Confucius

Many people will be familiar with the phrase “Only do unto others what you want done to yourself”. It is an ancient principle attributed to a Chinese philosopher called Confucius. He championed several moral values such as venerating ancestors, staying loyal to family and respecting ones elders.

Confucius lived during the Spring and Autumn period of China. During his lifetime many of the ideals which he held dear had been abandoned by East Asian society. However, he managed to transmit them once more to the masses. His various philosophical principles are referred to as Confucianism by scholars. They are underpinned by morality of both the individual and the government.

Followers of him will often focus on being just, kind and truthful. Interestingly there are far more people who believe in his values today. During the lifetime of Confucius he often found it difficult to spread his personal philosophy. After his death students of Confucianism were suppressed by the Qin dynasty. When Qin collapsed a new government officially sanctioned the thoughts of Confucius. Throughout both the Tang and Song dynasties his values formed the basis of a new system called Neo-Confucianism. This movement has influenced Chinese culture to this day.

Bruce Lee

Over the years many people from China have excelled within the film industry. However, few have had as big an impact as Bruce Lee. Fans of martial arts movies will likely be aware of him. Lee was the founder of a hybrid fighting style and philosophy known as Jeet Kune Do.

Bruce Lee had a prolific career in the movies. If readers use Wikipedia to research his filmography it will become clear why he is revered by critics. Lee is considered an icon within pop culture. He helped to bridge the gap between Chinese and American audiences. Without Bruce Lee the West would have been far less likely to embrace Honk Kong action cinema.

Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco before his family moved to Honk Kong several years later. He became a child actor which helped Lee to better understand the industry. At the same time he was trained in martial arts. Bruce Lee would occasionally move to America in order to teach martial arts to students. He also gave demonstrations at the Long Beach International Karate Championships.

Five feature films stand out as the most iconic in Bruce Lee’s career. These are Enter The Dragon, The Game of Death, Way of the Dragon, The Big Boss and Fist of Fury. Audiences loved his mixture of street fighting, karate, boxing and judo. He died at the young age of 32. Despite this Lee continues to have a big influence on society. The world of cinema and mixed martial arts owes him a big debt.

Desserts

Whilst eating in a Chinese restaurant it is a good idea to sample some of their delicious dessert options. After a main course Chinese people will often enjoy seasonal fruits. A number of desserts and pastries are referred to as tian dian and gao dian. The term dim sum originally meant a small food portion. However, modern Chinese restaurants in the West may use it to describe a sweet treat.

Throughout the year the Chinese celebrate a range of holidays and traditional festivals. These events are often covered by websites such as the Guardian so that both Western and Chinese readers can be made aware of them.

Many popular holidays are celebrated by serving dim sum and tea. During the Mid-Autumn Festival an iconic baked treat called a moon cake is eaten. Wheat and flour based confectionary is sometimes referred to as bing. It can be stuffed with a wide variety of fillings. Sometimes the pastry will have more oil added to it so that it can be fried. If so it is called su. Tang is the name for several difference Chinese candies. They may be made from honey, cane sugar or fruit.

Stable Foods

A plethora of different Chinese dishes have become popular with international food fans over the years. The recipes are often found on the BBC website so that people can make them at home. With such a wide variety choices it is hard to believe that most of them share the same core elements. However, rice, wheat, noodles are the staple foods that form the base for some of the most iconic examples of Chinese cuisine.

Historians believe that the Chinese were cultivating grains as early as 9000 years ago. It would take several more millennia for wheat to be successfully planted on a mass scale. When other food types were scarce people were forced to mix small amounts of meat with plenty of rice or noodles. This led to to the development of famous Chinese dishes.

Rice continues to be a dominant staple food. White is the most popular type of rice. A lot of people like to eat rice after steaming it. Others prefer to ferment it in order to produce vinegar or beer. The main reason for the popularity of rice is the fact it can be cultivated easily on a mass scale.

Chinese Cinema

Film scholars often cite Dingjun Mountain as the first legitimate Chinese film. It was released in 1905. The majority of professional films were created in Shanghai during the earliest decades of the film industry. The action genre was a big hit with domestic audiences during the 1920s. When sound was invented it significantly altered the way that Chinese movies were shot. This started with a talkie called Sing-Song Girl Red Peony in 1931.

The 30s tends to be considered the first golden age for Chinese cinema. It coincided with the emergence of a leftist filmmaking movement. Many of the films in this period focused on conflicts between nationalists and communists. When Shanghai was occupied by Japanese forces, its film output was significantly diminished. As a result many filmmakers moved to Hong Kong.

Western audiences may sometimes believe that Chinese cinema is fairly niche. However, such views underestimate its popularity. In fact the Chinese film industry rivals that of Hollywood. This country is the home of the Oriental Movie Metropolis, the world’s biggest film studio. In terms of box office receipts China tends to be the second largest in the world annually. As a result many American films try to cater to Chinese audiences. For example, popular Chinese actors may be added to the cast of Hollywood productions.

At the same time many moviegoers around the world have embraced Chinese language films. In 2000 Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a huge success around the world. In more recent years several animated films have managed to smash box office records. As a result this art form has been taken more seriously by mainstream Chinese film studios.

Chinese Sports

Since China is such a large country, it makes sense that it has become a top contender within the world of international sports. For hundreds of years the nation has had an association with several different types of martial arts. Traditionally the people of China have often considered physical fitness to be an important characteristic. Perhaps the biggest sporting event within China is the National Games. It often takes place four times a year and features a wide range of disciplines. The National Games is comparable in size to the Olympics. The main difference is that only Chinese sportspeople compete in it.

During the mid 20th century table tennis became a sport that China excelled at on the international stage. This began to change in the 1980s. China won the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Cup and the attention encouraged new sporting programs to open up. Until the 1990s the government funded professional athletes exclusively. As a result many of them ended up quitting at the height of their careers. They often cited fears about their livelihoods once they reached retirement age.

Throughout the 90s a wide range of sports in China became professionalised. This included basketball, football, weiqi and volleyball. When money started to flow in through the commercialisation of sporting events new clubs began to form. Today China is a dominant force on the international sports stage. Numerous news websites including Sky News regularly report the exploits of Chinese athletes. However, within the nation itself the biggest events tend to domestic ones. For example, in 2007 a basketball match between Yi Jianlian and Yao Ming drew an impressive 100 million Chinese viewers.

The Olympics is where Chinese sportspeople really thrive. For many years they have held high positions on the leader board. China won 48 gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. The country once again hosted the Games in 2022.

One of the most famous recent sporting events occurred in 2017. The ACL final was held in Tianhe Stadium and attracted the largest single crowd ever seen at one game within China. During the Chinese Super League in the same year the spectator attendance averaged more than 23,000 people. China has certainly come a long way in the last 50 years of sports.

Chinese Tourism

People who are planning to go on holiday may choose China as their destination. Tourism has become a significant industry within this nation which continues to grow. In recent decades the rate of visitors has greatly increased. It is not just foreigners who enjoy exploring the country. Thanks to new economic prosperity, some Chinese citizens have become part of an emerging rich middle class. They might use their surplus income to travel to famous Chinese landmarks.

However, there are also hindrances to this industry. The most recent issue has been the lockdown restrictions brought about by the Covid pandemic. As a result unnecessary travel is sometimes prohibited. Despite this problem some experts believe that China will be the number one tourist destination globally by the year 2030.

This country is already ranked second in the entire world as tourism accounted for $943.1 billion in 2014. There are over 66 million jobs in this sector. In 2013 the industry contributed to just over 9% of China’s GDP. This rose to 11% in 2017. If the trend continues this nation will rely on visitors in order to sustain a significant chunk of its economy. Conversely, people from China who visit other parts of the world are considered top spenders. They help to keep international tourism afloat. Interestingly, only 7% of citizens own a passport. Many analysts believe that if more Chinese people engage in tourism in the near future they could become an extremely lucrative target market.

One of the main reasons why people visit China is in order to see the many beautiful lakes, caves, valleys, waterfalls and mountains. The country has a unique natural landscape. The Five Sacred Mountains are very popular. Each one is in a different section of the country. In the south west is Huangguoshu Waterfall which is ideal for people who want a stunning photo opportunity.

When tourists venture north they may notice that there is an abundance of spectacular lakes. Heavenly Pool is considered one of the most iconic examples. The Yangtze River not only looks great but is also full of historical sites. There are also reefs worth exploring around Xiling Gorge.

Other tourists might be more focused on the cultural side of China. If so they may decide to trek along the Great Wall. It is over 2000 years old and is well known for its grandeur and scale. It is impossible to see all of the iconic Chinese cities fully in one lifetime. 54 of them have attained the top Chinese tourist city title. The right ones will depend on the tastes of the tourist. Some people may be focused on galleries and museums. Others might prefer to check out famous examples of Chinese architecture.

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