Understand the occasions, social practices and seasonal traditions behind familiar Chinese customs.
20 guides · Page 1/2
Where Should You Sit at a Chinese Banquet?
Formal Chinese banquets may encode host, guest and seniority in the seating, so waiting to be shown a place is the safest rule.
What Does “Saving Face” Mean in a Chinese Conversation?
Face concerns publicly recognised dignity and standing; it helps explain some indirect choices but not every Chinese action.
Why Am I Being Asked My Age or Marital Status in China?
Questions that feel private in Britain can function as ordinary social placement or concern in some Chinese settings.
What Should a British Guest Give at a Chinese Wedding?
A red envelope is common, but the appropriate amount and presentation depend on the couple, venue and family practice.
Why Do Chinese Brides Wear Red Instead of White?
Red became a powerful wedding colour through associations with celebration and good fortune, while modern couples often combine several dress traditions.
When Does Chinese New Year End?
New Year's Day, the public holiday and the traditional festival cycle have different end points.
What Is Qingming, and Why Do Families Visit Graves?
Qingming is both a seasonal marker and an occasion for tending graves, making offerings and renewing family memory.
Why Are Dragon Boats and Zongzi Part of the Dragon Boat Festival?
Dragon boats and wrapped rice now define the festival, but its history is broader than a single story about Qu Yuan.
How Do You Politely Say You Are Full at a Chinese Meal?
Repeated offers often express care. A warm, specific refusal works better than silently defending an empty plate.
Why Do People Tap the Table When Tea Is Poured?
The small finger tap is a quiet thank-you associated especially with Cantonese tea-table practice.
Why Are Dishes Shared at a Chinese Meal?
A shared Chinese table treats the meal as a coordinated whole rather than a row of separate main courses.
Why Do People Argue Over the Bill at Chinese Meals?
The contest to pay can express hospitality and relationship, not confusion about arithmetic.