Chinese Culture (Beginner Level)

Teaching Chinese culture and tradition is an essential part of teaching Mandarin Chinese. Not only are the words and phrases important, but learning about the lives of Chinese people adds a motivation to integrate and inspire my students to continue to pursue the language. Today, I’m going to introduce four traditional events that Chinese couples ...

It’s very likely you have heard of Mahjong before, you might have even played some version of it on the computer or your phone. Or, perhaps you saw the Chinese mafia in movies playing Mahjong. But, do you know its everyday significance in China?
麻将 (májiàng) Mahjong

Note: “将” has 3 different pronunciations: jiàng, qiāng, and ...

Key Learning Points (Preview):
粽子 (zòngzi) n. rice dumpling

庆祝 (qìngzhù) v. to celebrate

In the west, people "庆祝 (qìngzhù) celebrate" Easter Day in memory of Jesus. They eat Easter Eggs to commemorate this day. In China, people have a similar celebration of a heroic figure from ancient times on the Dragon Boat Festival. Instead of Easter Eggs, Chinese people ...

Have you ever heard of Chinese “糖画(tánghuà) sugar painting?” If not, check out the video below for a glimpse of this intricate, edible art!

Have you ever seen anything like what the artist makes in the video? Do you think the way “糖画(tánghuà)” is made is pretty amazing?
If you visit China, you might find that in ...

The “饿鬼节 (È Guĭ Jié) Hungry Ghost Festival” of Chinese Taoism is also the “盂兰节 (yú lán jié) Ullambana Festival” of Buddhism, commonly called “Ghost Festival鬼节 (guĭ jié) Ghost Festival“or “中元节 (zhōng yuán jié) Mid-July Festival.” It falls on the fifteenth of every lunar July. (In 2009, Hungry Ghost Festival will falls on ...

Chinese Appellations
中国人的称谓很复杂，同事之间可以称职务，如“麦总，刘经理”等，熟人之间可以直呼其名，或者在姓的前面加上“老，小”来称呼，如：“老王，小王”等。比较正式的场合对不熟悉的人一般可以称“先生，女士，太太，小姐”等。
The Chinese system of names and titles is by and large complicated. Titles may be used to address each other among one’s colleagues, e.g. “màizǒng and Liú Jīnglǐ“. For acquaintances personal names and surnames may be preceded by “lǎo” (old) or “xiǎo” (young). Formal patterns of address include “xiānsheng” (mister,Sir). “nǚshì” (Ms or Mrs), ...

Have you ever invite your Chinese friend to dinner? How to express “it is my treat, let me be the host”? Listen to how these two guys say.
Jīntiān de cài hěn là.  Búɡuò, wǒ hěn xǐhuɑn.
F: 今天    的 菜  很  辣。不过， 我  很   喜欢。
These dishes are very spicy, but, I like it.
Wǒ zhīdào nǐ yě ...

The question most frequently by tourists to Beijing is: “Where are the hutongs?” Beijing’s hutongs were built in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and at one time numbered in excess of 6,000. The earliest ones were built in the areas between Chaoyang and Dongcheng districts, and were quite orderly laid-out. The hutongs that run from south ...

Farewells in China, like welcoming receptions, follow certain etiquette. In formal business situations, the following procedures are usually followed for a proper farewell: first, determine the level of farewell ceremony; then, arrange proper transportation; give or exchange gifts; and finally see off the guest. As guests leave, hosts will usually observe the following etiquette: first, ...

Chinese Food for Mid-Autumn Festival
月饼(yuèbĭng) Moon Cake

The Origin of Moon Cake

Moon cake comes from the Yuan Dynasty. During that time, people would not stand the cruel domination taking place, so many people staged uprisings to fight against the Yuan Dynasty rulers. Zhu Yuanzhang, the most prominent one, united all the people to ...