China Expats and Culture Blog

Education may be one of the most influential forces in society today. A good education that nurtures intellect and curiosity can impact children as soon as they step into the classroom. With the world’s largest population, China provides its citizens a diverse school system: public schools for students of all ages, specialized schools for the disabled, private schools and vocational schools among the many other institutions for education.

However, since it’s created under the influence of a fundamentally different culture, some structural aspects of China’s education system may seem strange to outsiders.

Banner image via www.beibaotu.com

Imagine this scenario - you are with a Chinese friend, who offers to take you out for a bite to eat. As you walk towards a row of restaurants, a waft of delicious aroma surrounds you. You come to a stop in front of a particular restaurant.  

Lady Meng Jiang (孟姜女; Mèngjiāngnǚ)  is a famous Chinese folktale about a woman whose husband is forced to work on the construction of the Great Wall of China. It is one of the “Four Great Chinese Folktales”, the other three being The Butterfly Lovers, Legend of the White Snake, and theCowherd and Weaving Maid.  

With the lack of diversity at this year’s Oscars being a hot topic, many have turned to examine how racially homogenous films are in the United States. In particular, we find the lack of Asian representation in Western cinema is a frustrating issue.

When you ask a Chinese person with a hot thermos why he or she drinks hot water, the answer is usually "it's better for your health."