Traditions

What is a tradition?  Hmmm..
The dictionary defines tradition as "the handing down of customs and beliefs from generation to generation.  Tradition is passed on by talking rather than in written records."  Some examples are the American traditions of eating turkey at Thanksgiving, or having fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July.

Culture is the ideas, traditions, arts and way of life of a certain people.  In this webquest we are going to explore some traditions found in Chinese culture and compare them to our culture.   Look at your worksheet and answer the first 2 questions.

Food

1.  Where does your family buy food?  Fill in the answer on your worksheet.

Many Chinese families buy their food at open air markets like this one:

Have you ever been to a farmer's market where they sell fresh fruits and vegetables?

2.  What are some of your favorite foods?  How often do you get to enjoy them?

In China, rice is served at every meal.  They also eat a lot of vegetables, fruit, chicken and fish.  Red meat is costly and is not usually served.  Do you have meat every day?

Look at the boy eating rice in this picture:
3. What is he eating his food with??
What do you use to eat with?  Fill in your answers on the worksheet.

Houses
Let's explore Chinese homes.  First, fill in what kind of home you live in on the worksheet (#4).  Does your house have one story or two?  Do you live in an Apartment?  On a farm?  In the city?

Just as in the U.S., Chinese people have many different types of homes.  In the city, most people live in apartments.  Only very wealthy people have their own homes in a city.  In the country, many people live on farms.   Here are some examples of Chinese homes:

Some apartments in Yuon Shuo, a small town.


Many shopkeepers have apartments above their stores in town.


 



 


This houseboat allows the fisherman to live and work in the same place.


 



 
 


 


Here is a farmhouse out in the country.  Do you see the woman up on the roof?  What do you think she is doing?


Often the farm house kitchen area is separate from the living areas.  This is so that the cooking does not heat up the living areas of the house.   This kitchen has a pump outside to get fresh water.
 


It looks like she is washing vegetables.  In the background you can see the fields where the green rice plants are growing.


Here rice is cooking in a special pan called a wok.  They are cooking with bottled gas like the gas used to heat a gas grill.  Have you ever eaten food prepared in a wok?


 


Special Traditions and Symbols

One special Chinese tradition is the red banners that hang on many of their doorways.  These banners contain wishes for good luck and good fortune for the people living in the home and are hung up as part of the  Chinese New Year celebration.

Their New Year begins with the first day of the Spring Festival, and the date is usually in the end of January or the beginning of February.  In 2002, the Chinese New Year will be on February 12. The Chinese celebrate their New Year with firecrackers and by visiting their friends and family.  They also honor their ancestors (relatives that have already died) with offerings of incense.

5.  How do you celebrate the New Year?

What symbols do you have in your home?  (A symbol is some type of object that has a special meaning.)  Write down as many as you can think of on your worksheet.


Inside the Chinese home, there is often an area set aside to honor the family's ancestors.
Ancestor Altar with incense.

This banner says good things about people in their family that have died.  Sometimes sticks of incense are burned in their honor.

6.  What special keepsakes or mementos do you have that remind you of your grandparents or great-grandparents?

Transportation


7.  How do you get to school?  How about shopping or to a friend's house to play?  Fill in your answer on the worksheet.

In China, owning a car is very expensive and not many people have cars.  Here are pictures of some of the ways that they get around.  Fill in your observations on the worksheet.

There are 4 different forms of transportation in the picture above.  Can you spot them all?

Bicycles are very popular and are used to get to work, school, or shopping.


Now think about some of things you have just learned.  What are some ways that Chinese culture and your culture are the same?  List as many as you can think of on the worksheet.

Congratulations!  You have finished the Tradition Quest.  Click on the "ticket" below to return to the Webquest Home Page.