To learn Chinese, you should first study Chinese culture. As an essential element of Chinese culture, ritual is emphasized by Confucianism. When a society lives by it, the social activities move smoothly. If the proper rituals and ceremonies are performed, everything and everyone is in its proper place. Confucius believed that if rituals were present in all of the following relationships throughout society, the social order would be ideal.
Father to Son - There should be kindness in the father, and filial piety in the son. Elder Brother to Younger Brother - There should be gentility (politeness) in the elder brother, and humility in the younger. Husband to Wife - The husband should be benevolent, and the wife should listen. Elder to Junior - There should be consideration among the elders and deference among the juniors. Ruler to Subject - There should be benevolence among the rulers and loyalty among the subjects. Nowadays, ritual also guides every aspect of our everyday life. Unlike the past when ritual was primarily about ceremonies, it means a great deal in the modern times. You may call it politeness, protocol,propriety, rites and so on. Here, we call it etiquette.
As we all know, China is known to the whole world as a state of ceremonies. We are almost justified to say that but for our established reputation as such a nation, we can’t possibly form so strong ties with many countries in the world, let alone developing our comprehensive national power and setting up an imposing image in the eyes of foreigners. So it is with interpersonal relationships. And learning Chinese culture has become a trend around the western countries. If we do not show our due respect for elders, peers and juniors, we cannot expect the same esteem from them. If we do not abide by social rules on occasions such as ceremonies or conferences, nothing will ever be brought to a conclusion. If we do not obey table manners, you will definitely be considered rude and lose many friends. All in all, etiquette is just as important now as it was in the past, only the contents of ritual have changed dramatically. So if you want to have good manners, you may learn Chinese culture as a means of developing graceful behaviors.
Do you want to study Chinese? Are you interested in learning Chinese online? Come and join us. Welcome to visit http://www.echineselearning.com/