Chinese culture is one of the world's oldest cultures.

[1][2]
The area in which the culture is dominant covers a large
geographical region in eastern Asia with customs and
traditions varying greatly between provinces, cities, and
even towns. Important components of Chinese culture
include literature, music, visual arts, martial arts, cuisine,
religion etc.

Values

Most social values are derived from Confucianism and Taoism. The subject of which school was
the most influential is always debated as many concepts such as Neo-
Confucianism, Buddhism and many others have come about. Reincarnation and
other rebirth concept is a reminder of the connection between real-life and the after-life. In
Chinese business culture, the concept of guanxi, indicating the primacy of relations over rules,
has been well documented.[8]

Confucianism was the official philosophy throughout most of Imperial China's history, and
mastery of Confucian texts was the primary criterion for entry into the imperial bureaucracy. A
number of more authoritarian strains of thought have also been influential, such as Legalism.

There was often conflict between the philosophies, e.g. the Song Dynasty Neo-
Confucians believed Legalism departed from the original spirit of Confucianism. Examinations
and a culture of merit remain greatly valued in China today. In recent years, a number of New
Confucians (not to be confused with Neo-Confucianism) have advocated that democratic ideals
and human rights are quite compatible with traditional Confucian "Asian values".[9]

With the rise of European economic and military power beginning in the mid-19th century, non-
Chinese systems of social and political organization gained adherents in China. Some of these
would-be reformers totally rejected China's cultural legacy, while others sought to combine the
strengths of Chinese and European cultures. In essence, the history of 20th-century China is one
of experimentation with new systems of social, political, and economic organization that would
allow for the reintegration of the nation in the wake of dynastic collapse.
Language

The ancient written standard was Classical Chinese. It was

used for thousands of years, but was mostly reserved for scholars and intellectuals which forms
the "top" class of the society called "shi da fu (". Calligraphy later became
commercialized, and works by famous artists became prized possessions. Chinese literature has
a long past; the earliest classic work in Chinese, the I Ching or "Book of Changes" dates to
around 1000 BC. A flourishing of philosophy during the Warring States period produced such
noteworthy works as Confucius's Analects and Laozi's Tao Te Ching. (See also: the Chinese
classics.) Dynastic histories were often written, beginning withSima Qian's seminal Records of
the Grand Historian, which was written from 109 BC to 91 BC.

The Tang Dynasty witnessed a poetic flowering, while the Four Great Classical Novels of
Chinese literature were written during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Printmaking in the form
of movable type was developed during the Song Dynasty. Academies of scholars sponsored by
the empire were formed to comment on the classics in both printed and handwritten form.
Royalty frequently participated in these discussions as well. Chinese philosophers, writers and
poets were highly respected and played key roles in preserving and promoting the culture of the
empire. Some classical scholars, however, were noted for their daring depictions of the lives of
the common people, often to the displeasure of authorities.

At the start of the 20th century, most of the population were still illiterate, and the many mutually-
unintelligible in different regions prevented communication with people from other areas.
Reformers set out to establish a national language, settling on the Beijing-based Mandarin as the
spoken form. After the May 4th Movement, Classical Chinese was quickly replaced by written
vernacular Chinese, modeled after the vocabulary and grammar of the standard spoken
language.[10]

Martial Arts

China is one of the main birth places of Eastern martial

arts. Chinese martial arts are collectively given the name
Kung Fu (gong) "achievement" or "merit", and (fu) "man",
thus "human achievement") or (previously and in some
modern contexts) Wushu ("martial arts" or "military arts").
China also includes the home to the well-respected
Shaolin Monastery and Wudang Mountains. The first generation of art started more for the
purpose of survival and warfare than art. Over time, some art forms have branched off, while
others have retained a distinct Chinese flavor. Regardless, China has produced some of the
most renowned martial artists including Wong Fei Hung and many others. The arts have also co-
existed with a variety of weapons including the more standard 18 arms. Legendary and
controversial moves like Dim Mak are also praised and talked about within the culture.

Cuisine

The overwhelmingly large variety of Chinese cuisine

comes mainly from the practice of dynastic period,
when emperors would host banquets with 100 dishes per
meal.[11] A countless number of imperial kitchen staff
and concubines were involved in the food preparation
process. Over time, many dishes became part of the
everyday-citizen culture. Some of the highest quality
restaurants with recipes close to the dynastic periods
include Fangshan restaurant in Beihai Park Beijing and
the Oriole Pavilion.[11] Arguably all branches of Hong Kong eastern style are in some ways
rooted from the original dynastic cuisines.