Chinese Culture

Chinese Culture

Religion

Because China is a communist state, there is no official religion and more than half of the population claims no religious affiliation or identifies as atheist. About a quarter of the people practice Taoism and Confucianism and other traditional religions. There are also small numbers of Buddhists, Muslims and Christians. Although numerous Protestant and Catholic ministries have been active in the country since the early 19th century, they have made little progress in converting Chinese to these religions.

Language

There are seven main dialects of Chinese — Mandarin, Cantonese, Hakka, Wu, Min, Xiang and Gan. Pŭtōnghuà, the type of Mandarin based on the speech in the capital Beijing, is the official national language of mainland China. Many Chinese are also fluent in English. The written language is symbol-based.

Food

Like other aspects of Chinese life, cuisine is heavily influenced by geography and ethnic diversity. Among the main styles of Chinese cooking are Cantonese, which features stir-fried dishes, and Sezchuan, which relies heavily on use of peanuts, sesame paste and ginger and is known for its spiciness.

The Chinese word for rice is fan, which also means meal, and it is a staple of their diet, as are bean sprouts, cabbage and scallions. Because they do not consume a lot of meat — occasionally pork or chicken — tofu is a main source of protein for the Chinese.

Arts

Chinese art is greatly influenced by the country’s rich spiritual and mystical history. Many sculptures and paintings depict spiritual figures of Buddhism.

Many musical instruments are integral to Chinese culture, including the flute-like xun and the guqin, which is in the zither family. The country’s musical history dates back to the beginning of its existence.

Eastern-style martial arts were also developed in China, and it is the birthplace of kung fu, which translates to human achievement.

Ancient Chinese were avid writers and philosophers —...