Unlike the United States which is 200 plus years old, China is an ancient country and civilization. This has led to long standing rules of conduct in society that are of great interest.

China is an ancient country, with thousands of years of history which lay a rich basis for the lives of its inhabitants today. While some of the ancient Chinese myths and cultural traditions have been forgotten or are no longer observed, many of them are still remembered and incorporated into everyday life. Taking a look into the cultural traditions of China can reveal a lot about the way that the people live.

One of the most interesting bits of Chinese lore can be found in what is known as the Jade Culture. Jade is a stone that was first identified in the first Chinese dictionary, known as Shuo Wen Jie Zi, in around 100 AD. There are two types of jade: soft jade, known as nephrite, which is native to China, and hard jade (jadeite) which was imported from Burma starting in the 1200′s. Jade is important in China not only because of its beauty, but also for its virtue and cultural significance. Confucius said that jade had 11 virtues, some of which include the fact that it stands for beauty, purity and grace. The Chinese character for jade, Yu, is often used in names and sayings to connote beauty.

Another of the many Chinese cultural traditions is the bamboo culture. Bamboo is one of four favorite plants seen in China – they are bamboo, Chinese plum, chrysanthemum and orchid. The characters of these plants are highly prized, so much so that Chinese people want to be like the plants in character. Bamboo is grown pretty much everywhere in China, with most people having gardens in which they grow bamboo. Bamboo chopsticks are the most common form of tableware in China, and bamboo is also the material out of which the Chinese flute is made. People often use bamboo paintbrushes, and bamboo culture festivals are even held throughout the year.

A final cultural tradition can be seen in the dragon culture. Dragons are an important part of Chinese tradition, so much so that people from China often consider themselves to be “the descendants of the dragon”. China’s emperors believed that they truly were dragons, calling the beds they slept on dragon beds, and even their robes dragon robes. Dragons are also seen all over the imperial palaces, and dragon screens are seen as a symbol of the emperor’s power.

Business lunches and negotiations are obligatory events and nobody denies or calls it in question. What is always necessary to know? What are the basic requirements? At business lunches, seating follows a strict business protocol. That is to say, you cannot just come and take any seat you want. The rule is the following here: the most honorable guest or the head of the negotiations is likely to be seated facing the door. Furthermore, at a business lunch you should never get down to business right away.

That means that you should start with common questions and find common ground with the negotiations participants and then everyone will automatically pass into business talks after a while. During a business lunch, a toast is proposed, first of all by the host and only after that you propose your toast. It is very important to remember. Another rule is “the rule of both hands”: always accept and take everything with both hands. That is important, polite and delicate. Now we will be talking about business cards where “the rule of both hands” will be also mentioned. That is what I briefly wanted to say about business lunches.

Gift giving

Small gifts are always appreciated everywhere but in China there are certain rules which specify what kind of gifts may be given and what ones you should not give. These rules are described in a separate range of issues. One thing you always need to keep in mind is that you should not give a clock or a watch as a gift to the Chinese as it would signify the cutting of relationship. Moreover, do not expect your business partner to open your gift immediately for the Chinese never do it in anybody’s presence. They are not in European habit of showing what is given them as a gift. Why is it so? Firstly, because a Chinese does not want to be an offense to your feelings and give you any reason to think that your gift is cheap. And secondly, a Chinese does not want to show his emotions as they are hidden. This is what I briefly wanted to say about gift giving.