5.    Chinese students study English about 6 years in school, but most remain far from fluent

There’s little choice in foreign languages in China unless you want to pick up several. As mentioned before, to many, spoken Mandarin is essentially a second language, so English becomes a required third. The massive drive to teach Chinese people English is a tremendous drain on resources – of time, effort, and money – yet most Chinese people agree that English is an invaluable skill that boosts one’s earning potential. The demand for foreign English teachers is high.

6.    KFC and McDonalds are on every corner in cities, but it isn’t “fast” food

I can’t imagine ever trying to find a table at McDonalds or KFC in America, but it’s an unavoidable battle when patronizing such establishments in China. It isn’t just that China has so many people or that these places are so popular. Drive-thrus are only recently beginning to pop up near new freeway exits, and most Chinese people couldn’t imagine eating in a car. Meals are far more of an event in China, people rarely eat alone, and they take their time. Such restaurants are popular date destinations, and students cooped up in dorms with five roommates prefer to study at McDonalds. A foreigner quickly eating alone at McDonalds invariably surprises surrounding patrons, but more so when he touches a hamburger with bare hands. Chinese restaurants are flooded at mealtimes, but ghost towns during the hours in between, while the American fast food joints maintain a steadier flow of people, evidencing the common notion that they serve junk food snacks rather than meals. Ice cream products are popular as well as pie, but you won’t find apple.

7. Chinese and Western versions of “Face” are reversed

Many are familiar with the concept of “face” related to reputation being central to Chinese culture. What is hard to grasp about it without living in Chinese is that Chinese people are only concerned with face from friends, family, and colleagues. They don’t care at all about getting respect or looking foolish in front of complete strangers and the general public. Westerners, on the other hand, are more concerned with their perceived image with the general public and strangers, while generally being less concerned with their reputation amongst family and friends.

8.    The number Four is particularly unlucky…

…because it’s only a tone different from the word for “death.” Many buildings skip the fourth floor like designers avoided the thirteenth in the West. Six and Eight are lucky, the latter because it sounds like the word for “rich.”

And to those reading from within China, what did I miss? Anyone disagree? E-mail your cultural observations to cnpictorial@gmail.com.