The people’s republic of China
Written by Sarah Parillo
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History of China China, one of the countries that can boast of an ancient civilization, has a long and mysterious history that spans over almost 5,000 years. Like most great civilizations of the world, China can trace their culture back to a blend of small original tribes which expanded until they became the great country we have today. The first prehistoric dynasty is said to be Xia (21st-16th century B.C.). From the long history of China, there emerge many eminent people that have contributed a lot to the development of the whole country and to the enrichment of their history. Among them, there are emperors like Li Shimin (emperor Taizong of the Tang), philosophers like Confucius, and great patriotic poets like Qu Yuan. Chinese society has progressed through five major stages - Primitive Society, Slave Society, Feudal Society, Semi-feudal and Semi-colonial Society, and Socialist Society. The rise and fall of the great dynasties forms a thread that runs through Chinese history, almost from the beginning. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st, 1949, China has become a socialist society and continues to grow in strength.
Quick Facts: President: Xi Jinping (2013)
Prime Minister: Wen Jiabao (2003) Capital: Beijing Major Cities: Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Harbin, Chengdu Population: 1,390,510,630 (makes up approx.19.3% of the world’s population) They instituted a One Child Policy in 1979 to control growing population The majority of Chinese are non-denominational in religion, but 10% are Buddhist Houses one of the greatest wonders of the world: The Great Wall of China (pictured on left) Construction Period: About 2,000 years from the Warring States Period (476 BC - 221 BC) to Ming Dynasty (13681644)
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GEOGRAPHY of China Located in Southeast Asia along the coastline of the Pacific Ocean, China is the world’s third largest country. With an area of 9.6 million square kilometers and a coastline of 18,000 kilometers, its shape on the map resembles the form of a rooster. China is bordered by 14 countries -- Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Burma, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia. The vast land expanses of China include plateaus, plains, basins, foothills, and mountains. Rugged plateaus, foothills and mountains occupy nearly two-thirds of the land, higher in the West and lower in the East like a three-step ladder. With that being said, China is divided into three geographic regions: the mountains to the west, the various deserts and basins in the northeast, and the low lying valleys and plains in the east.
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Chinese Culture, Etiquette & Customs Cultural history
when shaking hands:
DO NOT: China's early history is dominated by periods of a. Shake hands absent-mindedly. dynastic rule, fragmentation, and imperialistic b. Shake hands with left hand. expansion. Remnants of most of these periods of c. Shake hands while wearing a hat, gloves or history can be found in China today. Two words sunglasses. used to describe Chinese people have been known d. Shake hands crossways. for their patriotism and innovation. e. Having your other hand in your pocket. Ancient mythology and spirituality are infused f. Shake hands while seated unless disabled. throughout the traditional dance, art, music, and g. Refuse to shake hands with others. literature of China, with many contemporary customs being directly attributed to century-old Table Manners traditions. Culturally, China has given the world The guest of honor is always seated to the right of everything from martial arts and intricate Chinese the host; the next in line will sit on his left. Guests should be seated after the host's invitation, and it calligraphy, to the puzzle game Mahjong. is discourteous to seat guests at the place where While modern China is changing at a rapid pace, the dishes are served. with technological advances and infrastructure Dishes are always presented in the center of the cropping up at a speedy rate, much of China still table. clings to age-old traditions and ways of life. Dining may only begin once the host and all his guests are seated.
Etiquette & Customs Greetings
Use a handshake or a simple, kind salutation. A smile, good eye contact and politeness are expressions of sincerity. It is wrong to ask about the personal affairs of other people. Inquiring into another's privacy is considered to be impolite. Handshaking
Apart from soup, all dishes should be eaten with chopsticks. Do not play with, lick, or use them to stir food. Also, do not gesture with them or point them at others. The one who sits closest to the teapot or wine bottle should pour them for others, from the senior and superior to the junior. When other people fill your cup or glass, you express your thanks. Guests can not pour tea or wine themselves.
Simple and light handshake that lasts between 3-5 seconds. There are also some things that are unacceptable 5
China and Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Power Distance
family) are getting preferential At 80 China sits in the higher rankings of PDI treatment. Employee commitment to the organization is low. Whereas relationships with (a society that believes that inequalities colleagues are cooperative for in-groups they amongst people are acceptable). The are cold or even hostile to out-groups. Personal subordinate-superior relationship tends to be polarized and there is no defense against power relationships prevail over task and company. abuse by superiors. Individuals are influenced by formal authority and sanctions and are in Masculinity/Femininity general optimistic about people’s capacity for At 66 China is a masculine society –success leadership and initiative. People should not oriented and driven. The need to ensure success have aspirations beyond their rank. can be exemplified by the fact that many Chinese will sacrifice family and leisure Uncertainty Avoidance priorities to work. Service people (such as hairdressers) will provide services until very At 30, China has a low score on uncertainty avoidance. Truth may be relative though in the late at night. Leisure time is not so immediate social circles there is concern for important. The migrated farmer workers will leave their families behind in faraway places in Truth with a capital T and rules (but not order to obtain better work and pay in the necessarily laws) abound. None the less, adherence to laws and rules may be flexible to cities. Another example is that Chinese students care very much about their exam suit the actual situation and pragmatism is a fact of life. The Chinese are comfortable with scores and ranking as this is the main criteria to achieve success or not. ambiguity; the Chinese language is full of ambiguous meanings that can be difficult for Western people to follow. Chinese are adaptable and entrepreneurial. At the time of writing the majority (70% -80%) of Chinese businesses tend to be small to medium sized and family owned.
Long-term Orientation
China scores the highest LTO of all countries that were polled with 118 (the highest is 120). Long Term Orientation stands for the fostering of virtues oriented towards future rewards, in particular perseverance and thrift. Individualism & Collectivism Relationships are ordered by status and At a score of 20 China is a highly collectivist Chinese businesspeople have a strong sense of culture where people act in the interests of the pride. group and not necessarily of themselves. Ingroup considerations affect hiring and promotions with closer in-groups (such as
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Chinese Economy & Money System China’s Currency
Economy
Chinese yuan, also known as Renminbi, is used throughout in mainland China, while in Hong Kong and Macau, Hong Kong dollar and pataca are respectively used. The basic unit of Renminbi is Yuan and the sign of Yuan is ￥. In some parts of China, yuan is called kuai and jiao is referred as mao.
China’s economic freedom score is 52.5, making its economy the 137th freest in the 2014 Index. Its overall score is 0.6 point higher than last year, with modest improvements in investment freedom, business freedom, and monetary freedom outweighing declines in freedom from corruption, labor freedom, and the management of government spending.
Chinese money is issued by the People's Bank of China in denominations of one, two, five, ten, twenty, fifty, and one hundred yuan. The jiao and fen coins are both issued in ones, twos, and fives.
China is ranked 29th out of 42 countries in the Asia–Pacific region, and its overall score continues to be lower than the global and regional averages.
Approximately 6 Chinese yuan = 1 US dollar (3/13/14)
Over the 20-year history of the Index, China’s economic freedom has been almost unchanged, stuck near the lower boundary of the “mostly unfree” category. However, the overall stagnation masks major changes in certain categories of economic freedom: Trade freedom has improved by over 50 points, while scores for investment freedom, financial freedom, property rights, and the control of government spending have all suffered double-digit declines. Although the boost in trade freedom has undoubtedly helped spur China’s high overall growth rates, the deterioration in other categories indicates that major economic reforms are still needed to create a more balanced and sustainable economy.
In China, currency exchange could be available in large banks, hotels, and airports.
From top to the bottom 1 yuan, 5 jiao (0.5 yuan), 1 jiao (0.1 yuan)
The lack of political will to undertake more fundamental restructuring of the economy has led to continued overreliance on public investment. 7
From top to the bottom 1, 5, 10, 20 50, & 100 yuan
Chinese Business Practices & Protocol
Before beginning, recognize that the following qualities are valued by the Chinese and therefore relevant to your Chinese business interactions today: • Saving and giving face • Respect for elders and rankings (note that the latter is particularly important when dealing with government officials) • Patience • Politeness • Modesty Business in China relies heavily on personal relationships (Make sure you have some!) • Relationships in China are very formal. Remember, when doing business you are representing your company so always keep dealings at a professional level. Never become too informal and avoid humor Don’t be late, and know who’s boss • What are their language capabilities? Do you need a translator? • What is the dress code? • Check Chinese calendar before setting any dates
Business often gets conducted during meals so follow the leader • Don’t refuse food • Host toasts first, then it is open for anyone to toast. Short, sincere toasts are recommended • Do not drink from the toast glass unless it is for a toast • Host always pays Gift giving is a common Chinese custom • Nothing extravagant or expensive • Bring something that represents your country or culture 8
Basic Chinese Words and Phrases English
Pronounced
Chinese
Hello
Nee haoww
你好
How are you?
Nee haoww mah?
你好吗
Good/ok
Haoww
好
Not good
Boo haoww
不好
Good morning
Dzaoww-shung haoww
早上好
Good afternoon
Sshyah-woo haoww
下午好
Good evening
Wan-shung haoww
晚上好
Bye-bye.
Bye-bye
拜拜
See you later.
Dzeye jyen
再见
What is your surname? (formal)
Neen gway sshing?
您贵姓？
My surname is ...
Wor sshing ...
我姓……
What's your name? (informal)
Nee jyaoww shnn-muh ming-zuh?
你叫什么名字？
I'm called ...
Wor jyaoww ...
我叫……
Where is the bathroom?
Sshee shoh jyen dzeye nah-lee?
洗手间在那里？
What is this?
Jer shrr shnn-muh?
这是什么？
Please help me.
Ching bung-joo wor
请帮助我
Yes
Shrr
是
No
Boo-shrr
不是
No, thanks
Boo-yong luh, sshyeah
不用了，谢
Thank you
Sshyeah-sshyeah
谢谢
You are welcome
Boo-yong sshyeah
不用谢
Excuse me/sorry
Dway-boo-chee
对不起
I don't understand
Wor ting boo-dong
我听不懂
How much money (does it cost)?
Dwor-sshaoww chyen
多少前
What time? / What's the time?
Jee-dyen jong
几点种
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China’s Weather Best times to travel Spring (March to May) or autumn (September to early November). Worst times to travel Winters in China’s north and northeast fall between November/December and March/April, and are very cold. North of the Great Wall and into Inner Mongolia and Hēilóngjiāng, temperatures can drop to -40°C. Summer is hot and dry, and falls roughly between May and August.
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Chinese Holidays China has seven legal holidays in a year, including New Year's Day, Spring Festival, Qingming Festival, May Day, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Day, and National Day. For the festivals on the calendar, Chinese people can enjoy days off. They also celebrate four other festivals on which some people have a half day off - Women's Day, Youth Day, Children's Day and Army Day. Many other galas and anniversaries are celebrated even without days off, such as Arbor Day and Teachers' Day. Among all the Chinese holidays, there are two 'Golden Weeks' - Spring Festival Week and National Day Week. Both of them last for three days but by combining two weekends with them, people benefit from seven consecutive days off. During these two weeks, most people go out and enjoy themselves in a great variety of ways Business establishments actually flourish during holidays, so there’s no need to worry about shopping, dining, or entertainment. Some shopping malls, shops, supermarkets, and restaurants have promotions and discounts on festivals, and some even extend their opening time. The civil service departments such as the government offices, embassies, and schools are closed on legal holidays. Elementary public service establishments, like the public transport system, run normally to facilitate the locals and visitors on their basic living and travel; however, please note that the banks and post offices only have their major branches opened on holidays. Most of the hospitals run during holidays, but maybe only the basic departments are available.
2014 / 2015 / 2016 Major Public Holiday Calendar Name New Year's Day
Date Jan. 1
Legal Holidays 1 day
Spring Festival
subject to lunation
3 days
Qingming
Apr. 4 or 5
1 day
May Day
May 1
1 day
Dragon Boat
5th of 5th lunar month
1 day
Mid-Autumn Day
Aug. 15 of lunar calendar
1 day
National Day
Oct. 1
3 days (Oct. 1 - 3) 11
2014 Jan. 1 off Jan. 31 (Jan. 31 - Feb. 6 off) Apr. 5 (Apr. 5 - 7 off)
2015 Jan. 1 - 3 off
2016 Jan. 1 - 3 off
Feb. 19 (Feb. 19 - 25 off)
Feb. 8 (Feb. 8 - 14 off)
Apr. 5 (Apr. 4 - 6 off)
May 1 - 3 off
May 1 - 3 off
Apr. 4 (Apr. 2 - 4 off) Apr. 30 - May 2 off
Jun. 2 (May 31 - Jun. 2 off) Sep. 8 (Sep. 6 - 8 off)
Jun. 20 (Jun. 20 - 22 off)
Jun. 9 (Jun. 9 - 11 off)
Sep. 27 (Sep. 26 - 28 off)
Sep. 15 (Sep. 15 - 17 off)
Oct. 1 - 7
Oct. 1 - 7
Oct. 1 - 7
Chinese Food Generally speaking, people in China mainly live on the five common grains (soybeans, rice, wheat, proso millet, and foxtail millet) and vegetables with an added small supply of meat. This eating habit was formed by their large focus on agriculture production. Main focus for dishes: color, taste, and smell Gong Bao Chicken 宫保鸡丁
Five taste classes: sweet, sour, bitter, hot, salty Popular dishes: Sweet And Sour Pork Gong Bao Chicken Ma Po Tofu Wontons Dumplings Spring Rolls Chow Mein Peking Duck Steamed Buns Specialty dishes: Mapo Tofu West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy Honey Stewed BBQ Pork
Mapo Tofu 麻婆豆腐
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