Monthly Archives: January 2013

中華人民共和國香港特別行政區

I’m not even going to attempt to translate this title.

Many people are confused when it comes to the region of Hong Kong and most Americans think it’s simply a large city located in China. However, Hong Kong is a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China (a.k.a China). It is not part of mainland China. It possesses it’s own government, multi-party legislatures, legal systems, police forces, monetary systems, national sports teams, etc. Even though Hong Kong is technically owned by China, it’s basically a completely different country.

Hong Kong is known for it’s large skyline and deep natural harbor. It is also one of the most densely populated areas of the world with 7 million people located within 426 square miles. It became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium war in 1842. China didn’t assume sovereignty in the area until 1997! The time period while Hong Kong was owned by Britain influenced the Chinese culture there heavily, as you can imagine. The official languages of Hong Kong are both English and Chinese (Cantonese). This is why many students who want to study abroad in China are directed away from going there. Almost every educated person in Hong Kong speaks fluent English, so it’s obviously not a good place to be immersed in the Chinese language. Also, a majority of students learn Mandarin Chinese in school and not Cantonese, which is the form of Chinese spoken there. Mandarin and Cantonese are pretty much two different languages. A person who speaks one can not understand the other. The Chinese government calls them both “Chinese” purely for political reasons and to keep the national identity intact.

Flag of Hong Kong until 1997

Flag of Hong Kong now (much prettier I think!)

Hong Kong is a beautiful area and has the second best education system in the world, borrowing most of it’s structure from Britain. It is frequently described as “East meets West”, reflecting the culture’s mix of territories. Although very modernized and westernized, the people there still practice many Chinese traditions. Feng shui is still taken very seriously and is even believed to make or break a business, ba gua mirrors are still used to deflect evil spirits, and buildings lack any floor number that has a “4” in it (the Chinese think this number is extremely unlucky). Other interesting facts about Hong Kong are that it has the highest life expectancy in the world, and 80% of citizens do not claim any religious affiliation (so basically forms of atheism or agnosticism), but some religions include Buddhism , Taoism and Confucianism.

So, even though Hong Kong is owned by China, the citizens there live freely and have no fear of their government. I highly recommend traveling to this area at some point in your life. There are many, many things to do and places to see. You also don’t have to worry about not speaking Chinese because you should be able to find plenty of people that speak English to help you out!

中国的政府 (Chinese Government)

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This week I wanted to concentrate on the government of China. I’ll admit, before I did this research, and even now, I didn’t understand much about it. All I knew was that China is a Communist country and that there is a one-child law. I’m extremely happy that I was able to learn more about the Chinese government via this blog and hopefully I don’t do something illegal while I am there. I am still fairly confused about a lot of things however, because unlike most of our English class, I am so not into politics or history.

I’ll start with something simple. The Chinese flag, or Wǔ Xīng Hóng Qí (“The five star red flag”). Most of you are familiar with what it looks like, but do you know what it actually represents? The red symbolizes the communist revolution and the blood of the many Chinese men and women that lost their lives during this struggle. The yellow stars in the left corner represent the unity of the 5 branches of government in China. This flag went through many drafts before this one was agreed upon. The Chinese take their flag very seriously and are extremely proud of it, similar to American nationality.

Well, what are the main branches of government in China, you ask? There is the political arm a.k.a the Communist Party of China, the administrative arm or the State Council, and the enforcement arm, known as the People’s Liberation Party (PLA). Most of the significant powerful positions of the government and in the army are occupied by members of the Communist Party of China. The Communist Party of China is also controlled by a group called the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (super long name I know). This group contains 4-9 adult Chinese males who make the decisions and rules of national significance. The role of the army is to enforce these rules with the support of the PLA.

Power in China is concentrated in someone called a “Paramount Leader”, who was Hu Jintao from 2002 – 2012. Now the current leader is Xi Jinping, who assumed office November 15th. Jinping, as the president, is the head of all 3 branches of government, kind of like the American president. The President is also the General Secretary of the Communist Party and of the Central Committee, and also Chairman of the Central Military Commission.

As you can see some of that is pretty confusing. I was even more confused as I dug deeper with my research. All of the branches of government have their own sub-branches that have branches that have branches, so on and so fourth. Contrary to my belief, it’s not controlled by just one person in particular (I imagined some scary Communist dictator like Stalin or something).

As for Chinese laws, we all know that they can be a little extreme due to the fact that they are still Communist. There was way too much information and laws to sort through, but I picked some of the most interesting ones that I found.

1.Criminalizes organizing, scheming or acting to subvert the political power of the state and overthrow the socialist system and incitement to subvert the political power of the state and overthrow the socialist system by spreading rumors, slander or other means.

So basically, if you criticize the government you get thrown in jail.

2. The Measures for Managing Internet Information Systems, Issued by State Council Order No. 292: Prohibits certain content from Web sites, online bulletin boards, and chat rooms, including content that could harm the dignity and interests of the state or disturb social order. It also holds Internet service providers (ISPs) responsible for the content of their sites.

Yep, China can spy on whatever anyone does on the internet. They also employ about 30,000 Internet “police” to keep an eye on it’s users.

3. Although one can own buildings and fixtures on land, the land itself still belongs to the state. The Chinese government also has a right to seize private property for a public purpose, a vague standard that is often exploited by commercial interests. The state must provide compensation for such seizures, but it usually offers a menial amount.

China owns all of the land and can seize your house if they feel like it.

Okay enough with that. This post is getting a little extensive, I’m sorry! And for reference, not all Chinese laws are this bad and ridiculous. There are some good ones to be found, however, American websites like to post all of the terrible ones. I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about China. Next time I will talk about Honk Kong and Macau (are they or are they not part of China?).

在建~(Zaijian) Goodbye!

Chinese Customs

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你好！As many of you know, I am extremely passionate about foreign languages. However, if you want to travel to another country, you have to be aware of their customs to get the full experience and to not seem like a rude tourist. Obviously, most countries customs are a lot different from American customs since America is just one big blend of different beliefs.

Since I am going to China my junior year to study abroad, I thought it would be really interesting and helpful to research some of the traditions and etiquette of Chinese culture. I found myself extremely surprised at most of these traditions. I’m eventually going to try and memorize all of them so I don’t appear to be disrespectful, but it’s going to take me a while. There’s a lot!

Meeting Etiquette:

1. When greeting a group of Chinese people, the eldest must be greeted first. Then it proceeds from oldest to youngest.

2. Most Chinese look towards the ground when greeting someone. This is a lot different from the American custom of looking someone directly in the eyes to establish a sense of trustworthiness.

3. Going along with number 2, it is actually disrespectful to stare directly into another person’s eyes.

Giving Gifts:

1. Gifts are given on Chinese New Years, weddings, and more recently birthdays.

2. Food baskets are good for gift giving.

3. Forks, knives, scissors, or other cutting utensils are never given. They indicate a severing of the relationship.

4. Clocks, handkerchiefs, straw sandals, and flowers are all associated with deaths and funerals, therefore they should not be given as gifts.

5. Gifts are not ever wrapped in white, black, or blue paper.

6. Four is an extremely unlucky number, so never give 4 of anything. 8 is better.

7. One should not open gifts directly after they are received.

8. When someone offers you something (anything, not just a give) you’re supposed to refuse it up to 3 times before accepting.

Dining: (These are the main ones I need to learn!)

1. When invited to a Chinese person’s home for dinner, be honored. The Chinese would rather entertain in a public place. When you do enter their home, arrive on time, take off your shoes and present a small gift.

2. Always make sure to eat with CHOPSTICKS! I learned how to use chopsticks when I was little, but it’s quite amusing watching other American’s try to learn.

3. The guest of honor will always be seated facing the door, so wait to be seated.

4. The host begins eating first.

5. Eat everything on your plate.

6. Loud slurping and belching sounds are good. It indicates that one is really enjoying their food.

7. Hold the rice bowl close to your mouth when eating rice.

I hope you found these Chinese traditions and customs interesting. If any of you know any other silly customs in China or in any other countries, please tell us in the comments! 谢谢！