Chinese / Culture / Vocabulary
Why Did Imperial China Last So Long?
A Civilization That Endured for Over Two Millennia Imperial China, beginning with the Qin Dynasty (秦朝 qín cháo) and ending with the Qing Dynasty (清朝 …
Category: Chinese
Chinese / Culture / Vocabulary
The Dynasties of China Explained in Plain English
What a Dynasty Actually Means A dynasty (朝代 cháodài) is a system of rule where power is passed through a ruling family. In ancient China, …
Chinese / Culture / Vocabulary
What Made Ancient China So Advanced for Its Time?
A Civilization That Developed on Its Own Path Ancient China developed in relative geographic isolation, surrounded by deserts, mountains, and seas. This allowed a unique …
Chinese / Culture / Vocabulary
The Rise and Fall of Ancient China: A Simple Overview for Beginners
What “Ancient China” Really Means Ancient China refers to one of the world’s longest continuous civilizations, stretching from early prehistoric settlements along the Yellow River …
Symbolism in Dream of the Red Chamber Explained Simply
A World Built on Symbols and Illusion Dream of the Red Chamber (红楼梦, Hónglóu Mèng) is not only one of the greatest novels in Chinese …
Chinese / Culture / Literature
The Plum in the Golden Vase Explained: Controversial Classic of Chinese Fiction
A Hidden Giant of Chinese Fiction The novel known in Chinese as 金瓶梅 (Jīn Píng Méi), commonly translated as The Plum in the Golden Vase, …
Understand Chinese Courtesy Names (字)
The courtesy names (字), refers to 表字, or sometime (称字). Well, in ancient China, 表字/字 generally referred to the names Chinese people took for themselves …
Understand the Name of “Confucius”
What does “Confucius” mean? This is a good question, with a long possible explanation. I will keep it short. 🙂 We need to understand a …
Chinese People are Not Friendly? Really?
Yes, we are friendly. In fact, very friendly. Most of the foreigners coming to China for work/travel have very limited knowledge of Mandarin Chinese language. …
Do Overseas Chinese Dislike the Mainland Chinese?
I don’t think this statement is 100% true. Most of the overseas Chinese love their motherland. Even if they became citizens of the foreign countries, …
Should I Learn Mandarin Chinese?
YES, YES! SURE! Well, this is a very personal decision. You should learn Mandarin Chinese if: In particular, if you want to travel solo in …
What Could be Your Biggest Cultural While Travelling to China?
So many. Franfly, there are so many cultural differences between China and the West. I have got so many expat friends in Shanghai. We often …
Is it Possible to Self-learn Chinese？
Yes, why not? Congratulations for taking a wonderful decision to learn Mandarin Chinese. Where there is a will, there is a way! You can learn …
Something you can do in China, but not in the USA?
This is an interesting question. My answer is: You can live safely in China. Yep, that means a lot to us, especially the women. China …
How safe is Living and Working in China?
China is very much safe. I wrote a post earlier: Is China safe for tourists? Frankly, China is the safest you can ever get. Make …
How Easy or Hard is Life in China?
Quora Question: How hard is life in China? China is a big country. There are a variety of people living here. With a population of …
Don’t Chinese People want Democracy in China?
It depends on many factors. Different people, different opinions. Well, each of the following countries is a democratic country: Which country’s democracy you like the …
Is China a Poor or Rich Country?
In 2022? You decide. I will give you some figures. 🙂 Well, we are the second largest economy in the world. I briefly discussed some …
What are Some Surprising Facts About China?
Alright! I’m going to share with you a few mind-blowing facts about China. Let’s start! Number Of Political Parties China has 9 political parties, including …
Can Quora Replace Zhihu in China?
No way! Did Bing search replace Google search, or vice versa? Most people in China don’t use Quora as it’s blocked here. I don’t see …