My translation of a short placard notice for Xiamen Zheng Chenggong Memorial. It is funny to compare the Chinese and English version. The notice itself is a dry humor about civility.
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Tag Archives: Culture
The Kang Bed in Northern Chinese Villages
April 21, 2008 – 7:15 am
1. What is it?
The Kang bed is a sleeping platform widely seen in the villages of Northern China. It is a rectangular construction built on the ground of the room, and is usually located by a window. As its other name—Fire Kang—suggests, it is mainly a heated bed, which is indispensable in the rural areas of China during winter.
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- The Kang Stove -- the exterior style
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- Build a Kang
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- The Kang Bed
The Top Five Culture Shocks You are Likely to Encounter in China
April 14, 2008 – 6:07 pm
The five culture shocks listed here are not meant to a slur on my fellow countryman, although regrettably, China does need to improve in some of the areas listed below.
Please keep two things in mind when reading this article: China is fast modernizing and many things will eventually get better; do not let these shocks prevent you from enjoying China.
The U.S. Dollar Inspired Spirit Money
April 12, 2008 – 4:24 pm
Qing Ming or the Tomb Sweeping Day is the time for Chinese people to visit tombs, present offerings and burn the spirit money for the deceased. It typically falls on April 4, 5 or 6 every year. Last Friday, I was surprised to see that street stalls were selling the spirit money that looked like the U.S. dollars.
The traditional Chinese belief holds that when people die, they go to the underworld and continue to live on. The underworld does have a currency in circulation, but it is not designed or printed by the residents of the underworld. Read More
The Chinese Table Manners
April 11, 2008 – 5:55 pm
When you eat with Chinese people, the general rule of thumb is: just enjoy your food and don’t worry too much about the table manners. Still, the following tips may prove helpful when you are in China:
- It is quite alright to smack the lips or make “noises” when eating.
- Use two hands when passing things to other people (such as dishes or cups).
- Nobody licks the fingers. Chinese never lick their fingers.
- Don’t stick the chopsticks upright inside the bowl of rice (it is a funeral ritual).
- You can lift the bowl up and eat from it. This avoids dropping the rice on the table.
You may also want to know:
The Pros and Cons of Using a Squat Toilet
April 10, 2008 – 6:10 pm
1. What is it?
The squat toilet or squatters It is a widely used toilet in China. It is basically a porcelain pot built into the ground. Unless you stay only in upscale hotels or restaurants, you are very likely to see and use this kind of toilet in China.
2. The cons of the squat toilet
- Bad smell. There isn’t much water in this kind of toilet when you go. You only flush it after finishing the business.
- Muscle strain. For someone who never used it before, expect the strained muscles on both legs after squatting over the pot a few minutes.
- Not so clean. Restrooms with squatters, unlike the restrooms in hotels or fancy restaurants, are often not so well maintained and cleaned. Read More