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When I think of Chinese culture, I think of respect. That aspect stands out to me because I feel that our culture has lost our sense of respect and we should take a page out of their book. A main thing that I have always been taught is how in China you have to respect your elders, your parents and your teachers. And a lot of other little aspects of Chinese culture is based around respecting others. For example when they say "saving face", it is based off of you respecting the other person enough to not want to embarrass them or do anything to belittle them in public.

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Culture includes many aspects such as history, values, and customs. Taiwanese modern history cannot be discussed without acknowledging the impact of the Chinese Civil War on Taiwan. We can see how Taiwanese society has developed over the past several decades due to the history of Taiwan's relationship with China and the US. Taiwanese culture will continue to develop and change as the country's relationships with the US and China proceed along in the near future.

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I'm partly here in Taiwan to answer this exact question. I don't know much about Taiwanese culture, but I do know that I'm ready to learn. I can at least talk a little about Taiwan's history and its population. I know you can categorize Taiwanese people into two groups: Han Chinese and the indigenous population of Taiwan. Taiwanese culture shares many similarities to Chinese culture, I'm assuming because of Taiwan's proximity to China and because those who fled from China to Taiwan during the Chinese Civil War brought their culture with them.

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I think Taiwanese/Chinese culture is a mix of daily life style people live and their traditions and beliefs. Culture is also something that can be always changing. I also believe culture is something that grounds people and helps people find their beliefs. I think culture can be perceived differently depending on what generation you grew up.

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Taiwanese/Chinese culture are both unique in their rich and immense histories. As a Chinese-American, I've grown up enjoying the experience of learning the languages, histories, customs, and traditions of two distinct peoples co-existing and creating their own distinct fusion culture. That being said, I am more familiar with mainland Chinese culture and not so much Taiwanese culture- but in just the few days I've been in Kaohsiung, I feel like I've already absorbed some key aspects of the lifestyles of those who have lived here their entire lives. I'm constantly amazed by how the lives of our language partners are vastly similar yet different from ours; we are all currently college students interested in studying a foreign language, yet we've entered different education systems, grown up eating different cuisines and engaging with different faiths, celebrate different holidays, and hold different values and world views. I look forward to seeing what this greater immersion will teach me this summer!

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To me, Chinese culture means a lot of different things. In many ways, Chinese culture is like a majestic bonsai tree meticulously nurtured over centuries, embodying the delicate art of finding equilibrium. Just as the tree's branches are carefully pruned to achieve harmony, so too is every aspect of Chinese life thoughtfully crafted. From the graceful movements of Tai Chi to the precise brushstrokes of calligraphy, every action carries an intrinsic understanding of the interconnectedness between the human spirit and the world around it. There's much more to the Chinese culture than what people would think, yet broadly it's just a matter of understanding.

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Although Taiwan retains many of the culture inherited by old Chinese traditions in the mainland, Taiwan continues its title as one of the freest countries in the world. For instance, Taiwan was one of the first places in Asian to legalize gay marriage and as a result, LGBT parades exist in Taiwan as an influence of culture from the liberalization of culture and a non-oppresive government that doesn't control every part of cultures and traditions in Taiwan

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History is the backbone of a country's culture and one of the most important aspects. When we take a look at where the food, language, music, holidays, and art came from, it all leads back to long, long ago. Chinese culture is unique in its own ways due to their long history.

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Chinese and Taiwanese culture is vast, so much so it would be impossible to cover everything in one post. But one aspect I would like to cover is Chinese American culture, the culture I grew up in.

Chinese American culture is at a weird intersection of cultures, especially for children of immigrants. We look ethnically Chinese yet we have an American idenity and culture, and it can be jarring to many including ourselves. Many Chinese view the American born Chinese as having lost their Chineseness, while some Americans view ABCs as being only Chinese without the American part added. Struggling to balance these two identies is key to the Chinese American expirence.

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I believe that it is very hard to clearly define what Taiwanese culture is but it is definitely a mixture of Chinese, Japanese, Western, and Indigenous influences.

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Taiwanese culture is the combination of the ideologies, values, beliefs, traditions, and habits which make up Taiwan.  One particularly aspect of Taiwanese culture I’m thankful for is the emphasis on food which is particular to Taiwan.  This exists both at the broad national level but also at a smaller level, with each county in Taiwan having its own staples which can only be found there.  There’s also night markets, full of amazing food that is characteristic of these places, such as 雞排、地瓜球、fried 臭豆腐、蔥油餅，and a variety of other small but delicious snacks.  It’s virtually impossible to leave Taiwan without having at least a few dishes and foods you’ll miss severely.

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This is impossible to answer considering the wide variety of cultures and subcultures that exist in Taiwan. As previously mentioned, Taiwan has a variety of indigenous groups, as well as cultural influence from all over East Asia. This mixing of cultures is evident in Taiwan's diverse cuisine, religions, art, etc.

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Culture is an array of attributes that two or more people have in common. For example, if my neighbor and I both have flag poles on our front porches, that would be an example of culture. In China, culture is much more broad because it encompasses the influence of religions and government systems that have affected the way that people live. Taiwan, for example, throughout history has been subject to the conquest of many nations, including China, Spain, and the United States. These dominations affected Taiwanese citizens because they became subject to the governing opinions of the people over them. These changes are reflected in cultural phenomena such as Taiwanese cuisine; for example, if Taiwan was never a Spanish colony at one point, people would not use cilantro in their  food.

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This image eloquently captures the complex political, social, and economic dynamics between the United States and Taiwan. The two countries share various elements of similar cultures, and the United States' influence on Taiwanese society is demonstrably depicted in this image.

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I personally can't really speak to Taiwanese culture but I can about Chinese.

For me, my understanding of Chinese culture is conflicted. On one hand, I see and understand Chinese culture as a dynamic, cyclical, and complex accumulation and evolution of thousands of years of political, cultural, and social development and expansion. From a historical perspective, China's continued growth despite the rise and fall of many dynasties is truly a testament to its people's strength. However, on the other hand I see the damage its traditionalist ideals have impacted its people. For example, myself and many others, particularly females, are a product of China's "One Child Policy." Because Chinese ideals have regularly prioritized men over women, it has now created a gender imbalance within the country. Despite this, it's still ranked #106 of #153 in the global gender gap index. Additionally, concepts such as 剩女 still persist.

This is one aspect where Taiwanese and Chinese culture differ, as Taiwan is ranked no 6 globally for gender equality

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Taiwanese culture to me is customs, traditions, and values that make up the way of life for the Taiwanese people. The things that come to mind for me are the vibrant night markets, especially the food served there. I think that some characteristic Taiwanese dishes include beef noodle soups, pineapple cakes, and stinky food. For beverages, it's hard to forget boba, as Taiwan is where the drink originated from. I hope to understand parts of Taiwanese culture past just food.

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Taiwanese culture is a fundamental part of how the country operates. The culture consists of traditions, holidays, food, music, and more. Some traditions include family structure and values. Big Taiwanese holidays are Chinese New Year, Mid Autumn Festal, and the Dragon Boat Festal. Taiwanese culture is complex and has differing aspects to western culture. Partaking in and understanding Taiwanese culture helps language learners understand how the country functions and shows how to build genuine connections with Taiwanese people.

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I do not really have enough experience to give an opinion but I think that the culture is very interesting with its extremely rich history. How a culture changes and shapes over many kingdoms and dynasties in China. For such a massive continent to be able to hold together a massive amount of differing practices and culture is quite a feat. This diversity is what makes the study of the culture so interesting because it is a massive array of differing practices, customs, and history. All of this does make the study very fun and also eye opening to other ways of thinking.

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To me, Chinese culture represents more than just another country on the globe. Each culture is a beacon of different virtues reflected through humanity, and Chinese culture is all about respect, honor, and tradition. Chinese/Taiwanese people are also incredibly friendly, hardworking, and loyal, which is displayed in every interaction I've had with locals. My great-grandfather served in China for the majority of his life, so I also feel a personal connection to the Chinese people and an obligation to support and understand Chinese culture.

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Directions:
Make sure to create a separate post responding to the following question. Create the post in "Section 2: 2023 Language Workshop." I encourage you to use your time to write as many words as you like, do research online, and add pictures, videos, songs, gifs, etc.

Question: From your perspective, what is Taiwanese or Chinese culture?

PS: Feel free to take a look at the posts for 2022 if you need some inspiration :)

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Higher Brothers x Famous Dex - Made In China (Prod. Richie Souf)

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I love Chinese culture. It is complex, beautiful, and intriguing to learn about. However, I do not know enough to state my opinion on the matter. I can say for one that I recognize the diversity of China not only in the people but in the country itself. Commonly these days, I feel people who live in the West are drawn to a common stereotype on the implication of what Asian or, in this case, Chinese is. If we refer back to the term "orient," we can draw observations of the scholarly works that were used to prove the differences between peoples of diverse cultures only to justify the "white man's mission" and superiority of a colonial white race. Due to this, it is right to believe that modern implications of people in the "orient" are based a great deal on appearance, therefore unjustified slang remarks. I bring this to light in order to address the discovery of cultural identity associated with the peoples in China, whether they be ethnically Han Chinese, Tibetan, or any more of the sort. Most people do not fully recognize the diversity which China inherits. Because a singular perception of Chinese has been created, especially in the form of microaggressions, little effort can be seen in understanding China, not as a country of one but many communities of people who practice different traditions, cultures, and religions (very similar to the United States.

One intersection I would like to touch base on is the impact of familial population limits in China. This policy has had such an extravagant effect on the family dynamic of Chinese families. In this case, children who are born in excess of the limit provided by the One-Child policy. These children's lives are forever impacted by being excluded from their biological families. Most children are inducted as orphans, especially in the United States. Cultural discovery and identity become a complex and difficult stage in the lives of children who are affected by this provision. In the United States, they grow up with families who do not, at most times, fully understand the cultural identity these children inherit. Several factors, such as inequality in the family dynamic and familiarization with a culture that battles one they are expected to know play a major role in the identities that these children adopt. Daily life becomes much more of a challenge as implicit biases victimize people who look a certain way. Although these children confront these daily challenges, it can also become an opportunity to adopt identities that fit their unique perspectives, the same goes for American-born children with immigrant parents.

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A cool part of Chinese culture is the Chinese Zodiac. The Chinese Zodiac is a tradition in China that, based on the lunar calendar, assigns and an animal and that animal's attributes to each year. Every Chinese year is represented by an animal, so whatever year you are born in, you take on that year's zodiac animal. The Chinese zodiac ascribes a person's personality or the events that take place in their life to their zodiac sign. The 12 Chinese zodiac signs are: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

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China is a huge place. As such, its cultural practices and values vary greatly across the country. One major aspect of Chinese culture I chose to focus on was the major holidays like Lunar/Chinese New Year (春节).

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Chinese Culture is a multitude of things, food, music, speaking patterns, views on different situations, and many more. For example, in China the majority of people look at things as a whole and at what would create the most benefit for a group of people, whether it is their family or friends. This is just one side of what Chinese culture has grown to be.

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Chinese culture is many things. It is the culmination of thousands of years of civilization, of development, of rises and falls of kingdoms, and of wars. It was in China that one of the first civilized, human societies developed, and it has not stopped growing and changing since then.
We have Chinese culture to thank for countless inventions, including but not limited to gunpowder, paper, and silk. If it were not for the importance of literacy, knowledge, and intelligence to Chinese emperors and systems of government, these inventions may never have existed.
Additionally, several schools of thought and systems of government were created in China, that many Western nations now teach, such as daoism and the concept of a meritocracy.
In all, we can thank Chinese culture for many of the concepts, inventions, and art that we have today, since Chinese civilization has existed for so long, and has contributed so much to the world we know today.

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China has a history of around five thousand years, which is an exceptionally lengthy span of time. Despite the passage of time, family virtues, serious, working attitudes, a sense of fairness, and the ancient Confucian tradition have been profoundly ingrained in the Chinese people.
Every Chinese values his or her family life. Chinese families are extremely tight. Children prefer to stay with their parents even after they marry and have children of their own, thus three or four generations can often be seen living under the same roof, in contrast to other cultures where the grown-up children must depart. However, inside this small family, everyone is highly structured; each member of the family helps each other when there is difficulty, and they will suffer together.

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The biggest thing about Chinese Culture is how IMMENSE it truly is. I think someone could spend their entire life studying China and still only understand a small fraction of what it's about. China has a long history that has affected its culture in many ways.

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One of the most important pieces of Chinese literature. The book covers actual history, but with a strong dose of mythology. It is the source of dozens of idioms and sayings, and is frequently adapted in modern media.

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Romance of the Three Kingdoms ( traditional Chinese: 三國演義; simplified Chinese: 三国演义; pinyin: Sānguó Yǎnyì ) is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 169 AD and ending with the reunification of the land in 280 by Western Jin. The novel is based primarily on the Records of the Three Kingdoms (), written by Chen Shou.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is acclaimed as one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature; it has a total of 800,000 words and nearly a thousand dramatic characters (mostly historical) in 120 chapters. The novel is among the most beloved works of literature in East Asia, and its literary influence in the region has been compared to that of the works of Shakespeare on English literature. It is arguably the most widely read historical novel in late imperial and modern China. Herbert Giles stated that among the Chinese themselves, this is regarded as the greatest of all their novels.

Stories about the heroes of the Three Kingdoms were the basis of entertainment dating back to the Sui and Tang dynasty (6th-10th centuries). By the Song dynasty (10th-13th centuries), there were several records of professional oral storytellers who specialized in the Three Kingdoms hero cycles. The earliest written work to combine these stories was a pinghua, Sanguozhi Pinghua ( simplified Chinese: 三国志平话; traditional Chinese: 三國志平話; pinyin: Sānguózhì Pínghuà ; 'Records of the Three Kingdoms in plain speech'), published sometime between 1321 and 1323.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is traditionally attributed to Luo Guanzhong, a playwright who lived sometime between 1315 and 1400 (late Yuan to early Ming period) known for compiling historical plays in styles which were prevalent during the Yuan period. It was first printed in 1522 as Sanguozhi Tongsu Yanyi (三國志通俗演義/三国志通俗演义) in an edition which bore a perhaps spurious preface date 1494. The text may well have circulated before either date in handwritten manuscripts.

Regardless of when it was written or whether Luo was the writer, the author made use of several available historical records, primarily the Records of the Three Kingdoms compiled by Chen Shou. The Records of the Three Kingdoms covered events ranging from the Yellow Turban Rebellion in 184 to the unification of the Three Kingdoms under the Jin dynasty in 280. The novel also includes material from Tang dynasty poetic works, Yuan dynasty operas and his own personal interpretation of elements such as virtue and legitimacy. The author combined this historical knowledge with his own storytelling skills to create a rich tapestry of personalities.

Several versions of the expanded Sanguozhi are extant today. Luo Guanzhong's version in 24 volumes, known as the Sanguozhi Tongsu Yanyi, is now held in the Shanghai Library in China, Tenri Central Library in Japan, and several other major libraries. Various 10-volume, 12-volume and 20-volume recensions of Luo's text, made between 1522 and 1690, are also held at libraries around the world. However, the standard text familiar to general readers is a recension by Mao Lun and his son Mao Zonggang.

In the 1660s, during the reign of the Kangxi Emperor in the Qing dynasty, Mao Lun and Mao Zonggang significantly edited the text, fitting it into 120 chapters, and abbreviating the title to Sanguozhi Yanyi. The text was reduced from 900,000 to 750,000 characters; significant editing was done for narrative flow; use of third-party poems was reduced and shifted from conventional verse to finer pieces; and most passages praising Cao Cao's advisers and generals were removed. Scholars have long debated whether the Maos' viewpoint was anti-Qing (identifying Southern Ming remnants with Shu-Han) or pro-Qing.

The famous opening lines of the novel, " The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. Thus it has ever been" (話說天下大勢．分久必合，合久必分 Huàshuō tiānxià dàshì. Fēnjiǔbìhé, hé jiǔ bì fēn), long understood to be Luo's introduction and cyclical philosophy, were actually added by the Maos in their substantially revised edition of 1679. None of the earlier editions contained this phrase. In addition, Mao also added Yang Shen's The Immortals by the River as the famous introductory poem (which began with "The gushing waters of the Yangzi River pour and disappear into the East") (滾滾長江東逝水) to the novel. The earlier editions, moreover, spend less time on the process of division, which they found painful, and far more time on the process of reunification and the struggles of the heroes who sacrificed for it.

One of the greatest achievements of Romance of the Three Kingdoms is the extreme complexity of its stories and characters. The novel contains numerous subplots. The following consists of a summary of the central plot and some well-known highlights in the novel.

Cao Cao escaped from Luoyang, returned to his hometown and sent out a fake imperial edict to various regional officials and warlords, calling them to rise up against Dong Zhuo. Under Yuan Shao's leadership, 18 warlords formed a coalition army and launched a punitive campaign against Dong Zhuo. Dong Zhuo felt threatened after losing the battles of Sishui Pass and Hulao Pass, so he evacuated Luoyang and moved the imperial capital to Chang'an. He forced Luoyang's residents to move together with him and had the city set aflame. The coalition eventually broke up due to poor leadership and conflicting interests among its members. Meanwhile, in Chang'an, Dong Zhuo was betrayed and murdered by his foster son Lü Bu in a dispute over the maiden Diaochan as part of a plot orchestrated by the minister Wang Yun.

Meanwhile, the ambush set by Liu Biao on Yuan Shao's orders violently concluded Sun Jian's life. His eldest son, Sun Ce, delivered the Imperial Seal as a tribute to the rising pretender, Yuan Shu, in exchange for troops and horses. Sun Ce secured himself a state in the rich riverlands of Jiangdong ( Wu), on which the state of Eastern Wu was founded later. Tragically, Sun Ce also died at the pinnacle of his career from illness under stress of his terrifying encounter with the ghost of Yu Ji, a venerable magician whom he had falsely accused of heresy and executed in jealousy. However, Sun Quan, his younger brother and successor, proved to be a capable and charismatic ruler. With assistance from Zhou Yu, Zhang Zhao and others, Sun Quan found hidden talents such as Lu Su to serve him, built up his military forces and maintained stability in Jiangdong.

Liu Bei and his oath brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei swore allegiance to the Han Empire in the Oath of the Peach Garden and pledged to do their best for the people. However, their ambitions were not realised as they did not receive due recognition for helping to suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion and participating in the campaign against Dong Zhuo. After Liu Bei succeeded Tao Qian as the governor of Xu Province, he offered shelter to Lü Bu, who had just been defeated by Cao Cao. However, Lü Bu betrayed his host, seized control of the province and attacked Liu Bei. Liu Bei combined forces with Cao Cao and defeated Lü Bu at the Battle of Xiapi. Liu Bei then followed Cao Cao back to the imperial capital, Xu, where Emperor Xian honoured him as his "Imperial Uncle". When Cao Cao showed signs that he wanted to usurp the throne, Emperor Xian wrote a secret decree in blood to his father-in-law, Dong Cheng, and ordered him to get rid of Cao. Dong Cheng secretly contacted Liu Bei and others and they planned to assassinate Cao Cao. However, the plot was leaked out and Cao Cao had Dong Cheng and the others arrested and executed along with their families.

In 200, Dong Cheng, an imperial relative, received a secret edict from Emperor Xian to assassinate Cao Cao. He collaborated with Liu Bei and some other high-ranking officials on this effort, but Cao Cao soon found out about the plot and had Dong Cheng and his conspirators executed, with only Liu Bei and Governor of Liang Province Ma Teng surviving. With Liu Bei fleeing to join Yuan Shao in the north and Ma Teng returning to his own province.

After settling the nearby provinces, including a rebellion led by former Yellow Turbans, and internal affairs with the court, Cao Cao turned his attention north to Yuan Shao, who himself had eliminated his northern rival Gongsun Zan that same year. Yuan Shao, himself of higher nobility than Cao Cao, amassed a large army and camped along the northern bank of the Yellow River.

In the summer of 200, after months of preparations, the armies of Cao Cao and Yuan Shao clashed at the Battle of Guandu (near present-day Kaifeng). Cao Cao's army was heavily outnumbered by Yuan Shao. Due to a raid in Yuan's supply train, Yuan's army fell into disorder as they fled back north.

Cao Cao took advantage of Yuan Shao's death in 202, which resulted in division among his sons, and advanced to the north. In 204, after the Battle of Ye, Cao Cao captured the city of Ye.

By the end of 207, after a victorious campaign beyond the frontier against the Wuhuan culminating in the Battle of White Wolf Mountain, Cao Cao achieved complete dominance of the North China Plain. He now controlled China's heartland, including Yuan Shao's former territory, and half of the Chinese population.

Since 200, Liu Biao put Liu Bei in charge of Xinye, where Liu Bei visited Zhuge Liang thrice and recruited him as an tactician. He also built up his forces at the encouragement of Zhuge Liang in preparation for war against Cao Cao.

Following his unification of central and northern China under his control, Cao Cao, having been appointed Imperial Chancellor by Emperor Xian, led his forces on a southern campaign to eliminate Liu Bei and Sun Quan.

In 208, although Liu Bei managed to repel two attacks by Cao Cao at Xinye, he was eventually forced to flee due to the overwhelming strength of the enemy forces. Cao Cao and his cavalry caught up to Liu Bei's congregation at Changban, Dangyang, and Liu Bei had to flee for his life, galloping away south with Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun and Zhuge Liang, while leaving his family and the populace behind. Cao Cao's forces captured most of the unarmed civilians and Liu Bei's baggage. In the chaos, Zhao Yun disappeared to the north, but he came back with Liu Bei's infant son Liu Shan along with Lady Gan.

Turning east from Changban, Liu Bei and the remnants of his party had crossed the Han River to the east where Liu Qi, Liu Biao's elder son, still held control of Jiangxia Commandery. They met Guan Yu's fleet and over 10,000 men led by Liu Qi at Han Ford. Together, they sailed down the river to Xiakou.

Cao Cao did not follow up in immediate pursuit. Partially because his main objective of his drive to the south had been the base at Jiangling County, and he pressed on south to secure that base first; partially because he feared a trap set by the renowned tactician Zhuge Liang.

In 208, After the Battle of Changban. Liu Bei sent Zhuge Liang to meet Sun Quan and discuss the formation of a Sun-Liu alliance to counter Cao Cao. Sun Quan agreed and placed Zhou Yu in command of his army in preparation for war with Cao Cao. Zhuge Liang remained temporarily in Wu territory to assist Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu felt that Zhuge Liang would become a threat to Sun Quan in the future and attempted to kill him on a few occasions but ultimately failed due to huge Liang's superior intuition, and ended up having no choice but to cooperate with Zhuge Liang. The Sun-Liu forces scored a decisive victory over Cao Cao at the Battle of Red Cliffs.

Liu Bei died in Baidicheng from illness a few months later. On his deathbed, Liu Bei granted Zhuge Liang permission to take the throne if his son and successor, Liu Shan, proved to be an inept ruler. Zhuge Liang firmly refused and swore to remain faithful to the trust Liu Bei had placed in him.

In Shu, Jiang Wei inherited Zhuge Liang's legacy and continued to lead another nine campaigns against Wei for three decades, but ultimately failed to achieve any significant success. The Shu emperor Liu Shan also turned out to be an incompetent ruler who trusted corrupt officials. Shu gradually declined under Liu Shan's rule and was eventually conquered by Wei forces. Jiang Wei attempted to restore Shu with the help of Zhong Hui, a Wei general dissatisfied with Sima Zhao, but their plan failed and Zhong Hui was killed by Wei troops, while Jiang Wei committed suicide. Shortly after the fall of Shu, Sima Zhao died and his son, Sima Yan, forced the last Wei emperor, Cao Huan, to abdicate the throne to him. Sima Yan then established the Jin dynasty to replace the state of Cao Wei.

The novel draws from Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms as the main historical source. Other major influences include Liu Yiqing's A New Account of the Tales of the World ( Shishuo Xinyu), published in 430, and the Sanguozhi Pinghua, a chronological collection of eighty fictional sketches starting with the peach garden oath and ending with Zhuge Liang's death.

Some 50 or 60 Yuan and early Ming plays about the Three Kingdoms are known to have existed, and their material is almost entirely fictional, based on thin threads of actual history. The novel is thus a return to greater emphasis on history, compared to these dramas. The novel also shifted towards better acknowledgement of southern China's historical importance, while still portraying some prejudice against the south. The Qing dynasty historian Zhang Xuecheng famously wrote that the novel was "seven-parts fact and three-parts fiction." The fictional parts are culled from different sources, including unofficial histories, folk stories, the Sanguozhi Pinghua, and also the author's own imagination. Nonetheless, the description of the social conditions and the logic that the characters use is accurate to the Three Kingdoms period, creating "believable" situations and characters, even if they are not historically accurate.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms, like the dramas and folk stories of its day, features Liu Bei and his associates as the protagonists; hence the depiction of the people in Shu Han was glorified. The antagonists, Cao Cao, Sun Quan and their followers, on the other hand, were often denigrated. This suited the political climate in the Ming dynasty, unlike in the Jin dynasty when Cao Wei was considered the legitimate successor to the Han dynasty.[citation needed ]

Some non-historical scenes in the novel have become well-known and subsequently became a part of traditional Chinese culture.

In the introduction to the 1959 reprint of the Brewitt-Taylor translation, Roy Andrew Miller argues that the novel's chief theme is "the nature of human ambition", to which Moody adds the relationship between politics and morality, specifically the conflict between the idealism of Confucian political thought and the harsh realism of Legalism, as a related theme. Other dominant themes of the novel include: the rise and fall of the ideal liege (Liu Bei); finding the ideal minister (Zhuge Liang); the conflict between the ideal liege (Liu Bei) and the consummate villain (Cao Cao); and the cruelties and injustice of feudal or dynastic government.

The opening lines of the novel, "The empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide. Thus it has ever been", added by Mao Lun and Mao Zonggang in their recension, epitomise the tragic theme of the novel. One recent critic notes that the novel takes political and moral stands and lets the reader know which of the characters are heroes and which villains, yet the heroes are forced to make a tragic choice between equal values, not merely between good and evil. The heroes know that the end of the empire is ordained by this cosmic cycle of division and unity, yet their choices are moral, based on loyalty, not political.

Plaks states the novel deals with the "cyclical theories of dynastic decline," and relates the "breakdown of order" at the end of the Han dynasty to "the improper exercise of imperial authority, the destabilisation influence of special-interest groups (eunuchs, imperial clansmen), the problem of factional and individual idealism carried to the point of civil strife-all of which eventually surface in the body of the narrative." He goes on to say, the "overlapping claims to legitimacy and multiple spheres of power," give the novel a "sense of epic greatness" with its "combination of grandeur and futility.": 385, 403, 495

Besides the famous Peach Garden Oath, many Chinese proverbs in use today are derived from the novel:

Translation

Chinese

Interpretation

Brothers are like limbs, wives and children are like clothing. Torn clothing can be repaired; how can broken limbs be mended?

simplified Chinese: 兄弟如手足，妻子如衣服。衣服破，尚可缝； 手足断，安可续？; traditional Chinese: 兄弟如手足，妻子如衣服。衣服破，尚可縫； 手足斷，安可續？

It means that wives and children, like clothing, are replaceable if lost but the same does not hold true for one's brothers (or friends).

Liu Bei "borrows" Jing Province - borrowing without returning.

simplified Chinese: 刘备借荆州--有借无还; traditional Chinese: 劉備借荆州--有借無還
simplified Chinese: 刘备借荆州，一借无回头; traditional Chinese: 劉備借荆州，一借無回頭

This proverb describes the situation of a person borrowing something without the intention of returning it.

Speak of Cao Cao and Cao Cao arrives.

simplified Chinese: 说曹操，曹操到; traditional Chinese: 說曹操，曹操到
simplified Chinese: 说曹操曹操就到; traditional Chinese: 說曹操曹操就到

Equivalent to speak of the devil. Describes the situation of a person appearing precisely when being spoken about.

Three reeking tanners (are enough to) overcome one Zhuge Liang.

simplified Chinese: 三个臭皮匠，胜过一个诸葛亮; traditional Chinese: 三個臭皮匠，勝過一個諸葛亮
simplified Chinese: 三个臭皮匠，赛过一个诸葛亮; traditional Chinese: 三個臭皮匠，賽過一個諸葛亮
simplified Chinese: 三个臭裨将，顶个诸葛亮; traditional Chinese: 三个臭裨将，頂個諸葛亮

Three inferior people can overpower a superior person when they combine their strengths. One variation is "subordinate generals" ( simplified Chinese: 裨将; traditional Chinese: 裨將; píjiàng) instead of "tanners" (皮匠; píjiàng).

Eastern Wu arranges a false marriage that turns into a real one.

simplified Chinese: 东吴招亲--弄假成真; traditional Chinese: 東吳招親--弄假成真

When a plan to falsely offer something backfires with the result that the thing originally offered is appropriated by the intended victim of the hoax.

Losing the lady and crippling the army.

simplified Chinese: 周郎妙计安天下，赔了夫人又折兵; traditional Chinese: 周郎妙計安天下，賠了夫人又折兵

The "lady" lost here was actually Sun Quan's sister Lady Sun. Zhou Yu's plan to capture Liu Bei by means of a false marriage proposal failed and Lady Sun really became Liu's wife (see above). Zhou Yu later led his troops in an attempt to attack Liu Bei but fell into an ambush and suffered a crushing defeat. This saying is now used to describe the situations where a person either makes double losses in a deal or loses on both sides of it.

Every person on the street knows what is in Sima Zhao's mind.

simplified Chinese: 司马昭之心，路人皆知; traditional Chinese: 司馬昭之心，路人皆知

As Sima Zhao gradually rose to power in Wei, his intention to usurp state power became more obvious. The young Wei emperor Cao Mao once lamented to his loyal ministers, "Every person on the street knows what is in Sima Zhao's mind (that he wanted to usurp the throne)." This saying is now used to describe a situation where a person's intention or ambition is rather obvious.

The young should not read Water Margin, and the old should not read Three Kingdoms.

simplified Chinese: 少不读水浒, 老不读三国; traditional Chinese: 少不讀水滸, 老不讀三國

The former depicts the lives of outlaws and their defiance of the social system and may have a negative influence on adolescent boys, as well as the novel's depiction of gruesome violence. The latter presents every manner of stratagem and fraud and may tempt older readers to engage in such thinking.

The writing style adopted by Romance of the Three Kingdoms was part of the emergence of written vernacular during the Ming period, as part of the so-called "Four Masterworks" ( si da qishu).

Romance of the Three Kingdoms recorded stories of a Buddhist monk called Pujing (普净), who was a friend of Guan Yu. Pujing made his first appearance during Guan's arduous journey of crossing five passes and slaying six generals, in which he warned Guan of an assassination plot. As the novel was written in the Ming dynasty, more than 1,000 years after the era, these stories showed that Buddhism had long been a significant ingredient of the mainstream culture and may not be historically accurate.[clarification needed ] Luo Guanzhong preserved these descriptions from earlier versions of the novel to support his portrait of Guan as a faithful man of virtue. Guan has since then been respectfully addressed as "Lord Guan" or Guan Gong.

Create Something from Nothing: A strategy to make an audience believe of something's existence, when it in fact does not exist. On the flip side, it can be used to convince others that nothing exists, when something does exist. (Ch. 36)

Beauty Trap: Send the enemy beautiful women to cause disorder at his site. This trick can work in three ways: firstly, the ruler can become so entranced with the feminine allure that he neglects all else. Secondly, the men will start competing for the females' attention, which will cause friction and rifts, and hinders cooperation and eradicates morale. And lastly, other women motivated by jealousy will begin to plot, only worsening the entire situation. Also known as the "Honey Trap". (Ch. 55-56)

Empty City: When the enemy is superior in numbers and you are expecting to be attacked at any moment, drop all pretenses of seeming like you're preparing something militarily and act calm, so the enemy will think twice and will think you're setting a trap or an ambush. It is best used sparingly, and only if one has the military aptitude to do so. It's also best used if one's enemy is an over-thinker. (Ch. 95)

The Jurchen chief and Khan Nurhaci read the Chinese novels Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Water Margin learning all he knew about Chinese military and political strategies from them.

The book was translated into Manchu as Möllendorff: ilan gurun-i bithe. During the Qing dynasty, Chinese military manuals were eagerly translated by the Manchus, who were also attracted to the military content in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms has been translated into English by numerous scholars.

The first known translation was performed in 1907 by John G. Steele and consisted of a single chapter excerpt that was distributed in China to students learning English at Presbyterian missionary schools. Z. Q. Parker published a 1925 translation containing four episodes from the novel including the events of the Battle of Red Cliffs, while Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang published excerpts in 1981, including chapters 43-50. In 1976, Moss Roberts published an abridged translation containing one fourth of the novel including maps and more than 40 woodblock illustrations from three Chinese versions of the novel. Roberts' abridgement is reader-friendly, being written for use in colleges and to be read by the general public.

Unabridged

1. A complete and faithful translation of the novel was published in two volumes in 1925 by Charles Henry Brewitt-Taylor, a long time official of the Chinese Maritime Customs Service. The translation was well written, but lacked any supplementary materials such as maps or character lists that would aid Western readers; a 1959 reprint was published that included maps and an introduction by Roy Andrew Miller to assist foreign readers.

2. After decades of work, Moss Roberts published a full translation in 1991 complete with an afterword, eleven maps, a list of characters, titles, terms, and offices, and almost 100 pages of notes from Mao Zonggang's commentaries and other scholarly sources. Roberts' complete translation remains faithful to the original; it is reliable yet still matches the tone and style of the classic text. Yang Ye, a professor in Chinese Literature at the UC Riverside, wrote in Encyclopedia of Literary Translation into English (1998) that Roberts' translation "supersedes Brewitt-Taylor's translation and will no doubt remain the definitive English version for many years to come". Roberts' translation was republished in 1995 by the Foreign Languages Press without the illustrations.

3. In 2014, Tuttle published a new, three-volume translation of the novel, translated by Yu Sumei and edited by Ronald C. Iverson (ISBN 978-0804843935). According to its publisher, this translation is an unabridged "dynamic translation" intended to be more readable than past English translations of the novel.

The story of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms has been retold in numerous forms including television series, manga and video games.

Luo, Guanzhong, attributed to, translated from the Chinese with afterword and notes by Moss Roberts (1991). Three Kingdoms: A Historical Novel. Berkeley; Beijing: University of California Press; Foreign Languages Press. ISBN 0520068211.

Hsia, Chih-tsing,"The Romance of the Three Kingdoms," in The Classic Chinese Novel: A Critical Introduction (1968) rpr. Cornell East Asia Series. Ithaca, N.Y.: East Asia Program, Cornell University, 1996.

Luo, Guanzhong (2002) [1925]. Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Vol. 1. English translation by Charles H. Brewitt-Taylor, Introduction by Robert E. Hegel. Singapore: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 9780804834674.

Luo, Guanzhong (2002) [1925]. Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Vol. 2. English translation by Charles H. Brewitt-Taylor, Introduction by Robert E. Hegel. Singapore: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 9780804834681.

Li Chengli, Zhang Qirong, Wu Jingyu. Romance of the Three Kingdoms (illustrated in English and Chinese) (2008) Asiapac Books. ISBN 978-981-229-491-3

Besio, Kimberly Ann and Constantine Tung, eds., Three Kingdoms and Chinese Culture. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2007. ISBN 0791470113. Essays on this novel's literary aspects, use of history, and in contemporary popular culture.

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Romance of the Three Kingdoms - Wikipedia

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Romance of the Three Kingdoms ( traditional Chinese: 三國演義; simplified Chinese: 三国演义; pinyin: Sānguó Yǎnyì ) is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 169 AD and ending with the reunification of the land in 280 by Western Jin.

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In my experience, Chinese culture is a dynamic blend of practices and beliefs sometimes rooted in stories and history. Chinese culture has changed throughout the years and has incorporated foreign cultures and ideas. In a way, Chinese culture can be seen in different components, such as traditional or modern, yet both are prevalent with practices such as giving 红包, specific dishes, celebrating certain holidays with family traveling miles to return home for dinners, tea ceremonies during weddings, or even the way society operates with a rising reintroduction of Confucian principles. Thus, Chinese culture is essentially what each Chinese person perceives it as, since some retained certain values and practices and others do not, as well as the interpretations of culture varying widely between Chinese and non-Chinese who may have grown up with a different and sometimes warped perception. All in all, Chinese culture is a blend that is really defined by the ebbs and flows of how Chinese and non-Chinese people view and interact with each other.

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I think Chinese culture is the way Chinese people interacting with others, what they value, and how the approach different situations. For example Chinese people really value, as many of us know Chinese New year. There are so many traditions that they have just for Chinese New Year. As for approaching different situations, school in Chinese is much different. It is more intense and more rigorous. Lastly, for interaction with others from experience in being in China it is just different. More fast-paced in a way.

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When I think of Chinese culture, I imagine a family eating together sharing from the big plates in the middle of the table. I also think about one's drive to do right by his family. It seems to be a motivator in every aspect of Chinese life.

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The Chinese culture is like any other culture. What I mean is that when we look at culture, we look at their beliefs, traditions, food, expectations, and how people go about their everyday lives. We try to separate each culture from the other because they come from different countries, which makes them sound more different from each other than they really are. The way I look at it is that culture makes the country unique because of their ways of going about life.

Though that is my perspective on it, I think that the Chinese culture definition is simple. It is something that plays a significant role in someone's everyday life as it shapes their perspective and view of the world, consciously and subconsciously.

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I think Chinese culture, much like other cultures is the history. social norms, country values, etc. that make up their culture. Surface level, but China especially is one of the oldest modern civilizations with a deeply complex system with many interconnections in the country. As such, the history plays a big part on the modern values seen today such as gender roles, manners, modesty, etc. However, I think China's culture is also the interesting mix of the interconnected parts of the country that each have their own distinct ways of life. Much Like America their different regions hold different values that lay under the umbrella of Chinese culture :))

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Peking opera masks - a beautiful and unique type of theatre in China

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Something to think about...

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As an American looking into Taiwanese culture is a bit difficult. From what I have learned and my experience in Taiwan thus far, Taiwanese and American are both alike and different in many aspects. Both have shared values, like the importance of family, as well as going out and having fun. But there is of course differences, such as manners while eating, and how you address those who are older/younger than you. This is my first time in Taiwan, so I plan to keep an open mind so that way I can learn as much as possible and maximize the time that I have here.

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Thousands of years of territories that people nowadays might collectively refer to as constituting "China"

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"China" itself is a relatively modern concept — China's borders have changed constantly throughout history, and prior to the modern era, people didn't describe themselves as zhongguoren, but rather using the names of the particular emperors or rulers contemporaneously in power. Only in interacting with the Westphalian nation-state system emanating from Western Europe and its colonies did "China" (zhongguo) really start to exist as a concept, and only then could it become a basis of identity for Chinese citizens.

Even still, after this shift, there remain autonomous regions maintaining extremely distinct cultures — Tibetan and Mongolian cultures are different to a degree and manner that Beijing's and Sichuan's are not. Plus, questions abound as to whether Hong Kong has a unique and distinct culture from the closest mainland province, as to extent to which Taiwanese and Chinese culture are compatible, and as to what constitutes a shared culture for the "five races". Not to mention the river of art works trying to grapple with the meaning of the words "Chinese culture" when applied to the Chinese diaspora.

Likewise, what can we find that's consistent between the members of the oldest generations still in China (or who've since left), which lived under and even before the Cultural Revolution and Mao era subsided, and those who've only known a China formed by Deng's era of economic reforms (gaige kaifang)? The same applies for those who've only experienced adult life after widespread marketization and the proliferation of special economic zones, for those who only came of age after Xi's rise to power, for those who only know a China connected by technology and VC-funded social media platforms, for those who do or don't access the internet outside the Great Firewall, and so forth. What's more, all the aforementioned variation (minus that about the autonomous and separate regions) is intra-regional — adding on the differences between provinces, between rural and urban centers, between high- and low-income and status groups, etc. makes things even more complicated.

All this said, we can maybe arrive at an idea of Chinese culture by asking the (very loaded and complex question): what are the meanings and associations, the shared concepts and semantic assumptions, the default behaviors and expectations, the understandings of personal identity and interpersonal relationship, the received views of (national) history and culture and its relation to the broader world (and so forth) that, if not shared by all people living in China's borders, at least would be recognized by cultural outsiders and Chinese people themselves as distinguishing a certain shared way of living and *being* from those shared and developed by other groups of people deemed to be "cultural units"?

The question is of course unanswerable with a tool as clumsy and imprecise as natural or constructed language; it would take too long to try to explain even if we knew everything we waned to say, and there would always be a gap between what we can verbalize and express to others or ourselves and what we can personally and implicitly know or feel ("Polanyi's paradox" and Wittengstein's "private language" speculations) — and even then another equally unbridgeable gap between what we can know, feel, and represent and what actually *is* (cf. Derrida's concept of différance, or Kant's philosophy of cognition and their relation to putatively real "things in themselves").

However, knowing that this is, one some level, the question we're trying to answer in considering Chinese culture primes us for what to pay attention to and what to absorb when we begin exploring specific contexts where the answers to these questions—which exist in some (possibly/likely unrepresentable/ineffable) embodied way within all social agents and may also find their way into abstract ideological and concrete legal-institutional social structures—exert some guiding or even coercive influence on intersubjective action and, in so doing, expose themselves to our perception.

Why this is required to understand culture is related to the reason why culture exists everywhere and in so many different forms: at base, we have at any given moment (in theory) total freedom about what to do, be, think, feel, etc. Again, this is true of literally *every moment* of our lives. Our brains and bodies cannot handle choosing from among an uncountably infinite range of options — the cognitive load is too great, and there's also always the threat of devolving into nihilism when we begin to realize just how groundless we are as individual subjects. The situation is untenable, so we have to reduce the degrees of freedom somehow. (Cf. Sartre and other French existentialists views, and social scientists ideas about "coordination problems" and first-order theories of social construction.)

The selection of a particular set of default actions, thoughts, feelings, etc., or of default algorithms for the generation of such ideas/thoughts/feelings/units/actions/practices/people etc. all help us survive this existentialist freedom as each of us an individual — and together as well, once the inculcation of other individuals and the institutionalization within enduring social structures of those defaults begins. Moreover, that these defaults are being created (and performed, modified, reinterpreted, retrospectively legitimated, etc.) intersubjectively (and by something we perceive to be a community) offers the side benefit of bridging those gaps of ineffability separating individuals conscious experiences, as well as emotional tethering us to the others, both of which serve to imbue all those contingent, even random and potentially fungible, choices of defaults with a sense of import beyond themselves (which derives ultimately from recognition of shared authorship and subjectivity over this part of our existence and a resultant communion in lived experience — cf. Hegel's Geist).

(To be fair, the physical environment also exerts some level of influence by conditioning the still uncountably infinite choices available — Sichuan food culture could not exist and would certainly not have developed had the Sichuan pepper not been a part of the physical environment in which that culture developed, and its presence in that region no doubt contributed to distinguishing that region; likewise, natural and inherited built environments also stimulate or reinforce certain aspects of culture, not least in the form of socializing us into certain aesthetics.)

Anyway, if we bring this back down to earth and focus on China, we can get away with saying that "Chinese culture" is an vast web of symbolic and embodied arrangements (between both abstract and concrete things) originally given form, continually lived, and progressively developed by those for whom the symbol "Chinese" constitutes a part of their identity. Foods, cultural icons, accepted hierarchies, thought and communication patterns, etc. all exist within this web.

Will individuals differ on what constitutes Chinese culture depending on their relative placement within that web to others belonging to that social unit? Yes, but that's a feature, not a bug. What matters more is that specific features will be understood by many to distinguish Chinese culture from others, and indeed, features with that characteristic are often the most cherished by or important to members of that culture precisely because of the fact that they help distinguish their group from others while at the same time unifying their group against a foil (cf. Bateson's idea of 'schizmogenesis', also used by Graeber).

This I think is the only comprehensive context in which we can understand the relationship between those distinctive points: huoguo/malaxiangguo, kaoya, and yuebing; shufa, jingju, and sishuwujing/sidamingzhu; kongzi/rujiao, feizi/fajiao, and laozi/zhuangzi/daojiao; xiaoshun, mianzi, guanxi — all these artifacts are constitutive of "Chinese culture" not because they are things in themselves that are naturally/necessarily Chinese, but it's also not the case that they "just happen to be Chinese" (and that they're therefore nothing special). Rather, they exist interrelatedly within that web and have a connection with actual embodied and conscious Chinese people past and present, serving to congeal their (collective) inaccessible, ephemeral, and limitless spirits in external, enduring, and intersubjectively accessible "things".