CHINA

World map, showing China (continent of Asia).

The Chinese Flag.

In the last Australian Census of 2006, there were just under 670,000 Chinese people living in Australia. In this blog, I will look at the traditions and customs of the Chinese people & the influence that Chinese Australians have had on the Australian identity.

IDENTIFYING FEATURES

1. National Dress:

One of the most identifying features of the Chinese people is their national dress.

In ancient Chinese tradition, differences in dress showed the social status of the wearer. Distinctions as to colour, design and decoration of dress were made between the emperor, officials and the common people.

The traditional dress for Chinese women is the Cheongsam, which means “long dress”. In some parts of China, including Beijing, it is known as a “qipao”.

The Cheongsam has a high neck, closed collar, and depending on the season, its sleeves may be either short, medium or long. The dress is buttoned on the right side, with a fitted waist, and slits up the side. It is often made from a patterned silk. But depending on whether the dress is for a casual or formal occasion, the cheongsam can be made from different materials and to different lengths. The style of the Cheongsam is simple and elegant, and suits the image of Chinese women. The picture on the right shows the traditional jacket worn by Chinese men - it's worn with loose fitting pants.

Traditional Dress for Chinese people.

2. Traditional Chinese Medicine:

One identifying feature of Chinese culture is their use of traditional Chinese medicines.

The traditional Chinese approach to medicine is very different to the views of Western countries. The Chinese approach is strongly influenced by their beliefs about universal natural laws and their effect on health and healing.

Some traditional Chinese medicines are herbal medicine, acupuncture, dietary therapy and Shiatsu massage. The oldest Chinese book on oriental herbal medicine (which is about 2000 years old) talks about 365 species of roots, grass, woods, furs, animals and stones that are used in Chinese herbal medicine.

To look at one type of Chinese medicine, acupuncture is a technique where fine needles are inserted into special points on the patient’s body. Usually about twelve acupoints (places where the needles are put in) are needed in one session, and the number of needles used may vary from just one or two to 20 or more. The aim of acupuncture is to increase circulation and balance energy within the body.

Many Australians now use these forms of Chinese medicine, but they are still considered alternative medicines.

Some of the ingredients of Chinese herbal medicine.


3. Chinese Superstitions:

Superstitions are one feature which identifies Chinese culture. The Chinese have always been very superstitious people.

The superstitions held by the Chinese affect many of their traditions and their ways of doing things.

Many traditions are based around Chinese superstitions of good and bad luck. For example, if you were going to give your friends some fruit, in Chinese culture it would be important to give them an even number because Chinese believe that odd numbers bring bad luck -so give them 10 apples instead of 9! The Chinese consider the number 4 to bring very bad luck, because the Chinese word for 'four' sounds similar to the word for 'death'. They take this superstition so seriously that many buildings have no numbered fourth floor (it goes from the 3rd floor to the 5th floor), and a lot of buildings don't even have any floors which contain the number 4 (eg 14th, 24th floor, etc)!! The numbers 6 and 8, on the other hand, are thought to bring very good luck

There are lots of things that are forbidden or taboo in Chinese culture, and many of these are based on superstitions. For example, umbrellas are not welcome in most places in China because the Chinese word for 'umbrella' is similar to the word for separation, so the Chinese see umbrellas as bringing bad luck, and that they may be going to separate from a loved one.

As we can see from the controls on the lift, there's no 4th floor in this building!




A very lucky number plate!!

CHINESE FOOD

The influence of Chinese food in Australia began in the goldrushes of the 1850’s and 1860’s, when the first organised groups of Chinese came to Australia in search of gold. Because of the number of Chinese people who came to Australia to find gold, Chinese immigrants also opened Chinese restaurants that served traditional dishes for themselves and for the locals. By 1890, it was said that one-third of all the cooks in Australia were Chinese.

Chinese food has become very popular in Australia over the past few decades. Chinese restaurants in Australia used to offer only very basic Chinese dishes. But today there is usually much more to choose from.

Most Chinese food is very healthy and includes all the ingredients for a balanced diet. Two of the most important ingredients in Chinese dishes are rice and noodles. Noodles were invented by the Chinese. The Chinese also invented chopsticks, based on the idea that instruments used for killing should be banned from the dinner table. Therefore, knives are not allowed, and that is why Chinese food is always chopped into small pieces before it is served.

Today fried rice, chow mein noodles and spring rolls are a common part of the diet of most Australians. Other common Chinese foods eaten in Australia include Sweet and Sour Pork, Peking Duck, Mongolian Beef, and fortune cookies! But the Chinese have not only influenced the type of food we eat, but also the way we cook (most Australian families would have a wok in their kitchen and bamboo steamers are also becoming common), and the way we eat (for example, Chinese banquets).

Some traditional Chinese foods, which are now part of the Australian diet.

Some traditional ways of Chinese cooking, which many Australians now use.



Here we see how the Chinese have influenced how we eat eg banquet style dining, & the many restaurants in Chinatown areas in some of the capital cities.

CHINESE MUSIC

Both music and art are very traditional features of the Chinese culture. I have chosen to concentrate on Chinese music only.

Music in China dates back to the very beginning of Chinese civilisation, to at least 1000BC. During the earliest Chinese Dynasties, only the royal family and officials enjoyed music, which was made on chimes and bells. Later with the introduction of foreign religions such as Buddhism and Islam, dancing and singing started to become enjoyed by common people.

During the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), another very important type of music developed in China. This was the art of traditional opera and it developed quickly and differently across the regions of China. When performers brought together the different styles of opera, they developed the most popular form of Chinese opera, the Beijing Opera. This has been called one of three cornerstones or foundations of Chinese culture. Beijing Opera involves music, performance, literature and face painting. It is still very popular today.

Besides Opera, Chinese peasants over the years have composed folk songs, which often described working and daily life such as fishing, farming, and herding.

In China, musical instruments are grouped according to the material that they are made from. There are eight groups of instruments: these are bamboo, wooden silk, earthen, metal, stone, leather and gourd. Some of the most popular Chinese instruments are different types of bamboo flutes which can be in a cluster of 16 – 20 pipes bound together in a row, and many types of string instruments, such as the zither and the pipa lute. Chinese string instruments are different to string instruments from the West because their strings are made from silk. The most popular bowed string instrument is the Erhu, which is like a fiddle, but has only two strings.

In China, some instruments are used mainly during one season of the year. For example, bamboo flutes are used mainly at the beginning of Spring, string instruments are used in Summer, bronze bells are most popular in Autumn, and drums are played mainly in Winter.

A major influence on the development of Chinese music has been the communist party. Because TV, the media and all major concert halls in China are owned by the Communist party, music is very much controlled by the state. This has meant that certain types of more modern music, such as rock, have not had a chance to become very popular in China.

Pictures from the Chinese Opera.

Some traditional Chinese instruments:


Erhu Pipa lute Pan flute Zither Guzheng

CHINESE CUSTOMS

1. Family values:

Family values and relationships and the respect of the family name is extremely important in Chinese culture and has influenced Chinese customs.

The respect and obedience that a child is expected to show to his or her parents, especially to his father, is called filial piety, and this is considered the first and most important virtue of Chinese culture. This respect for parents is extended to respect for the elderly and also to ancestors, who are highly valued in Chinese society.

In a traditional Western society like Australia, individuals are responsible for their own debts and for any misconduct. However, in the traditional Chinese family, privileges and liabilities, and honor and shame, are not limited to individuals, but are shared with the family. So if one member of the family does something wrong, then shame is brought to the whole family and upon the family name. In the same way, an individual’s debt is shared by the family, as is an individuals success. This Chinese custom of sharing debt means that if a Chinese person finds themselves in financial trouble, they will not go first to a bank or to a government agency, and they would not go bankrupt (like some in Western countries might), but instead the first place that they will go is to their family, who will almost always help them.

Although many traditional Chinese customs have changed over the years due to the influence of Western society, customs relating to family values remain strong. This is seen with Chinese immigrants. When Europeans come to Australia they use the opportunity to take care of themselves only. However, when Chinese come to Australia, they will take care of not only themselves and their immediate family, but of their extended family which might include many relatives.

2. Dining Customs:

To Chinese people, dining is a very traditional experience. It involves several customs that must be followed.

Eating always begins in order of seniority, with the oldest person starting first, and continues one after the other to the youngest. Children are taught to eat equally from each dish, and must never show that they prefer a particular food by eating more of it.

Chinese people eat soup by sipping from the spoon while breathing in. They do this to cool the soup a bit and to better spread the flavor in their mouth. However, eating soup this way produces a slurping noise which Australians would think is very rude. To eat rice, Chinese people raise the bowl to their lips and push the grains into their mouth with chopsticks. This is the easiest way to eat it and the Chinese believe it shows proper enjoyment - eating rice from a bowl left sitting on the table suggests that the person isn’t happy with the food. They must finish all the rice - to leave even a single grain is considered a lack of respect for the cook, and very bad manners.

Meat and vegetable dishes are laid out all at once in the middle of the table, and everyone eats straight from the communal plates using their chopsticks. Soup is also eaten from the common bowl. Therefore plates aren’t used for your own meal like they are in Australia. In Chinese dining, plates are used only for bones and shells, or for resting a large portion that needs more than one bite. In our culture it is very rude to reach in front of another person without excusing

yourself, but this is not rude at all in Chinese culture.

CHINESE RELIGION - Buddhism

Ancestor worship was the first basic form of Chinese religion, when in ancient times, the highest King was called the Son of Heaven. Chinese religions are family-oriented and do not require the exclusive adherence of members (so people can also believe in other religions at the same time). This is called Pluralism.
Several religions have been part of Chinese history and it has always been accepted in China that various religions are acceptable. Generally, the percentage of people who call themselves religious in China has been the lowest in the world. Buddhism is the main religion of Chinese people. Other religions which are followed in China are Christianity and Taoism.
Three main points about Buddhism in China are as follows:

1) Buddhism was introduced into China in the 1st Century.

2) Buddhism is based on Four Noble Truths: existence is suffering; the cause of suffering is desire; the end of suffering comes with the achievement of Nirvana (the perfect place), and Nirvana is attained through the Eightfold Path: right views, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration.

3) One of Buddhism's most important concepts is Karma, which is basically the belief that good actions are rewarded and evil ones are punished.

Ancient China hardly recognised the individual. But when Buddhism came to China it gave individuals a number of ways to reach a place in the spiritual world through his own efforts. It made it possible for people to reach the very highest goal of salvation. The ways to reach this were in agreement with Chinese ideas, so Buddhism soon became very popular.

A statue of Buddha. A Chinese temple.

IMPORTANT CHINESE CELEBRATIONS

There are many celebrations that are an important part of Chinese culture, and in Australia we can see this with many different festivals held by Chinese people. Some of these celebrations include Chinese New Year, Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Pure Brightness Day and the Dragon Boat Festival.


Chinese New Year:

Chinese New Year is the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar and also the longest. The celebrations last for 15 days, starting on the first day of the Chinese calendar, which is usually in February.

As part of Chinese New Year, people wear red clothes, give children 'lucky money' in red envelopes and set off firecrackers. To Chinese people, red represents fire, and they believe fire drives away bad luck. Family members gather at each other's homes for special meals.
Chinese New Year ends with the lantern festival.

Above: Some pictures of Chinese New Year Celebrations.

The Lantern Festival:

The Lantern Festival falls on the night of the first full moon after the Spring Festival. During the lantern festival, people hang multi-coloured decorated lanterns in temples and carry lanterns to an evening parade under the full moon. It is also a tradition that people eat sweet dumplings during this festival, because Chinese people believe that sweet dumplings represent reunion. Sometimes people have parties in the evening where people guess riddles written on lanterns.
The dragon dance is usually the highlight of the lantern festival. The Chinese people make a huge dragon, which can be over 30 metres long, from materials such as silk, paper and bamboo.


Above: Some pictures of the Lantern Festival.

A CHINESE PERSON OF INFLUENCE IN AUSTRALIA - Lisa Ho

The person who I have chosen to research who has had an influence in Australia is Lisa Ho.

Lisa Ho is a Chinese Australian who has had a major influence on the fashion industry in Australia. Lisa is a Fashion Designer who is now world famous, with celebrities from all over the world wearing her designs.

Lisa Ho was born in Albury, NSW in 1963. She started sewing when she was only four years old, encouraged by her grandmother, who was a tailor. By the age of ten, Lisa had her own sewing machine which she used every day, and she made her own patterns out of newspaper. She made clothes for herself and her four sisters.

Lisa studied fashion design at East Sydney Technical College, graduating in 1981. She then worked for a year, before starting her own business. Lisa started showing her designs at the Paddington Markets, where before long they became very popular and soon attracted a lot of interest.

Lisa Ho’s business has continued to grow and grow, and she now employs 70 full-time staff, she has 11 Lisa Ho boutiques, and her label is stocked in over 250 fashion boutiques worldwide. A major achievement for Lisa was when she was invited to design costumes for part of the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. Five Australian designers were chosen, with each one designing costumes to represent different continents – Lisa was asked to design costumes that represented Asia.

I chose Lisa Ho because she is someone who had a love of something when she was very young and started with very basic beginnings, but through hard work and talent has achieved so much and she has had a great influence on Australian fashion.

Fashion Designer, Lisa Ho.

Above: Delta Goodrem & Miranda Kerr wearing Lisa Ho designs.

In conclusion, it is obvious that Chinese people in Australia have contributed very much to the Australian identity.