CHINA
East Asia
Capital: Beijing
Languages: Chinese (written), Mandarin (spoken)
Predominant Religion(s): Buddhism
COMMON CHARACTERISTICS: 
- Diligent, hardworking and modest: these words are often used to describe Chinese people.
- Collectivism is a norm in China. Chinese love group activities. Winning honour for the group is something to be proud of.
- Chinese tend to be reserved when it comes to showing affection in public.
FUN FACTS:
- Despite its size, China only has one time zone!
- While the dragon is typically seen as an evil creature in Western culture, it holds first place among the four greatest creatures in Chinese mythology, along with the phoenix, tiger, and tortoise. It is typically associated with the emperor.
- Once known as the “Kingdom of Bicycles,” now China owns the most number of electric bikes. There are over 200 million e-bikes in China!
USEFUL PHRASES:
- How are you? Nǐ hăo ma?
- Fine, thanks. Wŏ hĕn hăo, xiè xiè.
- My name is…: Wŏ de míng zì shì…
- Nice to meet you. Hĕn gāo xìng yù jiàn nĭ.
- Thank you: Xiè xiè.
Family 
- Usually grandparents live with their children and grandchildren, so there are three generations in one house. Grandparents will also share the responsibility of bringing up the children. The Chinese value peace and wholeness of a family. As an old Chinese saying goes: “A harmonious family can lead to the success of everything.”
- Chinese families attach a lot of importance to the traditional holidays, and parents like to arrange large family meals with their children.
- Children are encouraged to develop and learn new talents such as music, calligraphy, dancing and so on from an early age.
Photos by: Stephanie Kroos {flickr}; UI International Programs {flickr}
