13 Weird Chinese Habits The Western World Will Never Understand

It is quite normal to find strange some cultural characteristics of people from other countries. But it is also normal for people from neighboring countries, in general, to have habits and traditions a little more similar to each other than to more distant nations. In this sense, China is one of the countries whose habits are most curious among people in the western world.

Children’s open pants, the “Beijing bikini” and fake buttocks are just a few of the features that tend to raise eyebrows. And we cannot avoid asking ourselves the obvious: what is the point of these habits? Don’t worry, we’ll explain.

O awesome.club studied the strangest cultural habits of the Chinese people and tried to trace their origins. And of course, we’ve also prepared a bonus that will show you how to get down from a five-story building in a matter of seconds.

When summer begins in China, men take to the streets bare-bellied, shameless. And there is no age restriction; both young and old act alike. Summer menswear has earned the simple nickname of “Beijing bikini”. And it spread not only to the capital, but also to the whole country. We can identify three reasons for the phenomenon. First, the Chinese believe that, in this way, the body will be able to “breathe” better. Second, this display of bigger bellies is actually a message to the people around them that they can consume a “decent” amount of calories without fear of being happy. And the third reason comes from Chinese medicine. According to tradition, it is necessary to release the “Chi” energy so that it circulates freely through Organs internal organs.

We just don’t know which of these reasons is the determinant. But one thing is clear: this habit is already rooted in Chinese life and is not well regarded by the authorities. The local government of the city of Jinanfor example, is considering creating a bill to prohibit the trend, which is not positive for the city’s image and drives away many tourists.

For us Westerners, long nails are associated either with women or, in the case of men, with poor hygiene. But the Chinese don’t see it that way. They prefer not to cut their nails and let them grow. The issue goes back to the country’s long history, since, many generations ago, having long nails was synonymous with wealth. Only the rich could let them grow, precisely because they carried out intellectual work, which did not involve the hands. And short nails were a sign of hard physical work, associated with farm workers. These days, some men grow nails on all of their fingers, and others grow only the pinky—or little finger. They say habit brings luck.

Apparently, Chinese women are bothered by the sisters’ legacy. kardashian and her large buttocks. Fake butts are gaining popularity among girls. So if you don’t have the body you want, don’t worry, fake buttocks manufacturers have the solution. With the enrichment of the country and the popularization of the beauty and cosmetics market, Chinese women lost their fear of taking care of their own look. And they don’t mind buying different “accessories” to improve the image.

Instead of going to the gym and leaving your calves visible and toned, you can also simply take advantage of another Chinese invention, the “fake” calves.

This simple trick has been a huge success among girls in the Asian country: they can increase their calf muscles in just a few minutes and without much effort. The important thing is to be careful not to let “part of the leg” fall at the most inopportune moment.

It is evident that Asians have very different eye anatomy from Westerners. But every fashion that refers to the West is very successful in China. Many girls dream of having bigger eyes to show off that “43 look”. For this, any strategy is valid: from adhesive strips to blepharoplasty (eyelid lifting surgery). This last one, however, will cost a little more, as you can imagine. The concave correction kit (region where the mobile eyelid folds) is much cheaper and, in addition, offers less health risks so that anyone can achieve the desired result.

This tradition began in the very distant past, when certain young women of the aristocracy had their feet tied very rigidly, so that they were prevented from growing and had their shape modified. The small feet earned the beautiful name of “lotus feet”. It was believed that the smaller the size of the feet, the more “valuable” the bride would be. Even today, in China, it is possible to find women with deformed feet wearing special shoes, known as “lotus shoes”.

Tai Chi Chuan, or Tai Chi, is a physical activity aimed at improving health — the practice is known as a form of moving meditation. It consists of a sequence of slow movements that can be performed by people of any age group. One of the characteristics of this martial art is precisely the “step back”. It is often possible to see, in parks and squares, group classes, in which elderly people move in synchrony, backwards. Sometimes the leg movements are also accompanied by hand gestures and clapping. This practice is believed to relieve tension in the back and lower back muscles. Tai Chi requires high brain activity, which makes it an excellent way to prevent senile dementia.

In China it is not customary to give breast milk to babies; mothers prefer formula milk. This contributed to a superstition that still exists today. According to her, breastfeeding is harmful to the health and physical form of mothers. It is also believed that milk ceases to provide any nutritional benefit when the child is four months old.

But stopping producing milk is not automatic. Therefore, many mothers try to “extract” the best of the situation, selling it in different establishments and specialized websites. As a result, breast milk has become popular with the wealthy, who include it in their diets. They believe in its high concentrations of vitamins and microelements. This is not one of the cheapest services. The price is around 22 dollars (about 80 reais) for 250 ml.

In the city of Chongqing there is a different water park. There, Mahjong is played on tables inside the pools. This board game emerged in the 1920s and quickly gained national status. In 1998, Majiang, as the Chinese game is also called, was officially recognized as a type of sport.

The city of qingdao is bathed by the Yellow Sea. With the arrival of summer, the entire coast is invaded by a carpet of green algae. Every year, the local government tries to resolve the situation, but so far it has been unsuccessful. But for the Chinese this is not an obstacle. To escape the heat, they don’t mind bathing among the seaweed.

The Chinese hide from the sun in various ways, some of them quite unusual. Don’t be surprised if you see someone covered from neck to toe with sand on the beach. This is a normal summer ritual for the locals. Usually, they use a parasol or special masks to protect themselves from the sun and avoid burns on the face. The curiosity is that the Chinese use their umbrellas to protect themselves from ultraviolet rays more often than the umbrellas themselves on rainy days.

The Chinese love watermelons so much that they are ready to eat them even in unusual contests. Some are capable of devouring the fruit in a matter of seconds, for example, this Chinese soldier. The fruit has several uses. Due to the small size in which they are produced in the Asian country, they are usually used, after being devoured, as bowls. The Chinese guarantee that, in summer, eating rice inside this improvised dish is refreshing.

Tourists who go to China are faced with this cultural peculiarity. In summer, children wear pants with holes in the back, known as kai dang ku🇧🇷 These pieces began to spread during the Six Dynasties (between the years 220 and 280). At the time, the raw material was silk and they were fastened around the waist with a belt or elastic band.

Nowadays, these same pants are made of different fabrics: there are warm winter options and lighter ones for summer. Also, they are worn in exactly the same way as regular pants. The reason for this fashion is very simple: practicality. The child can relieve himself anywhere, just open the piece and crouch down. This factor is practical at the stage when they begin to learn to use the toilet. Apparently, the little ones don’t care much about the people around them. Like all traditions, however, this one is also being threatened. In the last 10 years, more parents have started to dress their children in regular diapers.

Although it seems strange, this invention, a slide parallel to the stairs, is very useful. The creator, Zhou Miaorong, thought of a way to get out of a building in emergency cases and as quickly as possible – which is complicated in the case of older people. That’s where the idea for the slide came from. It only takes 14 seconds to descend from the fifth floor of a building.

And you, do you appreciate Chinese habits? Adopt someone in your life? What is your opinion about this incredible and ancient country?