses. China had a greatly developed culture, and they had also won neighboring lands due to the dynasties. The picture below shows soldiers made out of clay. They are called Terracotta, and they were made by an emperor named Qin Shi Huang. (On the right)