In order to discover China, you need to have at least a basic understanding about the Chinese culture. However, do you know how long does it take to learn Chinese culture? Well, the answer is quite subjective. Developing a solid understanding about any particular culture can be long and time consuming journey.
Related post – Learn Chinese Fast!
I can give you some tips to enhance your understanding of the Chinese culture. Here are some of the suggestions to speed up your Chinese skills. This is the Part 1 of my post, and Part 2 will be available soon! Hold on for a while!
Discover China from scratch
5 years back, when I came to Singapore, I virtually didn’t have much knowledge about the Chinese culture. As such, I didn’t even know about the Chinese New Year (the spring festival) – and I would humbly accept my lack of knowledge. Fortunately, sometime in 2014, I started digging the ancient Chinese civilization. Although my knowledge is still basic, now I feel more comfortable discussing Chines issues.
It’s perfectly fine if you don’t know much about Chinese culture. You can start learning from scratch -as long as you are willing to put efforts, you’ll get there!
Learn Chinese songs
Well, I believe that learning Chinese songs can be a good way to understand Chinese culture.
I will tell you some of my favourite Chinese songs (listed below). Over a period of time I have realised that most of the native Chinese people that I have interacted with, know these songs. So if you learn these songs, next time you may have more topics while interacting with your Chinese friends. Moreover, if you can sing them a few songs, they will not only be surprised, your interest in the Chinese culture will be appreciated. Here is the short list for a quick start-
- Heavenly Road by Han Hong (天路 by 韩红) – This song describes the beauty along the road to Tibet (Xi Zang province). Just for your information, this was the first Chinese song that l learnt. The song is sung by Han Hong (韩红) who is a well-known Chinese female singer. In fact, she is my favourite Chinese singer and I have gradually developed a deep respect for her singing skills. She comes from the Tibet province and usually sings in a high pitched voice. As such, it’s difficult even for the native Chinese to copy her voice. Here is the song (with English subtitles) –
- Return by Han Hong (歌曲《归来》演唱：韩红) – another beautiful song by Han Hong.
- I want to Go to Xi Zang（娅-我要去西藏）- I want to go Tibet by Wulan Tuoya (乌兰托) – She is another famous female Chinese singer, and I like her songs very much.
- Lasso Pole (Horses Shot) (套马) – by Wulan Tuoya.
- Shin Gui Fei Zui Jiu(新贵妃醉酒)– by Li Yu Gang (李玉刚) – Li Yu Gang is a male Chinese singer who primarily sings in the Peking opera (Beijing opera -京剧). He is famous for singing in myriads of female voices. If you listen to this song, I suppose, you’ll appreciate his singing skills. If you have travel plans for Beijing, you can buy online tickets for his show in Peking opera.
Get to Know Chinese music
You might know that the Chinese cultural history is nearly 5000 years old. During this long journey, China has developed its own set of musical instruments. One of my favourite Chinese instruments is Pipa (琵琶)- it looks like a guitar (ok, not exactly). If you don’t know much about it, I’d recommend checking out this video – Lin Hai Pipa Language (林海- 琵琶語-唐代才女).
First time I learned about this instrument in the Chinese society. I was so touched by the music that I asked a Chinese friend about the instrument, and I was recommended this video. Since then I listen to it quite often.
When I visited Xi’an in 2016, I also visited the Xi’an city-wall. I can’t forget that cold night. You know, the city-wall looks stunning in the nightlight (the lightings are amazing). And the ambience is so musical. During my visit, they were playing the same Pipa tune (from the above video). If you are in Xi’an, do visit the city-wall in the night.
Chinese calligraphy
Get your hands colored with inks for Chinese calligraphy (first pic). The traditional style of writing allows us to aesthetically express the human language in tangible forms. This is an integral part of the rich and vibrant Chinese culture.
Chinese food
Chinese food has its own distinctive taste and odour. Start eating Chinese food – at least once in a while. Master your chopstick skills. Every Chinese city has its own variety of food. If you are in Guangzhou, try dim sum. In fact, night markets are part and partial of Chinese culture and food. Do visit a few local nearby night markets. My favourite Chinese food includes –
- Biang Biang Mian (Biang Biang Noodles) 油泼扯面 (from Xi’an)
- Chongqing Xiao Mian 重庆小面 – Chongqing small noodles
- Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐) – Sichuan spicy food
Get in to relationship(s)
Last but not least, find a girlfriend/boyfriend from China. Yeah! That’s a sure fire way to accelerate your Chinese learning. Btw, you may ignore the ‘s’. 🙂
That’s all for this post on how long does it take to learn Chinese culture! I will be uploading Part -2 within a couple of days.
Please note that I am in no way an expert in Chinese culture. I am still very much a beginner and my advice is for the foreigners who are interested in Chinese culture. For a deeper understanding, you’d consult the native Chinese.
Got queries? Cool. Feel free to post in our forum so that others could also contribute and learn. For regular updates like us on Facebook!
If you find the write-ups useful, buy me a beer! 🙂
You can also check out my other posts about Chinese tourism from my previous trips, or the other countries. You can also find more about me.
Hope now you have a better understanding about Chinese culture (how long does it take to learn Chinese culture). Comments and suggestions are always welcome.
Last updated: Monday, June 25, 2018