What is The #1 Thing People Don’t Know About China?

China is one of the most culturally diverse nations on the planet. China has over 56 nationalities and ethnicities. Among those 56 ethnic groups, there are 55 ethnic minorities and one main ethnicity, Han. Although all of the ethnicities live within the same boundaries lines of China, each has its own unique characteristics. Each has different religious beliefs, clothing, and lifestyles.

National costumes refer to the unique costumes of each ethnic group's own culture. They can also be called local costumes, or folk costumes. In urban areas or populations of some ethnic countries, people spend most of their daily life in suits, but they will be dressed in traditional costumes in festivals and other formal occasions.

Let’s look at a few of the major national costumes of China:

1. 汉族 (Hànzú) Han nationality
The Han nationality is the most populous and widely distributed nationality in China. Over years and years, the Han have developed costumes that reflect their own unique style. Due to the influence of geographical environment, natural climate, production and lifestyle, history, culture, customs and other factors, the traditional Han costumes have a rich and varied appearance.

A complete Hanfu garment is assembled from several pieces of clothing into a basic attire:
衣 (Yī): unisex open cross-collar garment.
袍 (Páo): closed full-body garment worn by men only.
褥 (Rù): open cross-collar shirt.
衫 (Shān): open cross-collar shirt worn over the yi.
裙 (Qún): skirt.
裤 (Kù): pants.

2. 满族 (Mǎnzú) Manchu

There are four main forms:
旗袍 (Qípáo): cheongsam.

Cheongsam can be worn by men and women regardless of season. The cheongsam is a female dress with distinctive Chinese features and enjoys a growing popularity in the international world of high fashion. Easy to... Read More

Have you ever purchased something spontaneously and then the next day had buyer’s remorse? You are not alone. Many times we are either stressed and want to feel better with a shopping spree or overspend on a brand name just for the sake of having an impressive status symbol. And with the convenience of internet shopping it’s too tempting to buy unnecessary things. We all have different spending habits, however, and understanding our spending habits could change the way we spend money in the future. In this article we will look at why we want to spend money and different ways to talk about pointless spending.

We can express working hard for money by saying that we earn money through blood, sweat, and tears. But once you have your "血汗钱 (Xuèhàn qián) hard earned money" lets learn how not to spend it. We can use this phrase, "花冤枉钱 (Huā yuānwang qián) throw money away" to describe wasteful spending habits. Or if you are really good about how you spend money we can use the phrase "不花一分冤枉钱 (Bù huā yìfēn yuānwang qián) don’t spend a penny", which is similar in English "pinch your pennies." Understanding which spending habit you have can lead to more savings in the future.

It is said that money can’t buy happiness. But did you know that bad money spending habits lead to even less happiness? This is especially true if you feel regret spending money afterward or if mom gets upset over the wasteful spending. Try to use it in a sentence by using this structure.

Structure:
Somebody + 花 (huā) + 冤枉钱 (yuānwang qián).

1. 节约运费 (Jiéyuē yùnfèi) To save on the shipping fee
It is typical that a company will offer a promotion for shipping fees. For instance, if you buy a certain amount of money on a Chinese site called Taobao, you don't need to pay for the shipping. Then you will end up buying extra things that you don't need. Though you save on postage, you in fact, spend much more money. This is one of the clever ways companies convince consumers to spend more.

2. 购物欲望膨胀 (Gòuwù yùwàng péngzhàng) Shopping desire inflation
In scenic tourist destinations, you may have the urge to buy everything you see. The price may not be very expensive, but the items are not practical either. For instance if you buy a resort t-shirt with the logo on it you would probably only wear it in the local area and once you go home, you would lose the desire to wear it. This is a phenomena we call "购物欲望膨胀 (Gòuwù yùwàng péngzhàng) Shopping desire inflation." The desire to take home a piece of the experience inflates and causes you to want to spend money you wouldn’t otherwise spend at home. If you still insist on having an item but want it at a cheaper rate, at least... Read More

Quiz:
1. Which of the following expressions is correct in Chinese?