As the old Chinese saying goes: “Ask about the customs and taboos in any strange place you’re going to visit in order to avoid trouble.” This is sound advice. At present, more and more foreigners are coming to China, and having frequent dealings with Chinese people. In this context, in order to really understand Chinese culture, foreigners need to learn about Chinese customs and
habits first.
Folk customs originate and are inherited from civil society, and are passed on from generation to generation. China has a long history and vast territory and has a whole host of customs. The folk customs collected in this book are well known in most Chinese areas inhabited by the Han people, and contain four parts: festivals and holidays, etiquette and rituals, basic necessities of life, and folk worship and taboos.
Because of limitations of space, we cannot list all folk customs. But it is sufficient to offer a comprehensive understanding of Chinese folk customs. We sincerely hope readers can enjoy these colorful old Chinese folk stories. If you come to China to work or travel in the future, maybe you will pay more attention to Chinese customs, and show a better understanding of Chinese folk culture.
After reading this book, maybe you will get a comprehensive grasp of Chinese local lives more quickly, and be able to deal with Chinese people more easily.
