Chinese culture
Middle Kingdom heritage
Chinese culture encompasses the traditions, beliefs, arts, and social practices originating in China and among ethnic Chinese communities worldwide.
This includes Confucian philosophy emphasizing hierarchy and filial piety, Taoist and Buddhist influences, classical arts like calligraphy and opera, traditional medicine, and customs surrounding food, family, and festivals like Lunar New Year.
The term spans thousands of years of continuous civilization, though what counts as authentically Chinese remains contested—particularly regarding tensions between traditional practices and modern Chinese state ideology.
Chinese small-plate tradition
- Peking duckRoasted glazed Chinese poultry
- hot potSimmering communal broth dish
- dumplingsFilled dough parcels
- noodlesBoiled dough strands
rice · congee · baozi · spring roll · mooncake · tofu · wok · chopsticks
Chinese ethical philosophy
- DaoismPhilosophy of natural harmony
- yin-yangChinese duality symbol
- qiVital life energy
- Mandate of HeavenHeaven-granted authority to rule
filial piety · junzi · Laozi · Mencius · Analects · I Ching · Four Books · Neo-Confucianism
Religious honoring of forebears
- tea ceremonyRitualized beverage preparation
- silkFine woven insect fiber
- qipaoForm-fitting Chinese gown
- cheongsamChinese sheath dress
jade · feng shui · zodiac · matchmaking · incense · pagoda · kowtow · double happiness
Festival marking moon-calendar's beginning
- Spring FestivalLunar new year celebration
- red envelopesMonetary gifts in colored packets
- dragon danceCeremonial Chinese procession performance
- lion danceCeremonial feline mimicry
firecrackers · Mid-Autumn Festival · mooncake · Dragon Boat Festival · dragon boat racing · Lantern Festival · reunion dinner · couplets
Bristled cleaning tool
- inkWriting fluid
- inkstoneSlab for grinding pigment
- rice paperThin edible Asian wrapper
- hanziChinese logographic symbols
strokes · cursive · scroll · couplet · calligrapher · copybook · chop · hanging scroll
dim sum
Chinese small-plate tradition
- Peking duckRoasted glazed Chinese poultry
- hot potSimmering communal broth dish
- dumplingsFilled dough parcels
noodles · rice · congee · baozi · spring roll · mooncake · tofu · wok · chopsticks · tea
Confucianism
Chinese ethical philosophy
Mandate of Heaven · filial piety · junzi · Laozi · Mencius · Analects · I Ching · Four Books · Neo-Confucianism · meritocracy
ancestor worship
Religious honoring of forebears
- tea ceremonyRitualized beverage preparation
- silkFine woven insect fiber
- qipaoForm-fitting Chinese gown
cheongsam · jade · feng shui · zodiac · matchmaking · incense · pagoda · kowtow · double happiness · red color
Lunar New Year
Festival marking moon-calendar's beginning
- Spring FestivalLunar new year celebration
- red envelopesMonetary gifts in colored packets
- dragon danceCeremonial Chinese procession performance
lion dance · firecrackers · Mid-Autumn Festival · mooncake · Dragon Boat Festival · dragon boat racing · Lantern Festival · reunion dinner · couplets · paper cutting
brush
Bristled cleaning tool
- inkWriting fluid
- inkstoneSlab for grinding pigment
- rice paperThin edible Asian wrapper
hanzi · strokes · cursive · scroll · couplet · calligrapher · copybook · chop · hanging scroll
- East AsiaJapan, South Korea, North Korea, Korea, Taiwan
- culturesMediterranean cultures, underground, bohemian, African cultures, monoculture
- overseas ChineseChinatown, Chinatowns, benevolent society, benevolent societies, tong
- MascarenesMauritius, Rodrigues, dodo, volcanic islands, Saint-Denis
Chinese cultureWestern civilization
Euro-American cultural tradition
Western culture · European culture · Judeo-Christian tradition · American culture · Islamic civilization
Chinese cultureJapanese culture
Island nation's customs and arts
Korean culture · Vietnamese culture · Indian culture · Tibetan culture · Persian culture
culture, cultured, China, Chinese, multicultural, subculture, acculturation, counterculture, acculturate