Chinese CultureIDA & JULIA

Basic Facts

China’s full name is People's Republic of China

There lives 1.35 billion people (UN, 2012)

Beijing is the capital of China, but the largest city is Shanghai.

Major language in China is Mandarin Chinese.

Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and Taoism are the main religions.

Society and Culture, Customs and Etiquette

There is many strict rules on introduction. These rules are to show respect to the senior, the female, the superior and the guest.

It is common to introduce junior to senior, or familiar to unfamiliar, or male to the female first.

When introducing yourself in formal occasions, it is polite to give your full name, job positions and the place you work for.

In informal occasion giving your full name with a simple greeting is enough.

To convey respect to higher level, bowing is often used by lower like subordinate or students. Nowadays younger Chinese people tend to simply nod as a greeting.

When talking to strangers, the safe topics to use are weather, food or hobbies. You should be aware not to ask private questions from a woman.

Chinese people avoid being touched by strangers.

Gift Giving in Chinese Culture

Gifts are a common way to show courtesy.

Gifts are given on occasions such as festival, birthday, wedding, or visiting a patient.

Pay attention to:

Odd numbers are considered unfortunate and even numbers are favored.

Note that the number four is an execption and it is avoided because it is pronounced like the word ”death” in chinese.

Black and white are avoided too because they are connected to death and sorrow.

Giving gift in public is unsuitable expect for some souvenirs.

Table Manners

Usually the guest of honor is seated to the right of the host.

Only after the host and all of his guests are seated dinig may begin.

Chopsticks are used with all dishes, expect with soup.

Never twiddle, lick or point someone with your chopsticks.

You should pace your dining accorded with other people.

Tea, beer or distilled spirit are always accompanied in a formal dining.

Senior and superior should be served first.

Guests should not pour tea or wine themselves.

Power Distance

• Chinese culture is more inequal than Finland.

• They value groups like family over individual

• The traditional gender roles are stronger in China than in Finland.

• Chinese people are less concerned about uncertainity and they are more ready to accept the change than finnish people

Monochronic Time Orientation

Time is valued in China.

It is inflexible, inpersonal, ”dont waste my time” is a common expression.

Being late is unacceptable and rude even for close friends.

Work time and personal time are clearly separated.

High Context Culture

In high context cultures speakers use a lot of circumlocution.

They expect listeners to understand unsaid, ”read between the lines”.

People prefer to say yes rather than no.

Chinese communication style is indirect because they want to avoid conflicts.

Sources

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-13017879

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/etiquette.htm

http://chineseculture.about.com/library/weekly/aa031901a.htm

http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/intercultural-business-communication/tool.php?culture1=8&culture2=16

http://www.2point6billion.com/news/2013/03/20/time-to-understand-time-in-china-12075.html

http://business.uni.edu/buscomm/internationalbuscomm/world/asia/china/china.html

Bartlett, C. & Davidsson A. 2008. Improve Your Global Competence