Some Unique Characteristics of Chinese People

Some Unique Characteristics of Chinese People

Regarding Chinese people, it is difficult to describe what stereotype they really have because of the racial, geographical and regional diversities in China. As a Mongolian who was born in northern China, I am quite familiar with the Chinese people in the north, and therefore I will choose 3 from all characteristics that are universal all over China to summarize.

In terms of Chinese characteristics, it mainly refers to the ones showed in Han people from a narrow sense. Fist and foremost, for Han people “face issue” is such an obviously typical characteristic that Chinese people have in China. So we may say that where there are Chinese people there will be “face issue”. It is generally believed that face issue can be brought up to a level of cultural phenomenon. Based on this, saving face in China is the popular cultural habit that must be followed by every Chinese person, otherwise personal relationship will definitely rupture.

As the saying goes in China, it is not good or not bad either. This is another typical embodiment of Chinese characteristic, namely, the wisdom of the Confucian doctrine of the mean value. Chinese people do not like saying accurate and clear words, like yes or no, instead, they like saying these words like maybe, almost, and just about. According to the mean value, Chinese people think everything is not rigid, and it is difficult to figure out what is absolutely right or wrong. For them, they just adopt a middle ground to express themselves in order to concern every possibility.

If there is a nation in the world with patient endurance, it is Chinese people. This is the most unique characteristic that you may not find the second nation in the world. Chinese people are willing to do anything as long as it will become better by endurance. This seems to be paradoxical but culturally correct in China. They have patient endurance on a terrible political scenes, like the oppression by the Manchurian conqueror in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), as well as difficult living condition. This unique cultural phenomenon apparently reflected the cowardice of Chinese nation. As a matter of fact, it is a kind of wisdom of watching for opportunities. In accordance with Chinese philosophy, when facing failures or difficulties, Chinese people think the best way to overcome them is to wait and find the opportunities rather than doing recklessly.