Taste Chinese

Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is known as Spring Festival and is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is sometimes called the "Lunar New Year" by English speakers. Within China, regional customs and traditions concerning the celebration of the Chinese new year vary widely. People will pour out their money to buy presents, decoration, material, food, and clothing. It is also the tradition that every family thoroughly cleans the house to sweep away any ill-fortune in hopes to make way for good incoming luck. In 2010 it is the year of the Tiger!

Kung-Fu

When talking about China, people will often think about Kung Fu, the famous martial art. Kung Fu is far more than fighting or kick-boxing. It is a unique martial culture, that is borne out of the philosophies of Confucianism, Taoism, and Zen. Kung Fu films are popular all over the world. Some of the most significant Kung Fu stars include Bruce Lee, Jacky Chan and Jet Li.

Cuisine

Chinese cuisine is one of the world’s great cuisines with many elements having influenced its development. The Chinese people enjoy eating good food at all levels of society, so cooking has developed into a very sophisticated art. There are many kinds of Chinese food from North to South, East to West. Recipes of many famous dishes, such as Beijing duck, Shanghai noodles, Sichuan soup and Guangdong dumplings are actually quite simple and are not sophisticated. Many Chinese dishes are cooked with less meat and more vegetables, so the foods contain lower calories and are less rich than Western style food.

Some famous dishes include:

• Chinese Geen Beans
• Mapo Tofu (Mapo Dofu)
• Yangchow Fried Rice
• Fried Rice or Sweet and Sour Pork
• Chinese Black Sea Bass
• Broccoli With Oyster Sauce
• Roast Honey Chicken
• Oyster Sauce Chicken

Doing business in China

If you are in the international business world, it is likely that you will deal with Chinese companies at some point or another and that’s why learning Chinese can be so important.

Some facts about making business in China:

• Chinese business people dress simply, in dark, conservative attire.
• allow your Chinese colleagues to leave the meeting first.
• do not offer gifts, as these could be considered forms of bribery.
• do not physically touch your Chinese colleagues, unless invited.
• out of respect, avoid direct eye contact.
• Address Chinese colleagues by both their title and last name.
• At the beginning of the meeting, exchange business cards. Have your business cards translated into Chinese, or have a Chinese translation printed on the back of your business cards. You may also want to include gold embossing on your business card, a color that represents wealth, status and prestige in Chinese cultures.
• Before putting business cards away, read the card fully. Putting a business card directly into your pocket without reading can be insulting to Chinese businesspeople.
• Shake hands lightly, and only for a short amount of time.
• Start with small talk and then move on to business matters.