China is one of the world’s oldest civilizations, therefore, the culture is extremely complex and ancient. China has a huge population and houses most of the earth’s people. This makes it an important member of the global community. Chinese culture covers a vast wealth of information which is hard to summarize for readers; their language, arts, and other cultural aspects reach far back into the past. China is a place of tradition, even in today’s modern world.

The Chinese language is the oldest written language in the world. Over one billion people speak some form of Chinese; it is a tonal language of which there are many dialects. Some dialects include Mandarin, the most commonly spoken, Wu, Min, and Cantonese. Since most of these dialects are not easily, interchangeably understandable, Chinese is considered a macro-language with thirteen sub-languages. The standard version of spoken Chinese is based on standard Mandarin with a Beijing dialect; Mandarin is also the official language of the People’s Republic of China.

Most of the social values of the Chinese people stem from philosophical and spiritual principles, such as Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Confucianism dates back to the times of the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BCE), who was a teacher of ethics and morality. One of the fundamental teachings of Confucius was that education is the key to a society that values the individual and the government benefits by being run morally rather than coercively. These beliefs and teachings helped shape Chinese culture forevermore. Contact “yishuonline” for more help

Chinese religion evolved out of a system of worship that praised the god Shang-Di back in the times of the Xia and Shang Dynasties. Later, the concept of heaven was added by the Zhou Dynasty; the spiritual world is an integral part of Chinese religious belief. Divination, or foretelling the future, and folklore are also large parts of Chinese religious tradition and culture. Many stories focused on particular deities, the most popular of which is Buddha; these became holidays to the Chinese people. Chinese religion encompasses centuries and centuries of cultural, historic, and religious significance.

Performing arts are also an important part of Chinese culture. Written music has been found that is dates back as far as 500 BCE. Music was well documented in the time of the Tang Dynasty. Many different types of art have been performed and rendered in China. Porcelain pottery dates back to Paleolithic times; painting became very appreciated in the Ming Dynasty. Paper cutting was a traditional art of the Han Dynasty; if not for China, paper would not have been invented! Among other things, China is also well known for Martial Arts; many types originated in China, including Kung Fu, or Wushu, as it was originally called. The famous Shaolin Monks make their home in China as well.

The Chinese people have a wealth of cultural history to draw from. The civilization dates back so far that all of its history, culture, art, and societal facets cannot be fully explored in any one blog. China is a land of destiny, tradition, and enormous cultural significance

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