Tradition

Growing up, the only things I knew about tradition in China regarded Chinese New Year.  I knew that small children received red envelopes with pocket money in them, and I knew that there was a Chinese Zodiac.  When I got older, I learned that the color red, and the cat were both lucky to the Chinese.  But now that I’ve spent time in China and learned more, as I’ve gotten older, everything about China says tradition to me.  The food, the way of life, the habits and mannerisms, and celebrations etc. have been deeply engrained into the people.  When most people think of culture, they think mostly of food and physical appearance; they compare familiar and foreign corporal observations.  However, I’ve realized that although culture is about physical appearance differences, observations you can see, and food; it’s mostly about what people do, why they do them, and the way they do them.  Not just that Chinese people drink tea, but that they drink tea for health; what actions do they accept and condemn, what influences their choices; and what are the core values of their society.

China is one of the oldest cultures in the world.  When its culture is examined closely enough, the modern aspects of culture can find their roots in ancient practices and traditions that occurred long ago.  Not just in day-to-day life, but also in larger ways such as government and politics.  For example, even the larger things like government have traditional aspects.  While communism is a relatively new government in China, the main theme of communism coincides with ancient Chinese tradition.  To fit in and do what is best for the group, even if it is not beneficial to oneself, is the general Chinese mindset.  This also is a large theme of Communism.  Every thing is made common and the entire system works to help everyone, to do what is best so that society thrives.  It could be argued that one of the reasons communisms was so easily accepted as a government is that it was already a familiar concept to the Chinese.

Another example includes the religion of Buddhism.  Solid evidence suggests that Buddhism appeared in China between 200BCE and 200CE.  In Buddhism, the deities can have influence on earth; they can influence events and even take the form of different people or animals.  Traditionally a Chinese host would be very hospitable because any guest that comes to their house could potentially be a deity in human form.

In a day-to-day example, part of Chinese education involves hours and hours of memorizing.  In ancient times, the Imperial Examination determined everything in terms of a job.  The extreme amount of pressure to success drove people to memorize abundantly and perform well in education.  This has also carried into today’s attitude with schooling.  Students spend hours studying for examinations and parents accept nothing less than perfection.

Culture is all around us.  And although it’s the simple things that most often are noticed, I have found that the best way to learn about culture is to be around other people.