Good and bad things about Chinese culture?

What you've listed is a collection of both "culture" and "stereotype." Culture (loosely defined) is ideas and actions generally accepted by a group of people while stereotype (loosely defined) is ideas and actions OTHERS generally believe to be true about a group of people. Culture comes from within a group while stereotype comes from the outside. Here's my take on your list.

In your CON list:
- Chinese people speak very loud in public, it really piss me off when I hear somebody speak Chinese so loud on a train as if they're in China, sometimes I just want to turn around and tell them to STF -- I'd say this is stereotype, not culture.
- Lack of assertiveness and non-confrontational -- Stereotype (and opposite of my experience. I find everyone in China (and in my husband's Chinese family (he's an American Born Chinese) to be very assertive and very confrontational. My stereotype of Chinese is that no one will admit to being wrong and that everyone will confront anyone to be right.)
- Too many wear glasses and dress like nerds -- Stereotype
- Do not have an open world view and insensitive to to other culture (which partly explains why they talk so loud and oblivious to other people around them) -- Possible culture . . . another term might be ethnocentric. Chinese culture is all that matters. I deal with this all of the time in my husband's family in that they constantly call our children "Chinese" when in fact, they are only half-Chinese. They don't like it when my family traditions "trump" theirs (and we work hard on keeping this balanced). We want our children to be equally proud of their Chinese ancestry and their European ancestry.
- Do not play much team sport -- Stereotype -- California schools (especially in the San Francisco area) have majority Asian students and the team sports do very well with their Asian players.
- Do not step up when they should and take leadership positions -- Stereotype -- my experience is the opposite . . . the battle for control is a strong one!
- Likes to show off how much money they have -- Stereotype. Maybe this is because I know too many "poor" Asians as well.
- Likes to waste money on gambling -- Stereotype
- Have greater respect to authority than they should -- Culture (great respect for authority is taught from an early age)

In your PRO list:
- Hardworking and thrifty -- Stereotype (I know and see lots of lazy and shiftless people in China and in the States)
- Good business minded and want to be their own boss (doesn't this go against the not stepping up for leadership?) -- Stereotype
- Strong focus on education -- Culture (Education has been taught to be the way to success since early Imperial days)
- Power and information freaks (also a vice) -- Stereotype
- Assimilate into host country's culture (second generation onwards) -- This is typically true of most immigrant cultures. Many times, it takes until a third generation. In the US, Asians (not just Chinese) have been called the "model" minority due to their assimilation.
- Not affected by strong religious beliefs -- Stereotype (Christianity is one of the fastest growing religions in China and has been since the Cultural Revolution when it was "squashed." People went to jail for their beliefs and are still doing so.)
- The girls are tight and make good wives/mothers -- Stereotype (Most women don't raise their own children here in China . . . the grandparents do because the parents are working. Additionally, young mothers are told that they don't know anything about parenting, thus, they grandmother must "teach" them. Grandmothers often want the grandchildren to love them more than their own mothers. (Anecdotal, but my Chinese mother-in-law once asked my daughter when she was two, "Do you love your mother or me better?" So very, very sad.)
- Chinese people tend to make long-term plans and have patience -- Stereotype
- Family oriented and have strong community spirit -- Culture (but by community spirit, I would say this is only strong within the Chinese community. There are very strong ethnic ties. Once again (anecdotal), my Chinese in-laws will cheer and rave about any athlete who has Chinese blood. His/her citizenship doesn't matter . . . they LOVE Michael Chang . . . what matters is the Chinese blood!)

These are just my thoughts and observations. Obviously, each person has their own experiences and their own perceptions.

Quick note on the line thing . . . the northwest is still rather "barbaric." People don't back down when you point out they've broken in line. They just push you away further. They still live in a "there's not enough" mentality because the wealth of the eastern seaboard hasn't reached here yet.

@ Fumiaki

The high speed train is made with different technologies originated from several countries' includng germany, france and japan at the speed of 240 kph.

China increased the speed to 280 kph, then, 310 kph and 380 kph. It is not just pushing the gas pedal and make the train run faster, it is involved the complicated mathemetics calculations and physics theory behind the train. It is a whole new set of technology.

About japan. Japan's bullet train was NOT invented by japan. They stole the western technology and developed it based on the geographical environment of japan. Just because japan has started running the bullet trains tens of years earlier than China wont wipe out their history of stealing western technology.


@ Asker, there is one pro that you have forgotten. In human history, so far, there is no countries in this entire world being able to rise again the 2nd time after the downfall, but China. In fact, far majority of countries have never even been called a superpower. Obviously, it indicates that there are some excellent characteristics that Chinese people carry which foreigners dont.

For the japanese, their strongest time lasted only 100 years ( less than that actually ). The rise of the usa started from the first world war when the battlefields were in europe that spared the usa from the damages. So, the most powerful time of the usa is less than 120 years, and now, the usa is spiraling down.

Look at China, in our 5000 years of history, China has gone through millions of battles taking place across the asian continent, ( not fighting inside a tiny island like japan ) , except 80 years of occupation by mongolians, 280 years by manchurians ( of course, we have become one perfect family now ), basically, China was a super power in asia all through the 5000 years of history. I dont see any countries having such glorious history except China ( next to China is the Roman Empire ).
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I'm CBC,China born Chinese aka the real Chinese, in my opinion, our culture only have pros, no cons.
what cons are you talking about? lol....we are perfect as we are! hahaha.....
If you don't accept it, it's not our problem.

P.S.:
i spit once because a little bug flew into my mouth and i didn't have tissue on me.
i littered a few times in London because i thought that was the culture of London.
I urinated behind a gas station/convenience store once on I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson because their bathroom was out of order. i won't do it anymore.

That's quite a Pro/Con list Prada.

On the con side I'd beg to differ on one point: "Lack of assertiveness and non-confrontational"

Haven't you seen how a crowd will push & shove to get on a train, bus or subway? Even when there are employees asking people to let passengers off before trying to push their way in, they just don't listen. And it really doesn't make sense when a intercity train is involved, everyone has a ticket and seat assignment, but they'll push & shove like they're trying to get on the last lifeboat of a sinking ship. LOL Now that's what I call assertive and confrontational!

As for Pros I'd like to say that no matter where I went people were friendly and helpful. Even in smaller cities where they don't see many foreigners, people would smile. I only got one frown - it was during a real cold-snap and my host insisted I borrow his Red Army overcoat. One woman we walked past really looked perturbed. I figure she was probably retired military or a Communist Party Member.

When seeing the sights real tourist areas young people, usually girls, would run up and ask if they could could have there picture taken with me. Some people don't like that kind of attention but I got a kick out of it, plus being able to put my arm around a cute young thing. LOL, my fiancee wasn't so thrilled about that part. ;-)

You answered your own question, but there is nothing I see wrong with that. As to the pro/anti China remarks, you are just as guilty of this as most people here. Try to be neutral and read the remarks you have made. As you mentioned (you are ABC), I have wife and family in China so I see China different than some too.

They are not so sanitary, they spit anywhere, they urinate in public, they discard trash right beside trash cans, they are sometimes very self centered (they do not walk up to the back of a line of people, they just walk in front of everybody), they do tend to be loud, they do not question authority of any kind but not all these things are as bad as they look. Like other people this list is only part of what you see in China and it is generalized.

The first thing I see as a pro is they respect their families and elders very much. This is the biggest difference in the Chinese I meet and ALL other people I meet. They do work hard, the women do make terrific mothers and wives (I have been married to several American women and base this on my previous marriages), wives support their husbands completely as long as the husbands are good and supportive to their wives. They have many more good traits than what I have mentioned but again we are talking about people in general.

I think of the Chinese people as one of the best people I have met, in general. I try to be honest about these people and not to say anything I think of as bad towards them. I have the utmost respect for my Chinese family and friends and would never think bad of them. I DO NOT CARE FOR THE CCP! Many people here try to take what I say about the CCP and turn it into remarks about China and/or the people of China, this is not the case. You talk of trolls, these people try to make all people hate all people with no regards for truth or facts. I have never tried to make people hate anybody or told what I thought was a lie about anybody. I have asked several people to back up their accusations with a credible source or with credible facts. I try to do this myself without using the US government as my only source or fact. I know I believe nothing the CCP says so I feel it would be wrong for me to use the US government as my only source just as it would be wrong for dog (for example) to use the CCP as her source. The problem with the trolls (as you call them) is they use no sources and make up some really unbelievable stats.

This question is a fair and good question if everybody speaks the truth as they know it and not some made up accusations. Also your question is about Chinese culture and not other nations. Many people have problems keeping on the topic, many times I do.

Hi, I'm a SBC. I'll like to add a few cons.
-Cunning
-Do not believe in IP rights.
-Don't play by the rules. Forever challenging the existing order.
-Extremely self centred.
-Uncaring & selfish.
-Lack social responsibility.
-Will never own up to their mistake. They will never apologise for their wrong doings, instead they'll twist and pervert their reasoning to get out of the situation.

However, from my encounters with 'various types' of Chinese, the above applies mostly to mainlanders. Hongkies are the most snobbish & proud of 'em all, Taiwanese are warm & friendly but can be very calculative. Singaporean Chinese can be pretty clueless. Malaysian Chinese, I can't wrap my head around the fact that they're supportive & proud of a country that constantly come up with policies to side-line and discriminate against them. The mainlanders are the most disgusting of 'em all. Go ask the avg Chinese in the street about their bullet trains (Sold to them by the Japs) and they'll tell you that they were built by the Chinese.

In general , pros are :
-respect to parents and take care of them and their living
-hard working
Cons:
-having problem in team work
-not too caring for others if they are not your families or in their circles

Mainland chinese actually i think lose the chinese culture after cultural revolution.

hi

I can only tell you that unless you have lived in both places you can not make this statement. My wife was born and raised in mainland China and now is married to a white guy and lives in the USA. she as the others you talk about says she had heard all the stories about how bad the US is and can now tell you how much better it is in the US than in China. Don't be bitter yes you country is better than is was years ago but it has a long way to go. I lived in China for two years and saw with my own eyes how bad the people are treated. Call us fools if you wish but how many people are risking their life to sneak into China. If you are poor and come from a small village you will have a hard life and live in a country that allows big business to Poison your children and do little to those that do this.

chinese people in mainland china spit in streets. Outside buildings, they talk and spit at the same time. Pandas are the world cutest but live among the spitting people who are exclusiving chinese.