The Culture Series: People and Culture of China

The Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group of the 56 officially recognized people groups in China. They are collectivistic and place great emphasis on filial piety, which is the virtue of respecting one’s parents, elders, and ancestors. Han people are not individualistic; they think through every decision in terms of what would benefit the family, what their parents want them to do, and what their decision would mean in light of their identity as a people.

The Han Dynasty began over three thousand years ago, and they often speak of themselves as a unified group with similar thoughts and tendencies. “We do this” and “We don’t do this” are common phrases when speaking to foreigners. Their native Mandarin language is a complex collection of colloquial patterns and phrases. It is mesmerizing to see how steeped in history every word and phrase truly is. There are thousands of short proverbs and sayings with deep layers of meaning, many of which are tied to fables from centuries ago.

Formal power in China is held by Communist Party members who are placed in positions of authority at the local, provincial, and national levels of government. The Chinese economy is capitalist and money driven, and the local authority can often override the written law.