Some things about the differences between Chinese and Western cultures

Food concepts

Europeans say that there are three major delicacies in the world, and each version has Chinese and French delicacies. , only about the third one, there are different opinions. Some say it is from Italy, while others say it is from Turkey, Tunisia or Morocco. Despite the stalemate, everyone has a common understanding that diet often reflects the differences in living habits and cultural thinking of different ethnic groups.

A banquet was held in a Chinese restaurant. The food was served very slowly. Nearly two hours passed without realizing it, but it seemed that only half of the food was served. A lady sitting next to me was attending a Chinese banquet for the first time. She couldn't help but ask me, do you Chinese people serve so many dishes when you treat guests? I said, in China there are even more, usually more than 10. She was very surprised and even said that Chinese banquets are so rich, no wonder Chinese food is so famous. But after a while, she asked me again, there is a strange phenomenon: Chinese people serve so many dishes every time they eat, but why are they so thin? The French have very few dishes, but why are they always fatter than the Chinese?

I was speechless for a moment, but I felt that her question was somewhat reasonable, because the Chinese people at the same table that day all seemed relatively thin, while the French people were all tall and tall. After thinking for a while, I told her some of my thoughts: China is a hospitable nation, and only after serving a table of dishes will we feel that we are not neglecting our guests. In addition, Chinese people sometimes pay more attention to form, so in Chinese cooking, the styles of dishes are ever-changing, and each dish is very particular about the combination of color, flavor and flavor. The Europeans seem to be more practical. They obviously don’t put as much effort into the color changes of vegetables as the Chinese do, but they pay attention to the combination and protection of their nutrients. This is an important difference between Chinese and French dietary concepts, and to some extent it also reflects the different cultural personalities of China and France.

Understanding of colors

Everyone has their own favorite colors, and the same goes for a country and a nation. Preferences for different colors can reflect the overall characteristics of a nation or country. Aesthetic taste and likes and dislikes.

I once met a couple of professors from the European Commission. They talked about the Chinese national costumes worn by leaders of various countries at the Shanghai APEC meeting. They all said they were very beautiful, but one thing they didn’t quite understand was why Asian leaders People mostly wear red, while Western leaders mostly choose blue. I said the colors are chosen by the leaders themselves. Probably Asian countries have the same cultural background. Red represents luck, wealth and good luck in Chinese culture, and possibly in the entire Asian culture, so Asian leaders all choose red. I asked them, what does blue represent in Western culture? They said that Westerners believe that blue represents calmness and composure.

After thinking about it, I added that the cultural differences between the East and the West are really big. For example, the dragon is a national symbol in China, but in Mons, Belgium, there is a Dragon Fighting Festival. He was regarded as a devil and was killed by the legendary patron saint Michael, so he held a Dragon Fighting Festival to celebrate the elimination of evil and thank Michael. The professor and his wife also strongly agree with the huge cultural differences between the East and the West and recognize the need for cultural exchanges.

Thinking styles

The cultural differences between China and the West are also reflected in many aspects, but it is not complicated to simply summarize: reflected in the way of thinking is the difference between abstract and concrete, reflected in In terms of life attitude, it seems that Westerners are more practical, while Chinese people are more or less focused on spiritual feelings. This is obvious when comparing French words with Chinese characters, for example. Chinese word creation pays more attention to image, while in French, more emphasis is placed on practical value. For example, business card in Chinese is literally translated as a card for visiting in French, and aircraft carrier is called a warship that carries aircraft in French. These words are all coined based on practical uses. As for the glass plate used to press photos, we also coined the word from the perspective of its use value, but the French are more intuitive. The literal translation is "put on top of the photo."

This is even more true when it comes to painting. Everyone knows that the wide opening and closing, splash-ink freehand brushwork of Chinese paintings and the human body proportions and optical principles emphasized in European oil paintings belong to two completely unrelated technical categories. It seems difficult to have the same language. Europeans are sometimes not able to understand our overly abstract artistic expression techniques, and we sometimes think that European artistic techniques are too realistic and lack aura.

After seeing too many religious-themed paintings that are regarded as classics in the history of European painting, Chinese people sometimes lament the realistic and delicate techniques, but also lament the lack of imagination of European masters: in order to illustrate that angels are flying, they have to give those lovely figures The elves add a pair of wings. And haven't our ancestors been painting for thousands of years? If we add a few white clouds next to those beautiful fairies, wouldn't they fly? What a artistic conception and room for imagination.

This is the difference in culture. However, differences do not always bring about disagreements. They just leave a broad creative space for cultural and art masters. If an accurate combination point can be found, it will not only bring about two nations, but also the entire world. The world brings a more inclusive harmony and beauty. For example, Zao Wou-ki's paintings reflect the endless charm of cultural blending.