China has one of the world's richest cultures and ancient heritage. If you are a connoisseur, you would be relieved to know its diversity in the cuisine. Visiting or moving to China sure has many attractions, but it is quite different from the West. You should know all about them before planning a trip.
Family matters
If you visit China, you will be amazed to see how their families bond together. Unlike in Western countries, Chinese families are very closely knitted together. They usually live in joint families. In the West, the young generation usually moves out as soon as they start earning and settle down in nuclear families. You can find out more about Chinese culture from essay writing tools like Panda Scholar.
Attitude to work
In China, organizations usually implement an autocratic leadership style. There are bureaucracy and a high level of formalization. Communication flows from top to bottom. In contrast, western countries encourage employee engagement and follow the democratic way of leadership.
Business
Chinese people are skeptical and inquisitive. They are interested in going in-depth about every matter before finalizing a deal. Americans like to save time and head straight to business.
Privacy
Asking personal questions from one another in China is not a big deal. Like many other cultures, Western countries find it rude to ask questions like your salary and religion. However, if we talk about personal space in China, showing affection in public is quite uncommon. You will rarely see a Chinese couple holding hands in the street.
Holidays
Although several holidays are celebrated in both cultures, a few of them are distinctly unique. For example, China does not celebrate its new year with the rest of the world, rather follows the lunar calendar. Other than this, holidays like the Qingming Festival, Dragon-boat festival, and the Moon Festival are exclusive to China.
Accepting compliments
"Hi, you look amazing in that red dress" does this sound anything unusual to you? Most probably not, but in Chinese culture, exchanging compliments make people uncomfortable and awkward. If you are visiting China, try not to pass any comments, even if positive. People are not accustomed to it.
Showing emotions
People of the West are mostly extroverts and make friends quite easily. They are very confident about showing their emotions and expressing themselves. Chinese culture difference is that trusting others does not come naturally to them.
Languages
Languages form one of the significant differences between cultures. Chinese language is made up of notions and uses graphical symbols, whereas in English, alphabets and letters are used. The literal translation of Chinese is next to impossible, and there are some sounds in the speech that make pronunciation for Chinese challenging.
Way of spending money
Westerners are attracted to a luxurious life, and a huge chunk of their savings goes to purchasing materialistic items and taking trips. In China, people are modest and prefer saving for the long-term.
Cultural norms and values vary from one place to another. Something unusual to you might be a norm in China and vice versa. If you have planned to go there, I would recommend you understand these cultural differences between us and china to prevent inconveniences and have a smooth experience.