Position : Home > Learn Chinese > Blog >

The Differences between Chinese and Western Culture

Culture is the general concept of art, belief, the outlook of value, tradition and custom,
and it can significantly reflect the characteristics of some societies, people, areas, or
some countries. Among the parts of some certain culture, there must be a language
by which people express themselves and communicate to each other. Language is
also an important carrier of culture, and the two are of great importance to each other.
People fostered by different cultures will show their characteristic ways of language
speaking and communication, owing to their different regimes, cultural traditions, the
outlook of values, life styles, and ways of thinking. If we neglect the differences between
various cultures and speak to westerners in the ways of our mother tongue, we might
commit some inappropriateness even misunderstandings, which may bring us
unsuccessful communication. In other words, we will never master and handle a
language in word and deed unless we understand the discrepancies, the ways and
disciplines of communication. If we are to improve the ability of lingual communication,
we have to pay attention to the discrepancies between different cultures.

major difference
The major difference between Chinese and Western culture is that China is an oriental
country, and its traditional culture is completely different from western heritage. Chinese
culture is older than 5000 years, and Chinese people have developed their own music,
musical instruments, painting techniques, traditional Chinese medicine, and not to forget,
cooking methods etc – completely different and unique when compared to Western
culture. Chinese believe in healthy eating, and have a holistic approach towards health. The
Western culture is more advanced, and loves adventure and exploration. The Chinese focus
more on collective gain instead of individual gain by making the right decisions, and believe
in adopting a middle way to avoid extremism.
complexity.
Westerners find the Chinese culture complex, and hard to understand, as the Chinese
culture has its own values, background and belief system. The Chinese are very friendly
and helpful to a stranger, compared to Westerners who would never entertain a stranger.
Western culture has a wealthy and luxurious lifestyle, but Chinese mostly have a modest
way of living, for example, on average, the Chinese may have no more than 40 sq. feet of
living space. Chinese use sir names, and are strictly moral to avoid public displays of
affection. The Western culture has the freedom to express them freely. When compared to
Western culture, the Chinese culture differs a lot, as they value relationships more than
their Western counterparts.
the major philosophies
There is a vast difference between the major philosophies of eastern and western life.
Westerners believe in self dedication to achieve their goals of success and happiness etc.,
whereas the Chinese have behavioral ethics, and are dependent on their inner world and
perceptions of eternal recurrence. The Western approach is to search outside of yourself,
whereas the Chinese prefer to adopt a systematic approach, and search within themselves.
happiness
The real happiness in Western society is based upon a materialistic approach, whereas
the Chinese believe that true happiness is achieved by inner intervention, as the truth is the
key to eternal bliss and happiness. The Western society believes in individualism, whereas
the Chinese culture has faith in collectivism and fundamental connections with others. A
Westerner is overwhelmed by pragmatic, materialistic and emotional approaches in comparison
to the Chinese, who have a more missionary and spiritual approach towards life. The Westerner
analyzes and the Chinese meditate. The Chinese believe in virtues and Westerners believe in
value ethics.
Today we are living in a commercial world, where economic values surpass cultural values.
It is very difficult for us to cope up with the differences between Chinese and western culture.
China should be respected for their continuous and consistent belief in the norms and values
of traditional culture. So it is essential to get aware of the differences between Chinese and
western culture.

上一篇：Mandarin and Dialects
下一篇：中国的考试

FAQ

Contact us

Shinan Campus: Floor 21th, Building A, Central international (zhonghuan) Plaza, No. 19 zhangzhou Er Lu, (Bank of China’s uptairs), Qingdao

P: (86)532-88078385/85890993
EP: 13589278775
Skype:Call me!

Email:study@xmandarinchinese.com