Chinese Culture Essay

The climate and temperature of China varies throughout the area of the country. Most of the country lies in the temperate belt, but the southern most part lies in the subtropical belt while the northern part is in the sub arctic belt. There is usually a lot of rain in the summer, and very little in the winter. China has the largest agricultural output in the world, while only cultivating 15% of its total area. Rice is China’s most harvested crop, while wheat is second. China also produces potatoes, other vegetables, and some fruits. By the end of 2000, China had 633 different cities, while 13 of them had a population of two million or more. The three biggest Chinese cities are Shanghai, Beijing, and Chongqing, in that order. Hong Kong is inside China, but isn’t considered part of the country. Confucianism used to be the main religion in China and help shape its history. However, Buddhism has the most followers and biggest influence in China than any other religion, now. Some other major religions throughout China are Taoism, Islam, and Christianity. Most people in China, now, play sports just like us such as ping pong, soccer, and badminton. These types of sports are fairly new to China, while different types of martial arts have been around much longer than team sports. China is a communist state. This means that everything is ruled and owned by the government. There is no private ownership, and all goods are shared by the people, who are all equal. Chinese education is required and free for ages 6 – 15, and can be continued longer if the person wants to and can afford it. Most of the jobs throughout China are related to agricultural businesses, or they do cheap labor for companies all around the world. The employment rules in China are much more relaxed than the U. S. so big corporation usually have Chinese factories make their goods for much cheaper. Stir fry is the most common cooking technique throughout China. It requires a small amount of oil in a heated pan, and the ingredients of the mea, usually vegetables and meat, are put into the pan and cooked until ready. The most used cooking tool is the wok. It is pretty much like a pan with rounded edges for stir frying. Chopsticks are by far the most used eating tools of the Chinese people, just like our forks and spoons. Chinese meals almost always have rice or noodles. The is usually vegetables in the meals, which could be many different types, such as broccoli, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, cabbage or eggplants. The meat is usually chicken, pork, or fish. Chinese meals are eaten pretty much at the same time as out meals. Breakfast is in the morning, lunch in the afternoon, and dinner is at night. There are much unusual eating etiquettes that must be followed in China. One is that your tea can never be empty. The host will always be refilling their guests’ cups, and the guests must tap their cup on the table as a showing of thankfulness. Another eating etiquette is that, when out with a group of people, you must order an even number or plates, even if there is an odd number of people, because odd numbers symbolize death. Bibliography Climate – http://www. chinatraveldepot. com/C149-China-Climate Major Cities – http://www. china. org. cn/english/feature/38093. htm Recreation – http://www. ajpanda. com/Articles. asp? ID=227 Types of Jobs – http://factsanddetails. com/china. php? itemid=366&catid Ingredients and equipment – http://www. china-family-adventure. com/chinese-food-ingredients. html Bourbon Chicken recipe – http://www. food.com/recipeprint. do? rid=45809 Chinese fried rice – http://www. grouprecipes. com/25313/chinese-fried-rice. html/print Chinese Almond Cookies – http://chinesefood. about. com/od/dessertcookies/r/almondcookies. htm Chinese Almond Cookies Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Ingredients: †¢ 2 cups flour †¢ 1/2 teaspoon baking powder †¢ 1/2 teaspoon baking soda †¢ 1/8 teaspoon salt †¢ 1/2 cup butter †¢ 1/2 cup shortening †¢ 3/4 cup white sugar (can add up to 2 more tablespoons, if desired) †¢ 1 egg †¢ 2 1/2 teaspoons almond extract †¢ 30 whole, blanched almonds (one for each cookie). †¢ 1 egg, lightly beaten Preparation: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (162. 5 degrees Celsius). 2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the butter or margarine, shortening, and sugar. Add the egg and almond extract and beat until well blended. Add to the flour mixture and mix well. Note: The dough will be crumbly at this point, but don’t worry – that is what it’s supposed to be like. 3. Use your fingers to form the mixture into a dough, and then form the dough into 2 rolls or logs that are 10 to 12 inches long. Wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours (this will make it easier to shape the dough into circles). 4. Take a log and lightly score the dough at 3/4 inch intervals so that you have 15 pieces and cut the dough. Roll each piece into a ball and place on a lightly greased cookie tray, approximately 1 1/2 inches apart. Place an almond in the center of each cookie and press down lightly. Repeat with the remaining dough. 5. Brush each cookie lightly with beaten egg before baking. Bake for 15 minutes to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and store in a sealed container.