Chinese Culture
Chinese History
Chinese history is nearly as diverse as it is long. Though the line you'll hear in China reads something like "5,000 years of uninterrupted history", this is a bit misleading. The country can certainly take pride in that it is one of the longest running civilized habitations on earth - "uninterrupted", however, is a bit of a distortion.
What follows is our attempt at a China history primer - a graphical representation of China's dynastic past, with a smattering of details to give you just a taste. Simply click on the dynasty to get a bit more info.
Chinese Etiquette
Impressions about Chinese etiquette vary. Many come to China with heads full of a richly cultural country, filled with traditions and customs celebrated for thousands of years. Though there remains a veil of this laying on top of modern day China, it is thin and sometimes hard to see.
In fact, what most do see upon stepping off the plane is a lot of what is generally considered quite rude in the West. People spitting and littering on the street, men relieving their bladders just behind the bushes (or not behind anything, as is often the case), and a general disregard of the fine art that we call queuing are all common sights. At the dinner table it is not much better, as it isn't considered out-of-the-norm to eat with your mouth open, while trying desperately to say as much as you can before you need to swallow.
Religions of China
As the high-paced modern world reaches more of China's people, an abundance of the population are again turning to the temples and churches across the country to try and find answers. However, half a century of religious repression is a tough thing to overcome, and though some are looking for spiritual enlightenment, many are just there to pray to be included in the boom.
