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Chinese Civilization: Traditions & Customs of China

The words of wisdom by Confucius, which give a lot of importance to compliance, as well as to respect of seniors and accountability to the society; are the leading elements of the legendary Chinese civilization.

The state is very large, so traditions and customs can differ by topography, in addition to more than fifty tribal factions that live in this kingdom of over one billion citizens. A concise synopsis of the amazing Chinese civilization is presented below:

Confucius
Confucius

Religion

Since Chinese Civilization today is a Marxist country, there is actually no certified religion.

Moreover, above half of the inhabitants claim no religious association or identify themselves as atheists. Approximately a quarter of Chinese citizens follow Confucianism and Taoism, and various other diverse customary beliefs.

There are, in addition, a small number of Muslims, Christians and Buddhists. Even though various Catholic and Protestant bureaus have been dynamic in the state from the beginning of the early 1500’s, the ministries have made very little development in converting the Chinese to any of these religions until recently.

Language

There are in total seven major vernaculars of Chinese in Chinese Civilization.

Hakka, Cantonese, Mandarin, Xiang, Gan, Wu and Min. Pŭtōnghuà, the sort of Mandarin spoken in the Chinese capital of Beijing, is the bureaucrat nationwide language of mainland China. A lot of Chinese are, in addition, fluent in English too. The written lingo is character based.

Chinese calligraphy on beige paper
Chinese calligraphy on beige paper

Food

Like the various other features of Chinese lifestyle, cuisine is, to a great deal, subjective to topography, in addition to the ethnic range. Amongst the various approaches of Chinese food preparation are Cantonese, which sports the infamous stir-fried dishes, along with Szechuan, which prepares food by the extreme use of ginger, sesame paste plus peanuts, and is recognized for its sharp taste.

The Chinese term for rice is known to be fan, which in addition means food. In addition to that, rice is a staple of the Chinese diet (more so in the south than north), as are bean sprouts, scallions and cabbage. For the reason that the Chinese do not eat lots of meat, just occasionally consuming chicken or pork, tofu is the main resource of protein used by the Chinese people.

Traditional Style Dumplings
Traditional Style Dumplings

Tea is the mostly consumed beverage (more so in the south than the north).

Arts

Chinese fine art is very much prejudiced by the state’s rich religious and spiritual history. A lot of statuettes and paintings give a picture of religious figurines of Buddhism. Apart from that, a lot of musical apparatuses are basic to Chinese ethnicity, counting the xun, which is similar to the flute, as well as the amazing guqin, which comes from the zither kin.

Eastern approach to martial arts was, in addition, expanded within China. Furthermore, it is also the place of birth of Kung Fu, which actually transforms to individual achievement. Prehistoric Chinese were enthusiastic authors and theorists; in particular, for the duration of the Qing and Ming dynasties, and this is mirrored in the nation’s rich liturgical record.

I loved living in China for all of the reasons above. But perhaps the greatest reason was its rich and diverse history. From ancient Xi’an, to Beijing (which is the 5th capital of China and its youngest), to the raging Yellow River, Chinese Civilization has an abundant of things to see and do.

Enjoy!

 

Hong Kong Festivals – The Basic Lists of Festivities

Hong Kong is a very vibrant city, especially when it comes to festivals. It holds amazing festivals every year that give you a great chance to mingle with your loved ones, friends, coworkers. I always loved the festivals, in additional to some really cool facts, in Hong Kong for many reasons. Perhaps the main reason is Hong Kong stands at the crossing of Eastern and Western cultures so you have this amazing blends of life styles.

The city becomes vibrant, people are off from work, and there is always some place to go to enjoy the festivals. While this list is comprehensive, it is in no way complete, just too many festivals to enjoy!

Hong Kong Festivals – Tuen Ng Dragon Boat festival

Dragon Boat Festival, Hong Kong
Dragon Boat Festival, Hong Kong

This is a very colorful festival in which boat races are held, and my personal favorite! Remind me to tell you my story of reaching one of the yachts that was sponsoring a group of racers.

Boats are in the shapes of attractive and beautifully decorated dragons. It is normally held in June, but the dates and months can vary depending on the dates of the lunar calendar. The races are organized at ten different sites and attract the locals as well as tourists from different countries.

I normally enjoyed going to the back side of Hong Kong island to Stanley Beach.

Hong Kong Festivals – Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival, Hong Kong
Mid-Autumn Festival, Hong Kong

It is one of the biggest festivals in Hong Kong and is considered to be the second most important festival in China, after the Chinese New Year Festival. Fire breathing dragons, lantern displays and gorgeous lion dances are some of the biggest highlights of this festival. They also have some of the best snacks!

I’ll be writing more on this festival in another article. While The Dragon boat races were the most exciting, this for me was the most meaningful.

Hong Kong Festivals – Chinese New Year Festival

The Chinese New Year is celebrated with a lot of zeal and fervor each year. Different events are held in Hong Kong to celebrate it. Three days of amazing events are planned almost every year to enjoy this occasion. A fantastic parade and entertainment extravaganza is held close to the Victoria Harbor on 31st January.

Another important event of this festival is the stunning display of fireworks. I love fireworks, so I eagerly wait for the Chinese New Year to arrive every year.

Chinese Lunar New Year, Hong Kong
Chinese Lunar New Year, Hong Kong

Hong Kong Festivals – Hong Kong Winter Festival

This festival is mainly held for attracting tourists to Hong Kong. The streets are decorated with beautiful lights, sales are held in almost all the stores and snacks are distributed amongst the locals. It is organized before the New Year every year.

Hong Kong Festivals – Hong Kong Shopping Festival

This is heaven for all the ladies. It is an amazing festival that is mostly held in August and offers something for everyone.

Hong Kong Festivals – Christmas

Christmas is celebrated with a lot of enthusiasm in Hong Kong. The entire city is decorated with lights and Christmas trees. You can see Santa Claus distributing gifts amongst the children in shopping malls, and you get to enjoy discounted prices on goods and services as well.

One of the best places to visit in Hong Kong during this time of the year is Disney Land. Lots of entertaining events are organized there for kids.

Holiday time in Hong Kong
Holiday time in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Festivals – The Arts Festival

If you are an arts aficionado, then you’ll love this festival a lot. It was held for the first time during 1973, and has been organized annually since then. Ballets, operas, dramas and symphonies are the major attractions of this event. I attended a few performances last year and they were absolutely stunning!

Hong Kong Festivals – Horse Racing Festival

This is the most awaited festival by the enthusiasts of horses and gambling. It is celebrated mostly from January till July each year, but the timings can change.

This was really just a brief list but it contains some of the best and most interesting of the festivals and holidays in Hong Kong. I will be writing about more of them and also more in-depth, taking one festival and writing about it at length. So much of the festivals are tied to the culture and are very old in customs and traditions.

Enjoy!