The topic of this work is "Psychological aspects, techniques and methods of professional communication with the Chinese."

China is Russia's great neighbor. A neighbor who in recent years has been taking an increasingly active part in the economic activities of our Far East. The center of the country is losing more and more economic ties with this region every year, and this process threatens to become irreversible. There are several reasons for this. This is the remoteness, just a joke - ten thousand kilometers from Moscow, this is also a small population - only some 7-8 million people live in the territories bordering China, just over 5% of the total population of the country. And next to it, on the other side of the border, is a power with a gigantic economic potential, with a clear development strategy. The leadership of this power announced the transition to an offensive foreign economic policy, and the main instrument of this policy is the export of capital and the creation of transnational corporations. Throughout the first half of the 21st century, the country's production will be export-oriented, which is considered in the PRC as one of the most important engines of the economy. China plans to increase its foreign trade turnover at a faster pace than GDP growth.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Russian Federation Liu Guchang said that in 2003 the trade turnover between our countries amounted to $ 15.760 million, compared to 2002, it increased by $ 4 billion. Sino-Russian relations entered a phase of accelerated development.

China is looking for access to new markets, since the state is experiencing an overproduction crisis, and Russia is a very profitable market for Chinese goods. The PRC intends to compensate for the lack of natural resources and the sales market at the expense of Russia. China views us as a consumer of the latest technological developments and as the most profitable economic transit zone for exporting its products to Western countries.

How to live in peace, how to conduct business without detriment to yourself, how to deal with such a powerful neighbor? The answer, as always, is on the surface - exactly the same as you would like to be treated with you. Respect and know. To know more about the neighbor, to know his habits, his history, his psychology. Respect its traditions, its history, its people. What is the main thing in business and simple human communication? People. It is with people that we have to deal with when establishing any contact, business or private. Their attitude towards us is shaped by the environment in which they grew up and were brought up. And this environment is significantly different from ours. No matter how much we would like to see European logic in the Chinese, we will never be able to do this. And this cannot be ignored.

With mother's milk, the Chinese man absorbs the main thing: there is only one civilized state in the world - China. The Chinese call their country - the Celestial Empire. The word "China" in their native language consists of two characters: "middle, center" and "state." The literal translation thus means "middle state", and, according to Chinese thinking, everything around the center, that is, China, is a barbarian state. This is the secret of the relationship between the Chinese and their partners. Everything that is important for the Chinese side is important. And if you can neglect the interests of your foreign partner, if this partner does not really insist on his own terms or has completely trusted (which also happens) the Chinese businessman, in the end he, this foreigner, will be the loser.

The aim of the work is to study the psychological aspects, techniques and methods of professional communication with the Chinese.

In order to achieve the goal, it is necessary, in my opinion, to solve the following tasks:

· Consider the rules of Chinese etiquette, Chinese ceremonies;

· Study the customs and traditions of Chinese businessmen;

· Learn the rules of professional communication with the Chinese.

1. Chinese ceremonies

1.1 Reception of guests

In ancient times, there were strictly defined ceremonies and rituals in China. Confucius (551–479 BC) attached great importance to them, emphasizing their organizing, rallying and educating role. All events in the life of the people were accompanied by the performance of the corresponding ceremonies, the rules of which extended to relations between family members and between people in general. The form and ceremonial of the Confucian civilization have acquired great strength and continue to influence the life of the Chinese people today. Strictly prescribing to him certain norms of behavior, speech, clothing, and so on. Although, as the country undergoes rapid changes and expands relationships with other peoples and cultures, the old in China is increasingly leveled out, there is an increasing unification of behavior, consistent with the norms of modern society. It is better to make a visit by prior arrangement. You can come to friends without a special invitation, which frees the owners from the hassle of organizing the table. In China, it is considered the best time to visit in the afternoon. In this case, you should not come to visit at mealtime or bedtime, unless you have been previously invited. The eating time in China is slightly earlier than in Russia. So, lunch starts at 11.30 - 12.30, dinner - at 17.30 - 18.30. After lunch, it is customary to rest until 14.00. It is considered incorrect to be on a visit after 21.00. According to Chinese customs, it is already late. Meeting guests, the owner greets them at the door. Handshaking is done according to the same rules as in Russia. The hosts are the first to give the hand. They shake the hand with both men and women. If you, on your own initiative, extend your hand to the owners, then it will be accepted with joy. First, it is customary to greet older family members. With close friends, you can shake hands with two hands or even hug the shoulders. Kissing is not accepted. The Chinese are distinguished by their hospitality. They prepare in advance and carefully to meet the guests. If a treat is expected, the hosts try to take into account the tastes and habits of the guests in advance. If the guest is in the house for the first time, then all family members are introduced to him. They try to make the guest feel comfortable. If it's hot, then they give him a fan or a towel to wipe his face, turn on the fan, offer refreshments. In cold weather, the guest is seated in the warmest room and given hot tea. In winter, the premises are poorly heated, and most often they are not heated at all, so it is customary not to undress. If the guest is older, then the host does not sit down first.

Young people should show their respect for their elders, listen to their judgments. The host, to emphasize his respect for the guest, hands him a cup of tea with both hands. The guest should get up, take the cup with both hands and thank. Guests can be treated to seeds, sweets, cigarettes. When fruit or food is served, do not rush to eat it first. You have to wait for other guests or elders to start eating. For a guest, the host can peel an apple or pear. The hosts make sure that the guests do not have empty plates, glasses and glasses. The wife of the owner of the house most often does not sit down at the table, but only looks after the guests. In the south, this custom is withering away, especially in cities, the wife can be at the table. Guests should not show signs of attention to the mistress of the house, say compliments. The host, as the head of the family, plays a leading role in receiving guests and communicating with them. It has deep historical roots. According to the Confucian tradition of the cult of ancestors, filial piety of xiao, family and clan, a woman has occupied an unequal and humiliated position for many centuries.

In modern China, the position of women has changed. The PRC Constitution states that women enjoy equal rights with men in all areas of political, economic, cultural, social and family life. At the same time, the "legacy of the past" in one form or another can be found, although women are increasingly being promoted to leadership positions. Of course, what has been said does not mean at all that it would be inappropriate to note the culinary art and the hospitality of the hostess. It will be pleasant for her and the owner. When parting with the guests, the owner seeks to see them as far as possible beyond the threshold of the house, showing his respect, invites them to visit again. The guests say: “Come back; or don't see off, goodbye! " Guests thank for the warm welcome and refreshments and say goodbye to the hand. Currently, the visit procedure is becoming more free of ceremony, especially when receiving foreign guests who do not know the intricacies of Chinese etiquette and often adhere to the rules adopted in their country. Gifts Going to visit, the Chinese make gifts. For example, fruits, preferably in a basket or net, sweets, cakes, cookies and cakes in boxes. Relatives and close friends can bring meat, fish, shrimp, cigarettes, a couple of bottles of vodka or wine, as well as clothes, especially for the Chunjie festival.

It is better for foreigners to give sweets, cookies, cakes (Nyan-gao - New Year's rice cookies are especially appreciated), good tea... It is not accepted to give live cut flowers. However, in southern cities, this tradition is gradually dying out. Artificial flowers are commercially available, but they are used as decorations at weddings and funerals, not as gifts. In China, it is customary to give paired items symbolizing unity, family harmony: two vases, two mugs, etc. You should not give watches, especially to the elderly, as their pronunciation of zhong is similar to the sound of the word "end, death". They do not give toys, children's things to a family where there are no children or are just awaiting their birth. Do not forget that if you give a gift that is too expensive, then you will put people in a difficult position, who, following the principle of reciprocity, will be forced to answer with no less, but even more expensive gift.

It is customary in China to give gifts before leaving. They even leave them secretly so that the owners do not see them. Less often they give them right away. You can not be indifferent to the gift. We need to look at it, express our gratitude and make a return gift. It is polite to warn the guest not to bring gifts next time.

1.2 Congratulations and wishes

On holidays and on the occasion of solemn events, it is customary to congratulate each other. However, this is done less frequently in China than in Russia. Public holidays are mainly about official greetings. So, International Women's Day on March 8 is officially celebrated in government and public organizations. In essence, it does not turn into a family holiday, when all men and children congratulate and give gifts, flowers to their close women: wives, mothers, sisters. May Day and the Day of the People's Republic of China (October 1) are officially celebrated. There is no such widespread custom as in Russia to exchange greeting cards. The exception is specially made New Year's cards. In the literature on the rules of correspondence, it is recommended to congratulate in case of marriage of friends and their children, in case of the birth of children with close friends, on the occasion of housewarming, opening of trade, birthday of grandfather and uncles on the father's side, parents, close friends. It is not customary in China to celebrate birthdays widely. True, in recent years, especially in urban families, birthdays have been celebrated only on the occasion of the anniversary. The birthday boy receives gifts. If this is an adult, especially an elderly person, then. in response to congratulations, he gives the children money. Wedding day is an important family holiday. As the well-being of the population grows, weddings are held more and more magnificently. The halls of the restaurant or the dining room are rented for their implementation. Gradually, the number of opponents of "sumptuous tables" is growing among young people. A characteristic feature of the holiday and congratulations is the use of firecrackers and firecrackers. The stronger and longer their explosions, the more significant the event and the more solemn the congratulations. (Paper firecrackers with a wick have been used by the Chinese since the 11th century as an obligatory accompaniment to New Year's ceremonies. Their deafening explosions drive away evil spirits and attract good deities). The largest number of congratulations falls on the period of the most beloved holiday in China, Chunjie (Spring Festival) - the new year according to the traditional lunar calendar.

It should be emphasized that Chunjie is strictly a family holiday, and every Chinese seeks to meet it with their relatives. Prepare for the Chunjie holiday in advance. They clean the premises, buy new clothes, food, firecrackers and rockets, prepare holiday decorations for the home. The absence of fresh flowers is replaced by paper colorful pictures with their images, which are an important element of New Year's symbols. Peonies symbolize wealth and nobility, daffodils - conjugal consent. On the festive evening, a Nian Yefan gala dinner is held. After a meal, you cannot go to bed in order not to miss your happiness. If someone does lie down on New Year's Eve to rest, then he should get up early. There is a popular belief: "If you get up early for the New Year, you will get rich too early." And in the morning they eat chiao chzy dumplings made by all members of the family. This custom is widespread especially in the north of China. The Chinese associate wishes for happy offspring and material well-being with dumplings. In the south, New Year's dishes include soup with huntun dumplings and long noodles, symbolizing long life. The New Year is followed by three holidays; chui, chuzr and chusan. On the morning of the first day, they give each other gifts. In the old days, people were presented with silver, gold or copper coins wrapped in red paper. Children must be given new clothes. Adults wear new clothes. Women decorate their hair with artificial or natural flowers. On New Year's holidays, friends and family visit each other, give gifts, exchange congratulations. As gifts, there can be New Year's pictures of nianhua, which decorate the inner chambers of the house. New Year's splint is a genre of Chinese folk art. Currently, it is widely published by typographic method. The symbolism of nianhua expresses the wishes of complete happiness to Ufa - five traditional types of happiness: longevity, wealth, tranquility, virtue and death in old age (according to other interpretations - longevity, happiness, fertility, a successful career and wealth). The positive meaning of nianhua is expressed using a set of commonly understood symbols. So, the image of a cheerful boy means the wish of male offspring and family unity, bright drawings of flowers speak of the unfading freshness of life. Often, happy symbolism is created according to the principle of phonetic similarity of words: this is how a fish corresponds to wealth, since these words have the same sounding yu in Chinese. Many pictures represent whole compositions - rebuses; from symbols created according to the principle of homonymous similarity. For example, the image of a boy standing on lotus leaves with a fish in his hands means to bring prosperity every year. Traditional in nianhua are images of an Immortal celestial person who sends profit, and a boy who attracts wealth. Drawings of a peach, pine or stork, abundant offspring - the fruit of a pomegranate, wealth - a peony act as symbols of longevity. Popular symbols of happiness are New Year's splints "cutting" harmful - reptiles, which are considered a scorpion, centipede, snake, lizard, spider and sometimes a toad (in the north). Traditionally, congratulations are also expressed with the help of duilian - paired inscriptions. Their New Year's version is called chunlian - spring paired inscriptions. On strips of red paper, inscriptions are made in golden hieroglyphs with wishes of happiness and good luck in the coming year. They are hung at the entrance to the house and in the rooms. In addition, there is still a tradition of hanging at the entrance to the house a talisman in the form of an image of the hieroglyph fu - happiness. Often the picture is hung upside down, thereby emphasizing its meaning. When guests come with congratulations, they will make the remark: "Happiness has come," which will sound like Fu Dove - happiness comes. Duilian paired inscriptions have a long tradition and combine the arts of literature and calligraphy. They are carried out according to complex rules, and in order to make them accessible to the population, an approximate set of samples is given in the special literature. So, there is a duilyan for birthday greetings on anniversaries from 30 to 100 years (separately for men and women), newlyweds, new settlers, graduates of educational institutions, people starting a business. In colloquial speech, the set of wishes is limited to standard phrases such as: I wish you success, successful work, health, joy. When addressing elders, they usually express calmness and well-being. They wish the younger ones a good study, happiness, joy and health.

1.3 Expression of feelings

In dealing with the Chinese, one should always take into account such a feature as restraint in the expression of feelings. Speaking about the character of foreigners, the Chinese call him wai xiang, that is, open. And they call their character neb xiang - secretive, restrained in the manifestation of feelings, nei xiang has a synonym for han xu - meaningful, with a hint, closed. This situation developed many centuries ago, when, under the influence of the Confucian system of values, everything that was associated with the sphere of feelings, with an emotional beginning, personal experiences, inclinations and interests, was pushed into the background before the category of duty. It was she who, for centuries, largely determined the national character and rules of behavior of the Chinese. A well-mannered person was considered only one who combined humanity and a sense of duty. Duty to society demanded obedience to accepted norms and not go beyond the usual. Duty to the family forced a person to curb his passions and desires. Therefore, in relationships (both in society and in the family), the Chinese had to follow the accepted stereotype of behavior, control their feelings, restrain their emotions and submit them to the established norm. Of course, the rapidly changing life in modern China is increasingly throwing away feudal traditions. Nevertheless, the Chinese themselves, speaking of the restraint of their character, compare it with a thermos, which is hot inside and cold outside. This circumstance should be taken into account when communicating with the Chinese so that your words or actions do not put you and your interlocutors in an awkward position. So, for example, in China it is considered tactless to compliment a woman, especially an unfamiliar one, associated with her appearance, facial features, figure.

2. Customs and traditions of Chinese businessmen

2.1 Tradition in business negotiations

The Chinese have great respect for themselves and their compatriots. In any case, when deciding who to give preference to, everything will be decided in favor of the Chinese. They do not curry favor with a foreigner, before strangers. The main thing for them is not to deviate from their traditions and habits.

“Two cases come to mind in this connection. Major shopping center in Harbin city. They were selling some kind of hot commodity. A queue formed at the counter. In it the Chinese and our Russian "shuttle traders" were interspersed. Until the seller served the last Chinese, he did not even pay attention to our buyers. And in the early 90s, an international fair was held in the Chinese city of Fuyuan, to which businessmen and representatives of the administration of the neighboring Russian region were invited. There was one woman in this delegation of ours. In the evening, the mayor of the city organized a banquet to mark the opening of the fair. Traditionally, the Russian official delegation sat at the same table with representatives of the local authorities and the ruling party. Imagine our amazement when the Chinese translator, translating the words of the banquet manager, asked the woman to sit at another table.

They have it so, such are the traditions. And they are not interested in the traditions and feelings of the guests. This was the case in the early 90s, but even now little has changed. Our etiquette, including business etiquette, prescribes the manifestation of respect and attention to all participants in a business meeting, and especially to women, regardless of their place in business or politics. The Chinese have only equals at the negotiating table.

It is impossible even to imagine that a representative of a Chinese company, even the smallest one, would offer to sit down for a translator, let alone a translator, let alone make way for her. And it's not just about business negotiations.

“Once a Chinese man, a potential Russian entrepreneur, who was going to register his enterprise on the territory of Russia and in the future act as a participant in foreign economic activity, turned to me for advice (fortunately, our laws allow this, unlike the Chinese ones). I consult in my office. He came to the consultation accompanied by an interpreter and some other person, on whom nothing depends at the moment. Both freely, in a businesslike manner, settled down on chairs, absolutely without complexes, remembering that they are representatives of the "middle state", they are talking with me through an interpreter, because they themselves do not understand a word in Russian. "

“It should be borne in mind that our legislation is for them the same as a Chinese letter for us. How successfully this future entrepreneur will start his business in Russia now depends on his translator, on how accurately she will be able to combine illiterate questions in Chinese (and I must say that not necessarily rich and literate Chinese go to us, but mostly those who seek to make capital in Russia) with competent answers in Russian and convey these answers to their employer. But this particular person is not supposed to sit down, despite my invitation. This is their custom, and it operates everywhere, not only on the territory of their native state. "

When conducting any business negotiations with a Chinese businessman, of any level, one should remember that the Chinese are not used to making hasty decisions. They prefer the path of lengthy discussions and agreements, but when a decision is made, it is quickly and consistently implemented. If you want to be successful, you have to reckon with Chinese traditions. So, for example, the Chinese have a certain time for eating, and this tradition should never be violated by them. In China, it is possible to conduct conversations only until a strictly defined time - in the afternoon, a maximum of 12–00, and in the afternoon - until 5 pm, at the latest until 5–30. After that, the time comes for the Chinese, close to dinner, at six or six thirty they should be at home with their family. If you try to break this tradition by virtue of our habit of working all the way, then most likely you will fail. Chinese food is of rare variety. At official receptions in honor of guests, there are usually no less than twelve dishes. Many of them, in the opinion of a European, are exotic - traditional types of dishes may have purely Chinese characteristics. In order not to offend the owners, you should not give up these dishes; in extreme cases, you can refer to diseases that prevent you from using this or that dish.

Traditionally, the Chinese eat with chopsticks - at work, at home, and even abroad. If you are offered to try eating with chopsticks, in no case refuse: firstly, it is not so difficult to learn how to use them, and secondly, even if your attempts are unsuccessful, your very desire will be evidence of respect for the traditions of the owners.

If the reception of guests or business negotiations are held in the office or at work, then they usually begin with a tea treat. When negotiating or communicating with the Chinese, various forms of address can be used. You can call them either according to their position, or simply "Mr. so-and-so", "comrade so-and-so." Recently, it has become a tradition in China to exchange business cards. At the same time, the presentation of the card is accompanied by a special ritual; it is not just handed over, but solemnly presented, holding with both hands. When communicating with the Chinese, you must always maintain a certain distance, show respect for the interlocutor, since they are usually restrained, stingy in expressing their feelings. Always, under any circumstances, one must remember: it is impossible to impose anything on the Chinese. China and its people need to be understood and studied. Just like they study us. It is not for nothing that in recent years, the study of the Russian language and Russian traditions has been very popular in the PRC.

2.2 Customs of Chinese businessmen working in Russia

In recent years, Chinese citizens have been opening their firms in Russia with increasing intensity. Being Russian enterprises in terms of their status, in essence they are Chinese, with their inherent charters, traditions, and procedures. Inside, Chinese laws are in effect. Such "Russian" enterprises are created with one goal: to purchase goods on our territory, as a rule, timber, raw materials, with maximum profit, and export it to yourself, but to the territory of China, where it will be sold at a higher price.

Usually the same Chinese work in such "Russian" companies. Strong family, clan and clan relations to some extent determine the preservation and effectiveness of social institutions, such as the family, community, professional associations. The Chinese working in Russia maintain strong ties with their homeland, both personal and cultural, as well as economic and political. They solve the issue of recruiting a developing business by inviting relatives from China, and the accumulated capital, as a rule, is invested in the Chinese economy.

Modern Chinese living outside the PRC in their behavior are very different from those who remained in their homeland, but they do not become like Western people with their hypertrophied consumption and an appropriate attitude towards things and money. If such a company employs citizens of Russia, then the requirements for them are the same as for the Chinese working there. In everything, the regime of the strictest economy. Each ruble of a salary of a qualified Russian specialist - without which, in fact, they cannot step on the territory of Russia, be it relations with the authorities or the simple execution of bank documents - is discussed for several hours and agreed with the owner in the Celestial Empire. And if a contract is agreed with Russian partners, negotiations can last for two days for the sake of reducing the price by 2 cents. The same prudence, if not even more strict, is observed in the attitude towards their Chinese workers. Newly minted "Russian" businessmen often do not even bother to open an office. As a rule, they have it in the same place where they live, sleep, eat. Moreover, both leaders and workers live together in Spartan conditions. Hired Russian specialists also come to work here. Here, as a rule, negotiations are conducted with Russian partners. If the partner is serious, and a lot depends on him, the place of negotiations is determined by some Chinese restaurant, of which there are a great many.

3. Rules for professional communication with the Chinese

3.1 Rules of professional communication when visiting Chinese

The Chinese like to designate a place for negotiations in their office or in the meeting rooms of various public places (hotels, restaurants, business centers). If the priority of the choice and designation of the place of negotiations belongs to the Chinese, it would be appropriate to ask the opposing side where exactly they are making the appointment, what kind of place it is, and what the full program of the negotiations will be. Typically, Chinese companies have a tradition of combining negotiations with a follow-up meal. It is not always convenient to refuse it, but when it comes as a complete surprise to you, it will not be easy for you to refuse and, most importantly, to be understood by the Chinese. Eating food in China is part of the negotiation process; refusing to eat food is sometimes perceived as an insult or an insult (especially if lunch or dinner has already been ordered in advance). However, it should be noted that the lack of advance notification of the planned joint meal by the Chinese is also a gross violation of etiquette, including Chinese. Almost always, such events are discussed with foreign guests in advance.

If there is no clear delineation of responsibilities for choosing a place for negotiations between the parties, and you do not feel constrained in choosing such a place, you better choose something that is most suitable for you in terms of style and habits of a white person. Usually, if the place of negotiations is nominated by the Russian side, this commands respect from the Chinese partner. Especially if this place is chosen in a purely Western business style (special meeting rooms at hotels, specialized business centers for foreigners, Russian institutions abroad). The further course of negotiations and the attitude of the Chinese side largely depends on the meeting place upon first acquaintance, if the Chinese understand that you paid a lot of money for renting an apartment, or when the meeting takes place on the territory of diplomatic institutions. This obliges the Chinese to be serious, gives you additional trump cards in terms of psychological impact on your partner, and contributes to the negotiation process in the direction you need.

3.2 Rules for professional communication with Chinese invited to visit

When planning a meeting with the Chinese on its territory, in no case should you accept the invitations of the Chinese partner (if the initiative comes from him) without stipulating in advance the place of negotiations. It is likely that the Chinese are simply inviting you to their hotel room for "couch talks." Agreements reached during such "get-togethers" usually end in nothing. The Chinese who came to Russia are determined to find out the level of the partner's solvency, assess the degree of his interest in the deal and will do this on the basis of the practical steps he is taking in relation to them. Appointment of a "worthy" place of negotiations is half the success.

If a Russian business man does not have a well-equipped meeting room in his office, it is better to negotiate on neutral territory when you first meet. The transfer of subsequent negotiations to his office will pleasantly surprise the Chinese and give him an extra plus. Do not be afraid to be caught throwing dust in your eyes. Probably the biggest poseurs in the world, the Chinese rarely notice this vice in Europeans, unless, of course, they go too far. When demonstrating his financial position and wealth, it is important to observe a certain middle ground, in no way showing that the surprise and admiration of the Chinese (who may be thousands of times richer than a Russian entrepreneur) flatters his pride and that this is exactly the effect he was trying to achieve with all this demonstration. ... Modesty has the greatest effect, especially when it is natural.

3.3 Clothing

You don't have to try to stand out. But one should also not be afraid to appear rich as well - wealth and expensive things are very prestigious in China. You should adhere to the business style as much as possible, avoiding excesses in clothes and especially in jewelry. Business women and wives should avoid overly revealing necklines and defiantly short skirts above the knee. Extravagance in the dress of a business person can provoke an inadequate reaction from the Chinese negotiating partner, especially at the first meetings of the negotiating parties.

3.4 Finding a partner

The Chinese are extremely distrustful of doing business, especially when it involves commercial risk. Finding a worthy partner in China is extremely difficult despite the large population and high density of various commercial structures in the cities. Any proposal coming from a European is perceived by the Chinese in advance as a "surprise with a trick". Every now and then one can face in China with outright hostility towards an unfamiliar European. Hence, an important conclusion for the conditions of China arises: any process of finding a partner should begin with the choice of a mediator - a conductor of your thoughts.

As a rule, in China there is a wide range of such intermediaries: from gloomy personalities at airports and railway stations to clingy "translators" at exhibitions and in hotels. If a businessman has not taken care in advance to find a trustworthy intermediary through a consulting firm, travel agency, personal acquaintances, then in any case he should avoid contact with the aforementioned persons.

The search for a Chinese partner is necessary and can be started at home. For this, first of all, one should very carefully study all the available regional literature on China. In the future, knowledge of realities will greatly facilitate communication with the Chinese. It should be noted that China, much like the former Soviet Union, is a very multinational country. Moreover, even the main nation of the country - the Chinese (“Han” - from the ancient name of the Chinese principality of Han - as they call themselves) differ so much outwardly, in language and cultural traditions that they can essentially be considered different nationalities. The only thing that connects all these peoples in this case is the hieroglyphic writing. Undersized southerners - lovers of fruits and vegetables, who consider plus 20 degrees Celsius almost freezing - will not understand without a translator a "meat-eater" - a northerner who dispenses with a headdress even at minus 35. But if they write down their words in hieroglyphs, they are a wonderful friend get along with a friend.

If a businessman wants to find a brisk and dodgy partner who will understand him at a glance, is ready to go to small violations of the law in order to avoid excessive costs for certification of goods, customs costs, then he had better look for him in the northern provinces of the PRC: Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin. However, at the same time, he should be prepared for the fact that his temperamental friend can easily ignore his agreements with him.

The recently famous South China will give the domestic businessman a more civilized and more law-abiding partner. However, this does not mean that southerners will be more accommodating or malleable in business matters. Rather, on the contrary: experience, erudition, commercial literacy, awareness, perfection of financial instruments give southerners serious trump cards in negotiations with him.

The division of the Chinese into north and south is rather arbitrary. The south of China is certainly more developed economically and is famous for its consumer goods. North - Manchuria - is the base of heavy industry, a buffer zone for trade with Russia, replete not only with profit-hungry intermediaries, but also with serious partners. At the same time, many northerners work in the South, and in the North there are many people from the southern provinces. So everything is ultimately determined by the ultimate goal of a businessman. There are, of course, a number of stereotypes that have formed even in China. For example, Shanghai people (not necessarily indigenous - just residents of Shanghai!) Are considered the smartest, cunning and luckiest. And the inhabitants (here they are more likely natives) of Henan province are considered slow-witted, idiots, simpletons.

You can directly search for a partner in several ways:

· Through acquaintances - one of the most effective and less costly methods. It is worth noting, however, that there is a very high probability of fraud on the part of professional swindlers specially brought to the domestic businessman, of whom there are no less in China than in Russia. This method should be approached with great care.

· Through specialized offices - a rather costly, but, nevertheless, effective way. In this case, a Russian entrepreneur can become a client of specialized intermediary companies, translation bureaus, trading houses, consulting firms, etc.

3.5 Business communication tactics

The Chinese are famous for their patience, endurance, punctuality and ceremoniality. However, the famous Chinese trick is a common noun and subjective category. In most cases, this is just a white man's attempt to justify his lack of self-control and his inability to understand Chinese psychology. Despite the fact that by no means all Chinese have the above qualities of character, many of the inherent or attributed to them virtues should in no way be ignored. If a Russian entrepreneur is not familiar with the word "endurance", one should think about whether it is necessary to contact the Chinese at all.

You also cannot start your own business with the Chinese, being sure in advance of the "correctness" or exclusivity of your own style of doing business. Polite Chinese people will be happy to know what you and your style are, but they will never come to think that your style is better than theirs.

Approaching with you to the entrance to the premises, the Chinese will certainly offer you to go first. In response, you should offer to do the same to him, and only after he refuses - you can go forward.

Like this custom, the entire process of negotiating with the Chinese is a continuous series of retreats, attacks, distractions and flanking maneuvers, deceiving moves, demarches, bluffs, and even threats.

The most common Chinese negotiating techniques:

· Strict control over the schedule and place of negotiations. If the Chinese feel that the Russian side has spent a lot of money and time to come to China, and does not want to leave empty-handed, the Chinese may behave at the negotiating table deliberately indifferent to their success or failure, overcharge prices or put forward tough conditions. ... Sometimes the Chinese negotiate only "for practice." In other cases, in particular on Russian territory, the Chinese conduct "empty negotiations" in order to bring down the prices of goods purchased in Russia ("cheating tactics", when numerous groups of Chinese conduct exhausting negotiations, which allegedly end in nothing because of "high Russian prices ");

· Hints or direct threats to do business somewhere or with someone else besides you if their requirements are not met. Usually, such a technique has a very effective effect on the Chinese side, as well as all the other "Chinese cunning" techniques directed against their inventors;

· Demonstration of anger. Although, according to Confucian etiquette, the manifestation of anger, irritation, as well as joy is not encouraged, the Chinese can afford to portray controlled anger in order to test the nerves and composure of the opposing side. It is understood that foreigners will be afraid of losing the contract and will make concessions.

· Quality control. If the Chinese feel that the businessman has figured everything out to the smallest detail and that he is 100 percent confident in the success of the contract, they can deliberately make a demarche in order to disorient him and make him doubt his own righteousness (the ultimate goal is additional concessions on his part).

· Flattery. Sometimes the Chinese resort to coarse and blatant flattery - praising both the personal qualities of a businessman and business talents. You should not be led by your own "ego" to the detriment of your own business.

· Knowing the date of departure of a businessman can become another trump card in the hands of the Chinese. The adoption of the final decision will be postponed under various pretexts until the last, until the businessman's patience comes to an end. According to the Chinese, his fear that he will leave without signing the contract will force him to yield. The antidote is to reserve multiple departure dates and be prepared to stay longer than planned if you feel there is a realistic chance of success. Active protection: deliberately tell the Chinese the departure date a day later, and if they delay the resolution of any issues, inform them the day before the actual departure date that you are leaving tomorrow, and not the day after tomorrow (as previously planned).

· "Tactics of attrition." Dragging out negotiations in order to cause impatience and irritation in the foreign partner. Especially Russians want to quickly finish with official matters and do personal ones. The Chinese will skillfully lead a businessman along the path of combining exhausting negotiations during the day and unlimited entertainment in the evening and at night.

· Using the actions and words of a businessman against himself. During the negotiations, the Chinese will carefully outline his words and will not miss the opportunity to catch him in a contradiction or catch him in a lie. You should try to be careful about giving specific numbers even in conversations with your comrades.

· Artificial overpricing. The Chinese may be ready in advance to make concessions up to the level of the prices requested from the very beginning, but first they will understate (buying goods by the Chinese) or overestimate (selling goods by the Chinese) prices to an absurdly unacceptable level.

3.6 Techniques and methods to help you when negotiating with the Chinese

· Be fully prepared for negotiations. When you sit down at the negotiating table, you must know all aspects of doing business, including the technical details of the transaction. Be prepared for the fact that you will have to give long and detailed explanations about the mechanism of work on your part. Be careful not to provide important commercial or technical information until the full contract is signed.

· Collide interests. If the negotiations go hard, it will not be shameful to remind the opposing side that they are not the only candidates for the role of partners. Competition among Chinese manufacturers is very strong, and there is always an alternative manufacturer or supplier for any product in China. If the price is a problem, you can always try to find a cheaper product. If quality is a problem, Japanese or Taiwanese manufacturers may offer better quality products.

· Be prepared to accept the cost of travel and return home with nothing. Make it clear to the Chinese that no result for you is a perfectly acceptable alternative to a bad deal.

· Work through all the details of the contract before signing. Check all the points with the Chinese side. Make sure the Chinese interpret all points the same way you do.

· Be attentive to all remarks and remarks. Look again at everything the Chinese side has said and ask for any ambiguities to be clarified.

· Haggle like the Chinese do. Be prepared to compromise, but don't give up any position without a fight.

· Remain calm and calm during negotiations. Even if you walked around at night like good buddies, try to block personal moments during negotiations. Show the Chinese people that good business comes first.

· Be patient. The Chinese believe that Europeans are always in a hurry. They will try to force you to sign a contract before you study all the nuances of the deal and stipulate all the details.

· Approach negotiations and all business with the Chinese in terms of a long-term strategy. Some indulgences to the Chinese in some specific moments can result in significant benefits in the long term.

· Jokes. If you want to tell a joke or just make a joke, try it first on your Chinese translator or on a Chinese friend you know. The humor of situations is not perceived by the Chinese. If you really want to cheer up the Chinese, learn a few Chinese proverbs: Your pronunciation will cheer up the Chinese by itself. Your efforts in mastering the language will also cause admiration. If you are not sure about the meaning of certain Chinese words, it is better not to use them. For example, you can jokingly compare someone to a monkey, but comparing a Chinese person to a dog is an insult.

3.7 Security measures

If a businessman is a seller or buyer of military or dual-use goods, then he will surely face attention from the Chinese special services. The Chinese will try to get as much information as possible, firstly, about his plans, secondly, about his powers, and thirdly, about his personal data. The goal pursued in this case is to get the maximum possible benefit from the transaction.

The Chinese special services are extremely reluctant to use technical means, although in many cases it cannot be absolutely guaranteed against this. It should be borne in mind that staying in a hotel that is jointly (Sino-American, Sino-Japanese) property, and even more so 100 percent owned by a foreign company, gives much more chances that the Chinese will not dare even in the event of extreme the need to use eavesdropping devices. This does not guarantee, however, that the junior staff of the hotel (almost always Chinese) will not show an increased interest in the contents of business papers or in the files of the laptop of a Russian entrepreneur. The risk increases sharply if he stays in departmental "reception houses", state dachas, sanatoriums, or in a 100% Chinese hotel. The chances of being settled in a "plus" number are very, very high.

The use of various countermeasures devices, such as scanners, etc., is highly undesirable: the Chinese can turn such actions against the one who uses them in 99.9% of cases, even if he finds a dozen "bugs" in his room. In general, it is believed that commercial intelligence techniques are used only at the highest level or in any misinformation or recruitment operation. The level of technical equipment of the Chinese in this area has recently become quite high. However, even the most sophisticated method can be opposed by elementary techniques: “do not speak”, “do not do”, always keep the TV or radio on, carefully destroy all records on papers, do not leave documents and the computer unattended. In the latter case, if situations nevertheless arise when it is necessary to leave the computer in the room, it is recommended either to dump all critical information on a floppy disk and take it with you, or to use programs such as PGP-disk to create virtual cryptomodules (cipher programs open to civil use).

Another feature of Chinese psychology is “to do everything to the end”. In practice, a businessman may face this when, after signing a contract, or even after transferring money, he allows himself to relax somewhere outside the reach (as it seems to him) of his partners: at a border station, in a train compartment, in a car on the way to the airport. ... There were times when critical information was removed from people on the plane's ladder.

China is considered to be the country with one of the lowest crime rates against foreigners. However, one should not delude ourselves on this score: even in the coolest hotel a businessman can get an expensive camera right out from under his nose, not to mention pickpocketing. But this is something that is, probably, in any country and that depends more on his personal care and attentiveness.

Most of all, in China and in dealing with Chinese people, one should be afraid of "careless treatment of people." Excessive trust, excessive familiarity, excessive arrogance or excessive rudeness can cause very, very sad consequences.

The basic rule of doing business with the Chinese is not to make enemies for yourself! The Chinese are vindictive and vindictive. Moreover, they are also so impulsive in their actions that it is as easy as shelling pears to become a victim of Chinese incontinence in China.

The basic rule for avoiding "extreme measures" in relation to themselves by the Chinese is not to make the Chinese feel "lost face." The concept of “losing face” is multifaceted, and foreigners like to talk about it a lot - almost like about Japanese “hara-kiri”. But in practice, you need to remember only one thing: humiliating, insulting, deceiving a Chinese (willingly or unwillingly, with a subsequent feeling of remorse or without it), try to make as few Chinese as possible know about this, except himself. “Loss of face” is a social phenomenon! And deception (cunning) or insult for the Chinese is not something terrible in itself. On the contrary: deception is an indicator of intelligence, and insult is an indicator of inner strength! But if he knows about it or, God forbid, a few more Chinese have seen it, and even more so close and respected by this Chinese, this is already a “loss of face”, a loss of authority in the eyes of those around him.

It is not far from here to a public or behind-the-scenes announcement of your vendetta. And the Chinese will not have anything to do with the technique of performing such a vendetta! It can be a five-year-old forgotten IOU, pulled out into the light of day, and photographs or videos of stormy celebrations taken during the "friendship", and even a "executioner" hired for a couple of tens of thousands of yuan from a distant city - as the last argument. The Chinese are extremely indiscriminate in the means and methods of resolving commercial disputes. Especially when it comes to large amounts.

Conclusion

Let's summarize the conclusions about the work done. When dealing with Chinese, the most important thing is to avoid situations in which you could embarrass the Chinese in the presence of their fellow countrymen. Critical remarks are expressed only in private. It is also allowed to use the services of a third party, especially if the comments are addressed to a person with a high social status. In this case, the intermediary must be chosen very carefully. He should be a person, firstly, disinterested and, secondly, respected by the Chinese side. If you wish to provide critical comments in writing, it is best to mark “confidential” on your message so that the letter does not fall into the hands of the secretary. Do not under any circumstances undermine the credibility of the Chinese leader in the eyes of his subordinates!

Respond to business letters, requests, offers, and invitations as quickly as possible. By the way, one of the main complaints of Chinese businessmen towards their European and American partners is the slow consideration of issues. Even if you are not ready to give an immediate response to a request, immediately report that you have accepted it for consideration. The famous American businessman Arthur Ridley, who specialized in large international contracts, admitted that, working with the Chinese, he additionally hired at least two managers: a specialist in Chinese business etiquette and an "accelerator" of business correspondence.

By hook or by crook, the Chinese strive for the partner to be the first to open his cards, that is, to express his own point of view, make an offer, name the price, etc. The Chinese themselves usually speak only towards the end of the negotiations, when they fully appreciate the real positions of the opposite side. In business communication with the Chinese, it often seems that the negotiations have reached an impasse, but it is at this moment that they make more realistic proposals, agree to some concessions and offer compromise solutions. It is difficult to talk to the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom, but if an agreement is reached, you can be sure that they will not deviate from their obligations one iota.

Do not under any circumstances miss official and protocol events. It is customary to bring gifts to banquets and receptions, a bottle of wine, for example, or a fruit basket will always be appropriate. If you are invited to a Chinese home, come a little earlier. It is supposed to leave soon after the end of the dinner. All dishes should be tried during dinner. A gift or an additional portion of food must first be politely declined, while the giver or the giver, in accordance with the same ritual, must show some persistence. The gift is accepted with both hands.

According to European custom, gifts are unpacked immediately, which is completely contrary to Chinese etiquette, which assumes that gifts are considered after the giver leaves. If you have just met a Chinese, you should call him by his last name. Traditional business attire is a conservative dark blue or gray suit, a strict, soft tie, white shirt, black boots. Representatives of Eastern nations do not allow themselves to take off their jacket or loosen their tie during business negotiations. According to Chinese etiquette, the glass is held in the right hand, but at the same time it is supported by the left. The guest of honor is the first to taste the dish and is the first to leave the table. According to the same Arthur Ridley, "it is almost impossible to reach negotiations with the Chinese, it is absolutely unbearable to work with them at the negotiation stage, but after signing the contract, their business scrupulousness, clarity and honesty make the Chinese one of the best business partners in the world."

1. Alimov I.A., Ermakov M.E., Martynov A.S. The Middle State: An Introduction to Traditional Chinese Culture. Moscow, publishing house "Muravei", 2004 - 287 pages;

2. Bazhenova E.S., Ostrovsky A.V. Population of China. Moscow, publishing house "Mysl", 1991 - 237 pages;

3. Ganshin G.A. Economic reform in China: evolution and real fruits. Moscow, publishing house "Vostochnaya Literatura", 2005 - 207 pages;

4. Kravtsova M.E. The history of the culture of China. Textbook for universities. St. Petersburg, publishing house "Lan", 2004 - 415 pages;

5. Kulikov V.S. The Chinese about themselves. Moscow, publishing house "Politizdat", 1989, - 256 pages;

6. Larin V.L. China and the Russian Far East in the first half of the 90s: problems of regional interaction. Vladivostok, Dalnauka publishing house, 1998 - 283 pages;

7. Ma Guiu. Looking for a partner: Introducing Chinese enterprises (reference book) Moscow, RAS publishing house, 1994 - 97 pages;

9. Potapov M.A. Foreign economic policy of China: problems and contradictions. Moscow, publishing house "Bukva", 2005 - 318 pages;

10. Titarenko M.L. People's Republic of China. Politics, economics, culture. Moscow, publishing house "Vostochnaya Literatura", 1996 - 434 pages;

11. Titarenko M.L. China: Civilization and Reforms. Moscow, publishing house "Respublika", 2003 - 256 pages.

Titarenko M.L. People's Republic of China. Politics, economics, culture. Moscow, publishing house "Vostochnaya literatura", 1996. - p. 252

Titarenko M.L. People's Republic of China. Politics, economics, culture. Moscow, publishing house "Vostochnaya literatura", 1996. - p154

Kazan orphan is a very interesting expression. An orphan is understandable, but why Kazan? Are there any special orphans in Kazan?

Word an orphan means a person, a child without one or both parents. Such children, deprived of parental care and support, as a rule, eked out a poor existence. Therefore, the word orphan in Russian also has the connotation "poor, indigent, left without means of subsistence."

But why Kazan orphan, and not Moscow or Tver? This expression has a very accurate historical origin.

The Kazan Khanate, as a state entity, arose as a result of the collapse of the Golden Horde. The location for the Tatar capital was very successful - the middle course of the Volga is just above the confluence of the Kama, which allowed the Kazan people to control the most important trade routes and huge rich regions. It is not surprising that the Kazan Khanate quickly went up the hill and posed a real threat to the economic and political interests of the Moscow principality. The confrontation between Moscow and Kazan lasted 135 years, and, as a rule, the advantage was on the side of the Kazan people. And if the Tatars did not set the goal of destroying Moscow, but only wanted to control it and receive tribute, then Moscow was determined to destroy the Kazan Khanate, which blocked its trade transport arteries and the possibility of expansion to the east.

After three unsuccessful campaigns against Kazan, caused mainly by the mess and poor control of the Russian army, Tsar Ivan the 4th and his military leaders, in the end, developed a plan, the main principle of which was strict adherence to all elements of the preparation of this plan. The Russians gradually cut off Kazan from sources of supply, besieged it at distant approaches, and blocked all routes of aid. And the most interesting thing is that they succeeded. Even the troops of the Crimean Khan, who suddenly arrived in time to help Kazan, were utterly defeated by the Russians on the distant approaches. From a military point of view, the capture of Kazan is an impeccably designed and executed military operation. Moscow also succeeded in the political arena, it supported pro-Moscow-minded Murzas in Kazan, bribed and supported them, so the Moscow government was fully aware of Kazan's affairs. In a word, with approximately equal forces, the organization of the entire event, rare for the Russians, gave its result - Kazan was taken, and the Kazan Khanate was destroyed.

And interesting fact- on the eve of the storming of the city, the walls of Kazan were blown up and nothing prevented the Russians from immediately starting an invasion of the fortress. But according to the plan, the assault was scheduled for the next day, and Tsar Ivan, continuing to insist on the planned actions, ordered the army to rest and the next morning with fresh forces Russian forces rushed into the city and systematically destroyed everything and everyone.

But some of the Kazan influential people loyal to Moscow did not touch, but on the contrary, they gifted them in every possible way, took them into the tsarist service, received estates, in a word, were treated kindly (which, by the way, the Moscow authorities did before that, spending large sums on the maintenance of their Kazan “ friends "). But, despite the generous rewards, the remnants of the Kazan elite continually complained to the tsar about their plight and begged for more and more favors. It was these people who received the ironic nickname "Kazan orphans" in the circles of the Moscow nobility. So Kazan orphan they talk about those people who, in fact, are not in dire need, but who speculate on their alleged plight.

Other interesting expressions from Russian speech:

Incense is the general name for incense that smoked not only in front of altars

An interesting expression - scapegoat... The phrase is unsaid, but everything is fine.

An interesting expression is to buy a pig in a poke. It can be classified as intuitive

The Nightingale is the most pleasant songbird living in the vastness of Russia. Why of all

Kuzkina's mother(or show Kuzkin's mother) - a stable phrase of indirect

Expression mutual guarantee is an expression of direct meaning, that is, it means that

Since ancient times, many peoples have believed that a crocodile cries when

Toughie- this expression is usually associated with the capture of the Swedish by Peter the Great

the expression as a red thread has nothing to do with ideology. And it has to do

Leavened patriotism is a short, well-aimed ironic definition for

The great Wall of China- the largest architectural and construction work

Expression Caesar-Caesar biblical origin, like many others

Do not be confused by this idiotic wording, composed especially for

Chinese ceremonies- we often use this phraseological unit in conversation. How

By expression pouring bells it is completely impossible to guess what other meaning

Verst- Russian measure of length that existed in Russia before the introduction of the metric

Colossus with feet of clay is a kind of characteristic or assessment of something

About the origin of the expression columbian egg different sources report about

If this expression let the red cock go read by a foreigner studying

Expression bones cannot be collected for our Russian ear is quite familiar. His

Since ancient times, even before the advent of geometry, people tied measures of length to parts of their

It seemed like a well-known expression, you can't drive up on a crooked goat... It means that

It turns out that the emergence of this phraseological unit is directly related to religion, more precisely to

Hit like chicken in cabbage soup they say when they unexpectedly find themselves in an extremely unpleasant

Like a goat's milk(to receive) - they talk about a person from whom there is no benefit,

King for a day talk about leaders or bosses who are in power

Gimp a word of foreign origin, it means a thin metal

Expression sink into oblivion familiar and understandable to everyone. It means - to disappear from memory,

The name of the city-state of Carthage is known to us from history textbooks

To drag chestnuts out of the fire- this expression will acquire complete clarity if you add to

This expression - squaring the circle, you probably met somewhere. And that's what it is

As I looked into the water- an expression that is understandable by meaning, but not immediately understandable by

The expression in the whole Ivanovo, more precisely, yelling in the entire Ivanovo, is very well known

Expression, or verbal circulation and there are spots on the sun, emphasizes that in the world

Expression and a hole in the old woman speaks for itself. According to the dictionary

And you Brute! - an expression familiar to almost every educated person, even

Ivan, who does not remember kinship, is a purely Russian expression rooted in our

The word candles in Russian has several meanings: first of all, these are candles for

The expression to make an elephant out of a fly is completely understandable, does not contain any

The expression hut on chicken legs is probably known to everyone from childhood.

The expression his name is legion (or his name is legion) means an indefinitely large

What does the expression beating babies mean? Who is beating what babies?

Prescribing Izhitsa is an expression from the category of those who have gone from our everyday life to the past. But

The Italian strike is a rather original form of protest of a hired

More interesting expressions

On the letters A, B, C

On the letter G

On the letter D

On the letters E and F

On the letter "Z"

In the life of the people of China, tea has a special place, and drinking tea has become a separate art of the tea ceremony.

The Chinese prefer tea to other drinks, even in the summer: it not only quenches thirst, but also improves immunity.

Tea ceremony in China - a bit of history

The emergence of tea is attributed to one of the main figures of the divine progenitor of the entire Chinese people Shen Nunu, whose name translated from Chinese means "Divine Tiller". It was this hero who taught the people to plow the land, grow cereals, as well as medicinal and other useful plants.

Legend has it that Shen Nong had a bull's head and a human body, while his belly was made of transparent jade. Shen Nong helped people treat ailments, and for this he wandered around the country in search of medicinal plants, separating them from the often found poisonous ones. The healer tested the effect of the herbs found on himself. At the same time, he watched the influence of the eaten plant or its fruits on the body through his transparent belly. They say that one day he tried a new, unfamiliar plant and as a result received severe poisoning. When he felt really bad, he lay down under an unfamiliar bush. Suddenly a dewdrop rolled from the leaves of the bush. Having swallowed this drop, the doctor felt a surge of strength and pleasant vigor throughout his body.

Since that time, Shen Nong carried the leaves of this plant with him everywhere, using them as an antidote. And so it happened that he taught the entire Chinese people to drink tea as a medicine.

In ancient times, tea was a drink for wealthy people. No one knows exactly when he switched to his daily drink. At the same time, in the 1st century BC, tea was widespread and could already be purchased on the market. And from 618 to 907, the Chinese tea ceremony began to develop, and tea

Over time, along the Great Silk Road, tea penetrated into Russia. In the literature, it is reported that the Cossacks presented tea as a gift to the Russian Tsar in 1567. The Russians were able to truly appreciate the fragrant drink already in the 19th century. It was then that the Russian tea ceremony was formed. They learned how to brew in the world famous Russian samovars.

In China, the tea ceremony is a whole ritual, where a certain order is observed when brewing a drink. The main goal of this action is to reveal the taste and aroma of tea, and rush is inappropriate here. Chinese tea ceremony implies calmness and serenity. Fancy tea utensils, elegant small dishes, as well as pleasant quiet music help to create a special atmosphere - thanks to all these factors, it becomes possible to enjoy the unforgettable fragrant aroma of a tea drink and a long aftertaste known all over the world.

Features of the Chinese tea ritual

The tea ceremony in China is called gungfu-cha: gung is the highest art, and cha is, of course, tea. The Chinese themselves attach particular importance to the ritual. They have this skill, which not everyone can master.

The Chinese ritual of tea drinking is considered one of the most mysterious and mysterious in the whole world. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the Chinese consider tea to be more than just a drink. For them, tea is a wise plant, which is given to transmit the energy of life. There are certain conditions for receiving this energy, which are summarized in the rules for conducting the tea-drinking ceremony.

Special requirements for water

The choice of water, which will be used to brew tea, is of decisive importance. It must be from a pure source. The most suitable is the one that has a sweetish taste and soft structure.

When making tea, boiling water is important. It does not need to be brought to a strong boil, because because of this, its own energy leaves it. They say that water is considered to be boiled to the state that tea needs, as soon as bubbles appear in it - it is not allowed to boil.

Sounds of music

Traditionally, before the ceremony begins, a person must purify himself, achieve a state of inner harmony and peace. That is why it takes place in a beautiful room and to the sounds of pleasant music, often bewitching and mystical. For the best effect, the tea ceremony master prefers to use the sounds of nature. This promotes the immersion of a person into the depths of his soul and helps to better merge with nature.

What is customary to talk about at a tea ceremony?

During the tea ritual, they traditionally talk about the tea itself. In addition, an important element of the ceremony is to demonstrate respect for the tea deity and talk about him. Often, masters put his figurine or image next to tea utensils.

The inner state of the audience

According to all the canons, the ritual takes place in an atmosphere of goodness and harmony. In the process of drinking tea, it is not customary to talk loudly, wave your hands or make noise. Full concentration helps to feel real pleasure from the drink and real happiness.

By the way, the tea ceremony in China involves the participation of 2 to 6 people. It is in this case that you can achieve an amazing atmosphere, called in the traditions of the contact of souls.

Tea ceremony interior

All present are seated on straw rugs laid on the floor. Soft pillows in a pleasant warm color are laid out around the guests. In the middle there is a table for tea, called a chaban, about 10 cm high. It looks like a certain box made of wood. It has special holes where the leftovers of tea are poured, because in China, excess water speaks of abundance.

When all the basic principles of tea drinking are observed, the solemn moment of the tea drinking itself comes.

So Chinese Tea Party

A set for a tea ceremony is laid out in front of the guests. Utensils include: a teapot, a vessel - cha-hai, a tea-box called cha-he, and a tea pair. All utensils for the tea ceremony should be made in the same style and not distract with their appearance from a wonderful drink.

First of all, the master falls asleep dry tea leaves in cha-he - a special porcelain box, which is designed to study the structure of tea and inhale its smell. All participants slowly pass it into each other's hands and inhale the aroma. This ritual has another meaning - during the transmission of the cha-he, those present come closer to each other.

After that, the gongfu-cha master brews tea. The first poured boiling water is drained - this way the dust is washed off the tea. But already from the next pouring, each guest of the ceremony enjoys a miraculous drink.

In front of each participant is on a tray. These are two cups, one of which is tall and narrow (wensiabei) for smelling, and one wide and low (chabei) for enjoying the color and taste of the tea. Second water is poured into tall cups after it has been in the teapot for about 30 seconds. Wengxiabei is filled only ¾ and immediately covered with a wide cup. After a while, the upper cup is removed and, bringing the lower one to the nose, the wonderful aroma of the resulting tea is inhaled. It is important here to concentrate and merge with the energy of tea. Tea is drunk slowly, focusing on the sensations.

The tea is poured until the color and aroma of the drink are preserved. With each new pouring, the tea gets different shades of smell and taste.

As a result, the tea ceremony gives peace, peace of mind and helps to forget about the hustle and bustle of our life.

Tea ceremony in England

The UK is one of the world leaders in tea consumption per person. Tea drinking for the British is not just a habit, it is a ritual with its own established traditions. It emerged from the Five-o-clock Tea typical of the British.

The traditional set for the British tea ceremony is a white or blue tablecloth without patterns, a vase with fresh white flowers. Pair of tea, with tea, a milk jug, a jug of milk, a strainer and a stand for it. In addition, you will need a sugar bowl (preferably with white and brown sugar), teaspoons, a fork and a knife, and napkins to match the tablecloth.

Tea is sure to be served with snacks - these are various options for English pastries. Traditionally, guests can choose from 5-10 types of tea, where Lapsang Souchong, Earl Gray, Darjeeling, Assam, as well as different tea blends are a must.

By the way, another important serving element is a quilted or woolen teapot cover (tea-cozy).

The tea ceremony in England has its own secret. When brewing tea, it is taken into account that it will no longer be diluted with boiling water in cups. This means that when brewing, the tea leaves are placed in the kettle based on the fact that there is 1 teaspoon of tea for 1 person. In the case when using a large teapot, it is recommended to add 1 more spoon for all.

Then the tea is infused for 3-5 minutes, and it is poured out to the guests. Immediately after this, you need to pour boiling water from a jug into the teapot (a feature of the tea ceremony is the re-pouring of the infusion) and cover it with tea-cozy to maintain the temperature. By the time the first cup is finished drinking, the second pouring has time to infuse. The kettle can be refilled, but the quality of the drink will deteriorate each time.

Traditionally, tea is drunk with milk, and tea is added to hot milk, and not vice versa.

Russian tea traditions

The tea ceremony in Moscow is a completely different tradition, very different from the rituals prevailing in the homeland of this drink. They say that when drinking tea, the Japanese enjoy tea utensils, the details of the ceremony, and their inner world. The tea ceremony in China - the enjoyment of taste and aroma - is valuable for the very fact of observing traditions, entourage, and baking. And for the Russians, the most important thing is the group gathered near the Russian samovar. Communication between all those present is valuable.

In Moscow, they originally drank black tea. Boiling water is heated in a samovar, and a teapot is placed on top. The brew is made stronger than the tea that is ultimately drunk. Tea leaves are poured into cups, and then boiling water from a samovar is poured.

Baking is always offered on the table for tea,
lemon, sugar, jam and honey. The latter are most often eaten with a bite of tea or spread on bread. Often a tea pair - a saucer - is served with the cup. Hot tea is poured into it from a cup and drunk.

Whatever the tea traditions of different peoples, everywhere this drink is appreciated for its pleasant taste, delicate aroma and unusual properties.

Yes, - said Kawabata thoughtfully, - but, in fact, this drawing is terrible. We are distinguished from animals only by those rules and rituals about which we have agreed with each other. Violating them is worse than dying, because only they separate us from the abyss of chaos that begins right at our feet - if, of course, we remove the blindfold from our eyes.

Victor Pelevin. "Chapaev and Emptiness"

Long ago, they entered the Russian language and forever remained in it stable phrases such as "Chinese literacy", "Chinese policeman", "Chinese ceremonies" and other expressions associated in one way or another with China. What is a "Chinese letter", you could learn in general terms from one of the previous chapters, what a "Chinese policeman" is, I myself do not really know, but we will now deal with the "ceremonies". Rather, with the stereotypical idea of ​​our person that the Chinese are people with refined manners, whose relationships are built on the basis of long and difficult ceremonies, bows to the ground and polite smiles.

By the way, why do we think about them that way? Someone, probably, built their idea only on the basis of the very meaning of the Russian expression "Chinese ceremonies", transferring this very meaning from allegory to real life. Someone simply confused China with some other country (there was once a popular song on the radio with the completely meaningless phrase "Chinese woman in a kimono"; Chinese women do not wear kimonos, but the authors of stupid pop music do not give a damn about that). Those who have read a couple of abstruse works on Chinese philosophy will certainly remember Confucius with his ritual and the five-thousand-year-old, that is, the very venerable age of Chinese civilization (it is probably assumed that spreading ceremonies and refined politeness should have developed over these thousands of years by themselves ...) ... In short, no one has gone into particular details yet. Well, in order.

The phrase "Chinese ceremonies" is interesting not only because it is an integral part of the great and powerful Russian language, but also because, upon closer examination, one can find in it some curious signs of bygone days. Indeed, the era in which lively contacts of foreigners (including Russians) with China began, fell on the later years of the reign of the imperial Qing dynasty there. Naturally, the overseas barbarians (that is, uh ... the guests) had to communicate primarily not with the common people, but with the bureaucratic elite of the Chinese state; in turn, the life of large and small bureaucrats was indeed scrupulously organized in accordance with the archaic Chinese notions of how a Confucian ritual should look like. The same can be said about the then Chinese office work. Thus, one of the first things that a foreigner in China paid attention to were these extremely complicated ceremonies, endless bows and an unimaginably ramified hierarchy of the bureaucratic machine. Is it any wonder that many have come to believe all this is an integral characteristic of all of China?

There is no doubt that the rantings of Confucius, his students and followers about the ritual, as already mentioned, had a strong influence on the formation of bureaucratic etiquette, palace and bureaucratic rituals. But do not forget that the bureaucracy, despite its large numbers, was still only a tiny part of Chinese society, and the common people have always lived, guided not by palace rituals, but by their own, very simple concepts. In addition, the Qing empire ceased to exist a hundred years ago, and after it the famous "Chinese ceremonies" gradually went to the junkyard. Therefore, if you want to be very, very diligently bowed and smiled, you need to go not to China, but, say, to Japan.

Let's not forget that the 1949 revolution and the subsequent rule of the CCP in China greatly accelerated the withering away of all the aforementioned ritual procedures. If under the Kuomintang republic officials still sometimes tried to appeal to Confucian concepts, then under the communists “centralized democracy” and the opinion of the party cell began to play the main role. The words "comrade", "proletarian revolution" and "working class" have replaced numerous bows and sophisticated rituals ...

Of course, if we talk about holiday rituals, like celebrating the Chinese New Year, or about such a specific event as a Chinese wedding, you can find a considerable number of old, traditional features there. In the case of the wedding, sometimes one cannot fail to notice the revival of ceremonies that had disappeared under socialism. But here I would like to briefly tell you not about the holidays (many interesting books have been written on this score for a long time), but about some features of the current everyday culture and everyday life of our eastern neighbors.

Rather, about the almost complete absence of such a culture. I foresee the indignant cries of those "lovers of everything Chinese", whose ideas about their subject of adoration were formed at best as a result of reading the novel "Dream in the Red Chamber", watching historical Chinese films and TV reports about blooming spring gardens in Hangzhou: how, they say, yes how dare you, but Chinese culture is five thousand years old! Why, she is the oldest and wisest! Why, Confucius, Sun Tzu and Sun Yatsen, painting in the genre of "go-hua" and dogs of the Chow Chow breed! Why, the Chinese invented paper, gunpowder, wushu and acupuncture! ..

Yes, we have heard all these songs for a long time. As well as commands like “don't dare to go with your charter to someone else’s monastery” or something like that. As for the "monasteries" and "statutes," I repeat once again that I am not going to impose on any Chinese my opinion of his country and assessment of the level of culture of its population, so here my conscience is completely clear. As for the ancient and never interrupted Chinese history, I would even add that some scientists in the PRC are now seriously proving that it (history) is not five, but ten thousand years old. Are you satisfied with this fact, gentlemen, lovers of "cultures-cultures"? ..

Great, just don’t, as always, confuse the concepts of “culture” and “civilization”. And if the Chinese continues to stubbornly and stupidly stare at you on the street just because you are a foreigner, or to chomp, burp and fart while eating, then what does his distant ancestor, who once invented gunpowder, have to do with it? What does the philosophy of Confucius have to do with a person who can only read that editorial in a newspaper and a sign on a nearby store? And how does the fact that 0.001% of the Chinese population is proficient in the art of calligraphy affects the culture of behavior of the remaining 99.999%? No way.

A word of caution: remember (I am strongly of this opinion) that anyone who is not well-mannered can have great mental qualities. The fact that I am talking here about the Chinese does not mean that I am dismissive of them. Facts are facts.

If a Chinese person is polite to you, then most likely he needs something from you. Indeed, in such cases, our neighbors can be polite to the point of incredible and sweet to sugary. See how the behavior of your interlocutor will change when he gets his way or, for some other reason, his interest in you will cool down ... This is curious.

Given the enormous number of the Chinese population and its terrible density, one could assume that people there should be extremely careful and considerate to each other, so as not to accidentally push their neighbor with their elbows and not step on his feet. Right? But that was not the case.

You will not find such a number of people completely indifferent to everyone around you in any other country in the world. An ordinary Chinese man is able (and does it diligently) screaming, screaming, squealing, hammering in nails and drilling concrete walls with an electric drill even at midnight, even at five o'clock in the morning, and he does not give a damn about neighbors trying to sleep behind the wall. By the way, as a result of many years of observation, I became convinced that most Chinese people get up early not at all in order, as is commonly believed, to do some kind of healthy gymnastics in the morning, but because annoying neighbors simply do not allow more sleep. If you create appropriate conditions for them, then they will calmly snooze until lunchtime, forgetting both their favorite morning Taijiquan and certainly a shitty breakfast.

The Chinese are noisy and completely unceremonious, not only at home, but also in public places.

The father of the family, being on the third floor of the department store, can speak with loud screams with his household members who remain on the first floor. Your interlocutor at the dinner table can burp in your face and loudly ruin the air right under your nose. If you are sitting in a restaurant alone, some subject may well sit down with you and impudently ask which country you have come from, and at the very moment when you chew your next piece of food.

Coming to Russia and living with us for a while, many Chinese, unless they are completely hopeless, realize the flaw in their habits and try to learn how to behave as they should (and by the way, from some of them I heard self-criticism much more abruptly than those things that you are reading now). They are especially struck by the style of communication between members of Russian families (I do not mean alcoholics and the lumpen proletariat), which is completely different from the Chinese.

"Kindly pass me the salt," "please come back early," "would you mind taking out the trash?" - these expressions kill the Chinese literally on the spot, because such politeness in family communication is not at all peculiar to them.

Some, however, begin, as if making excuses (another feature of the Chinese character is always to somehow justify their actions and behavior, if they differ from the actions and behavior of representatives of other nations), say that, they say, “we believe that in to the family, such ceremonies look too formal and therefore inappropriate. " Well, to each - his own.

The queue for something is also a good opportunity to see how the notorious "Chinese ceremonies" really look like. Firstly, as soon as you move away from the person in front of you at least thirty centimeters away, some "left" subject will certainly try to rub in between you. Many people simply ignore the existence of a queue in general, trying to simply push back competitors, move someone else's hand with money away from the checkout window and shove their own there.

The Chinese turn, as a very peculiar phenomenon, often requires non-standard management. I will never forget the queue for tickets at the bus station in the glorious city of Nanjing, fenced off from other parallel lines by steel fences that could probably stop even the advance of a heavy tank. But such fences are a common thing in China, and the main impression was made on me not by them, but by the uncles-administrators, who sat on perches like those towers on which volleyball referees are usually located, and through megaphones exhorting people not to go out of line. When another too zealous intruder broke through to the checkout, a kind guy with a bandage treated him from the height of his steel perch with several blows to the head ... with the same megaphone. "What a wonderful multi-tool!" - I thought then ...

Of course, the manners and habits of the Chinese people vary greatly depending on where they are born and where they live. The northerners and residents of the provinces are distinguished by the most rude manners and indecent habits, but, for example, Shanghai people - for the most part, people are quite well-mannered, they will not fart at the table and climb somewhere out of line. Moreover, they will even begin to admonish and educate the one who does this. Again, for the sake of accuracy, I will note that in recent years I have seen significant progress in the style of behavior of the Chinese almost throughout this vast country (with the exception, perhaps, of the Tibetan plateaus: everything is still the same there) ... In most places, although they continue to climb out of turn , but not so harshly as to require the presence of a man on the roost.

True, our neighbors do not stop burping and chomping while eating, so, as they say, there is still work to be done.

Chomping, as an immanent characteristic of the Chinese people, did not appear by chance, and, as I suspect, its history goes back at least five thousand years. That is, this phenomenon is much more ancient than, say, the teachings of the same Confucius. Historically, the Chinese who were not always well and plentifully fed (what can you do - there is not enough land, there are many people), gathering at a common table (now imagine a big family!), Were forced to absorb hot food as quickly as possible: if you delay, you will remain hungry. And it won't take long to burn the mucous membrane of the mouth or esophagus ... So it was diligent champing for five thousand years that helped the Chinese to ventilate their mouths while eating, quickly filling up and at the same time avoiding getting burned.

Foreigners who first enter the territory of the Middle Kingdom and do not have super-strong nerves, at first, usually suffer very much from too close attention to themselves. Of course, the more educated a Chinese is, the less he allows himself to unceremoniously stare at a stranger on the street, in a restaurant, in transport: you will hardly encounter this problem either in the capital city of Beijing, or in Shanghai, which has long been accustomed to foreign faces. But the further into the province, the closer crowds surround the surprised overseas traveler from all sides ...

In such cases, the Chinese usually do not look, they just stare at the object that aroused their interest. Due to the fact that there is significant unemployment in China, there are always tens and sometimes even hundreds of curious idle citizens for whom meeting a foreigner on the street is a real entertainment. What has always surprised me in the process of viewing a foreigner by the Chinese is the complete lack of emotion on the faces of observers who look at you with dull glass eyes. Many of them can follow a foreigner for hours, sometimes approaching him closely and even feeling with his dirty hands his clothes, hair, bag, etc. bought in the nearest Chinese store.

As mentioned in the first chapter, a friend of mine very aptly called these staring crowds "Banderlog". If you remember the Kipling tales about Mowgli and his friends, you will immediately understand what exactly lies in wait for a foreign traveler on the Chinese streets and squares. By the way, not all observers remain silent - the most "advanced", as it is now customary to say, of them often shake the air with loud cries: "Laoway, laowai!" " Do not think that in this way they are trying to say hello to a foreigner, a warped English greeting in their mouth is rather something like "kitty-kitty" addressed by a child to a completely unfamiliar cat.

If their screams attracted the attention of a foreigner, the Chinese rejoice, like that very child, and continue to yell with tenfold strength and rather mockingly mocking intonations. Therefore, the only advice that can be given to an unfortunate person who finds himself in a similar situation is not to pay attention to what is happening around him and go about his business. In the end, seeing the passivity of the victim, the screamers and unceremonious spectators lose interest in her. True, new idiots soon appear nearby, and everything returns to normal.

It should be noted that, fortunately, over time, the Chinese have shown less of this tactless dull curiosity about foreigners; over the years, I have personally seen very noticeable progress. Now, in general, not only residents of Beijing and Shanghai, but also of many large provincial centers such as Chengdu, Zhengzhou, etc., are extremely neutral to the appearance of foreigners nearby. And in other places, the persecution of overseas guests by curious idlers is gradually becoming less and less active. Although the cries of "Hallow!", It seems, will be carried in the vastness of the Celestial Empire for a very long time.

If a Chinese burp especially loudly in your face, farted under your breath, spat on your leg, or pokes a finger at you and loudly yells at you again right in your face with his indispensable "Hallow!" and you expressed doubts about the correctness of his actions, he may well suddenly declare: "All the Chinese do this, why shouldn't I?" A similar phrase in different options, I have heard quite often. In general, there is nothing to cover here, besides, of course, what you just thought about. And in general, the average inhabitant of the Celestial Empire is very inclined to broad generalizations and likes to speak on behalf of the entire people ("But in China, everyone thinks that ..."), categorically expressing the opinion of one and a half billion compatriots.

The Chinese are extremely sociable people. Their sweet sociability is so casual that it often turns into nasty importunity. About the same quality is found by an ordinary housefly, trying to warm its paws on your nose early in the morning, when you are still snoring peacefully, and there are about fifteen minutes before the alarm clock rings. In short, in China it doesn't matter where exactly you are and what exactly you are doing at the moment - you can sleep, eat, read, write (with an emphasis on any syllable), shave, change the pad at the tap or elsewhere, take a shower, talking on the phone - all this does not at all guarantee that some type will not climb up to "communicate" with you. "Communication" is usually a series of the same questions that will be asked to you, repeated in the same sequence. In general, these issues can be divided into two categories - personal and general political.

If in Russia and in the West there is a certain range of personal questions that can be addressed only to close friends and relatives, or even to anyone at all, do not expect your Chinese counterpart to observe the same ethical standards. Very often, the first contact with a Chinese person becomes not very pleasant and even shocking for this very reason. So, you may well be asked about your age (regardless of whether you are a man or a woman), how much do you earn per month (year, etc.), do you have children and why they do not exist (if not) ... if you have, for example, a mole on your face, you may be asked what it is. If you are a woman, then a Chinese woman you barely know may decide to clarify the size of your bra ...

And there may be many, many questions in the same spirit. In addition to them, be prepared to immediately receive such comments about your personality that you are unlikely to receive anywhere other than China. Hearing them, a foreigner very often does not know whether to laugh or cry ...

“You look like a certain film actress, uh uh, like Sharon Stone. Of course, you are far from her beauty, but ... "

- (once met once) “I haven't seen yours for a long time. Yours has become so fat! Your diet is necessary! "

“You speak Chinese so well! But Dima speaks Chinese much worse than you! .. "(Dima stands nearby and quietly flows around from what he heard.)

It is believed that one should not be offended by all this blizzard, because the Chinese are not carrying it with the aim of offending the interlocutor or anyone in general, but "trying to establish verbal-psychological contact with the aim of further positive interaction" (quote from one clever book). From myself I can advise in case of such "establishment of contact" not to rattle (it will only get worse), but to treat this theater of absurdity with humor: there is still nowhere to go, so follow the Chinese proverb: "I entered the village - behave like a peasant." If you really hesitate, come up with a couple of the most stupid, stupid and tactless questions and ask them to your Chinese interlocutor. And try to enjoy life ...

Questions of a general political and educational nature are rarely tactless, but they are monotonous and quite predictable. Your interlocutor is interested in how you like Medvedev, Putin (before it was Yeltsin, Gorbachev, etc.), how in Russia with the economy (for some reason, culture, art and sports do not interest anyone), is it really developing well how do you feel about Lenin and so on. By the way, there is an option that if you honestly answer exactly what the interrogator expects from you (that is, what newspapers and news programs have hammered into his head for a long time), then the conversation on general topics will dry up. This is because the ultimate goal of your counterpart is to make sure that they are in their own right, and not anything else. Having received the wrong answer, which was expected, the Chinese who asked the question may well fall into a stupor and after a long time come to his senses.

A favorite question of any Chinese, asked to a Russian: “What is your main food in Russia? Bread, right? " If you answer that it is not bread, the phrase will follow: “A-aa, I know! Potatoes with fried meat! ", Accompanied by an explosion of seemingly stupid laughter ... An inexperienced person either gets into a state of shock from this cultural interaction, or tries to take offense, although in general it is not necessary to do either one or the other. Everything has its own logical explanation. "Potatoes with fried meat" was used by Nikita Khrushchev in the distant, distant old-regime times as a symbol of the well-being of the Soviet people, to which (that is, well-being) had to strive; The Chinese remember this quote very well and is still passed down from generation to generation, and its original meaning has long been forgotten ...

As for laughter "out of place", then the story with him is even more amusing. The fact is that in the countries of the Far East (for example, in Korea and Japan, and China, of course, of course, of course) laughter is by no means only a person's reaction to funny or tickling; there are many more reasons for laughing. Here is the notorious desire to establish psychological contact and express your benevolence or sympathy, and an attempt to smooth out your own awkwardness and embarrassment, and just a lack of understanding of what to do next, say, in a delicate situation ... Classic example: a foreigner falls off his bike, and the crowd of Chinese gathered around him suddenly starts giggling for no reason at all, quite naturally causing the fallen one to have a fit of rage and a desire to finish off a couple of the most violently laughing idiots on the spot. And people, meanwhile, were not at all funny; they simply did not know how to help an injured cyclist who was in an uncomfortable and awkward position (he’s already ridiculous, unfinished, nosed and hairy, he also doesn’t know how to ride a bike), and they themselves felt an inner inconvenience from this.

Thus, full-fledged communication is not always obtained; however, don't be upset. A little more local attention, a little patience, effort, and a sense of humor and you will succeed. In addition, any communication is still much better than when you are simply stupidly and stubbornly treated like a little animal in a zoo. It is the unceremoniously staring crowds that I mentioned above that drive some especially faint-hearted foreigners in China to white heat ...

By the way, about birds and animals. They say that a person is largely characterized by his attitude towards children and animals, right? As I have already said, the Chinese usually treat children (their own and those of others) with indescribable tenderness and care. This is largely due to the ancient and enduring concept of longevity, wealth and abundance of offspring as the three essential components of human happiness, in many respects - with the fact that in the traditionally large, but nowadays ruthlessly cut back on the strict policy of birth control, the Chinese family is the only one the child generally acquires the status of a priceless treasure ...

However, with all this, our neighbors are merciless to animals. A Chinese friend of mine who lives in Russia started a spaniel and raised it for several months. Then he dropped it from the fifth floor onto the asphalt, then picked it up, cooked it and ate it. No comment.

The inhabitants of the Celestial Empire, who love to feast on fresh meat, retain their customs, even when they go abroad. It is not for nothing that the administration of those hostels and hotels where a lot of Chinese appear is forced to fight hard to ensure that distinguished guests do not slaughter pets in the bathrooms and kitchens, including all the same unfortunate dogs (oh, did you think that only Koreans love dog meat? You were cruelly mistaken!). This struggle is unsuccessful, that is, it always ends with the victory of an ancient, five-thousand-year-old civilization.

Woe to the cat in the Chinese family. Most likely, she will be put in a cage, where she will spend the rest of her life; during the “walk” it can also be tied by the neck on such a short piece of rope that the poor animal can neither sit nor lie down without the risk of being strangled. They can be planted in a cramped cage and exposed for the whole day under the scorching sun, without food or water. The dog also risks living its entire life behind bars. And I also remembered little white rabbits, which are sold in abundance on the streets of Chinese cities for the amusement of spoiled obese children - "little emperors". These living toys are usually packed in cages of such a size that they can neither stand up nor turn around, and the poor fellows only have to slightly move their ears, noses and tails ... thrown into the trash.

For the Chinese, Russia is an amazing country, if only because here: a) there is a lot of land “beyond which no one is looking” (any park is perceived by the Chinese in this way and in no other way), and b) there are many animals and birds that walk and fly by themselves by oneself. Remarkably, the reaction of the average Chinese to an animal or bird encountered is the same and therefore always predictable: he almost necessarily tries to rush at the creature he meets (be it a cat, duck, pigeon, crow, squirrel, etc.), scare him, hit him, throw him into it with any object; having performed this action, he, with a satisfied view goes my dear. And let the defenders of Confucian culture and thousand-year traditions sing their stupid songs, and I personally tend to see in such behavior a clear evidence of some kind of inferiority of the soul, and nothing else.

For the sake of fairness, I note that along with the disgusting majority, there is a kind-hearted minority that, in contrast to stupid flayers, in every possible way welcomes, feeds and takes care of their younger brothers, acting in a hostile environment in the spirit of the famous movie "Schindler's List". Some of the most advanced foreigners who love animals and did not care about the notorious spells about statutes and monasteries from the summit of Everest do not stand aside either ... For example, a wonderful friend of mine, who had lived in Beijing for many years, once discovered that his neighbors brutally scoff at their cat, the seas of her hunger and tormenting with thirst and not letting go of the cramped cage; the poor kitty, who was already on the very brink of gasp, could only moan quietly and pitifully. The next night, the cat was stolen along with the cage, underwent a month-long rehabilitation course and was given into trusted, good hands (my friend already has enough of his livestock) ...

I am sorry if the fragments of reality described above did not coincide with someone's ideas about the great and beautiful Celestial Empire. As the saying goes, a bitter truth is better than a sweet lie. And, I will add on my own behalf, better than the wonderful fantasies of many of our home-grown experts who have never been to China, but carry caramel leafy trash about it to the right and left.

In conclusion, I will tell you one short story.

... Once upon a time there was a young and talented Sinologist who not only read many clever books about China, but also began to write them himself (and very good ones). But he could not get into the coveted country, to which he devoted half his life, the time was like this - no one would let you go anywhere without a direction from above, and they simply won’t give you a passport. But then perestroika came, and my friend finally went to the East - to practice the Chinese language and collect scientific material ... And during the six months that he stayed in China, he was so disappointed in this country and its citizens that nor begged by his friends, colleagues and Chinese universities. "I will not go!" - says, and that's it! ..

I wish you never experienced such disappointments. And for this you need to imagine the real reality in advance. And stock up on a good portion of positive, so that this very reality would seem to you a cheerful colorful circus, and not a gloomy madhouse.

| |

Chinese Shuttle ceremonies. Iron. Excessive politeness, excessive conventions in relations between people. Between friends and family, I suppose, you can do without Chinese ceremonies, especially in pennies(Chekhov. Letter to GM Chekhov, Feb. 9, 1888).

Phraseological dictionary of the Russian literary language. - M .: Astrel, AST... A.I. Fedorov. 2008.

Synonyms:

See what "Chinese ceremonies" are in other dictionaries:

chinese ceremonies- scrupulousness, stiffness, ceremony. Dictionary of Russian synonyms. Chinese ceremonies adverb, number of synonyms: 5 courtesy (32) ... Synonym dictionary

Chinese ceremonies- CHINESE, oh, oh. Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

Chinese ceremonies- Spread. Shuttle. iron. Tedious and unnecessary conventions; excessive display of politeness; meaningless etiquette. FSRYa, 514; BTS, 1462; BMS 1998, 613 ...

chinese ceremonies- iron. Excessive, exaggerated politeness ... Dictionary of many expressions

ceremonies- see the ceremony of the Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M .: Russian language. Z.E. Aleksandrova. 2011. ceremonies n., Number of synonyms: 4 ... Synonym dictionary

ceremonies- ▲ politeness excessive ceremony excessive politeness. ceremony. stand on ceremony. ceremonious. to be ceremonious. Chinese ceremonies (joke). haberdashery [appeal]. stiffness. prim. ton. | zirlich manrlich (razd) ... Ideographic Dictionary of the Russian Language

ceremonies- th, pl. Conventions in behavior, treatment, characteristic of a ceremonial person. What are these ceremonies? Fuy, he is not ashamed! // Pushkin. Captain's daughter //; The main thing is not to pay attention to him: he does not like ceremonies! // Turgenev ... Dictionary of Forgotten and Difficult Words from the Works of Russian Literature of the 18th-19th Centuries

Chinese chopsticks- Wooden chopsticks Chopsticks pair of small chopsticks, a traditional cutlery in East Asia. The four countries where chopsticks are predominantly used are China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. In Thailand, with an introduction to ... ... Wikipedia

Russian-Chinese projects in 2014- The visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to China in May 2014 marked the beginning of several large investment projects and launched a number of cooperation agreements between the two countries. About 40 agreements in the energy sector, banking, ... ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers

CEREMONY- Chinese ceremonies. Spread. Shuttle. iron. Tedious and unnecessary conventions; excessive display of politeness; meaningless etiquette. FSRYa, 514; BTS, 1462; BMS 1998, 613 ... Big dictionary Russian sayings

Books

• Buy for 4587 UAH (only Ukraine)
• Chinese Wisdom on the Way of Tea (deluxe edition), B. Vinogrodsky. Original designed gift edition in a case. Silk-bound book with fringe and three-sided gold trim. A real encyclopedia of real Chinese tea. Kinds,…