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People of China
Home » China » China People and Culture » People of ChinaChina has a history of over 5,000 years of artistic, political, and philosophical advancement. Its different regions are diverse in culture, but unified by language and religion. The government of the People’s Republic of China recognizes 56 ethnic groups, which together compose a unified nation offering a wealth of rich culture and experiences. From the cuisine to the architecture, the diversity of this nation has something to offer everyone.
The largest ethnic group in the People’s Republic of China is the Han Chinese. However, over a hundred ethnic groups have existed in China. The Han Chinese group is so large and diverse, that some consider it to be the overarching group. The population of China is 1.3 billion, making up about one-fifth of the world’s population. This is due to the lack of birth control and the promotion of population growth during the rule of Mao Zedong. Today, the Chinese government has established a birth control policy, commonly known as the One-child policy. The standard spoken language of the Chinese is Standard Mandarin. Classical Chinese used to be the standard for written language, and is still taught in high schools, but Mandarin is the predominant written language.
Traditionally, marriage in Chinese societies was an arrangement between families. However, Chinese culture allowed for romantic love. Before 1949, women were not allowed to pick who they married. The marriages were arranged based on the needs of reproduction, honor, and the needs of the husband and father. There are six basic marriage rituals practiced traditionally. The first is the proposal. The unmarried boy’s parents seek out a potential daughter-in-law. Then, they find a matchmaker, who becomes a liaison between the two families as the get to know each other. The second ritual is birthday matching. The matchmaker compares the couple’s birthdays and determines if the couple is compatible based on Chinese astrology. The third ritual is betrothal gifts. The matchmaker presents betrothal gifts and the betrothal letter from the groom’s family to the bride’s family. Fourth, the wedding gifts are presented. Fifth, the couple consults the Chinese calendar to pick a wedding day. And sixth, the wedding ceremony is held and the bride and groom are married.
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