The more I learned in China about the contrast between the way folks in the East and the West make use of their names and titles, the more fascinating it seemed, maybe because I think it implies something about the deep differences between our two cultures.
In China, one first identifies oneself in relation to the larger group, then the smaller group, then within the family, and only after that, as an individual. To illustrate this very clearly we only have to look at Chinese names and addresses. When you write someone’s address in China you first write the country, then the province, then the city or locality, followed by the business unit or location of the home. Only after all this, at the bottom, comes the person’s name. And in China, the family name – or surname – comes first; and at the very, very end is the individual’s given name. Just the opposite of us. And confusion abounds when Eastern and Western names collide. Read the rest of “What’s in a Name?” or post a comment
Imagine doing jail time — or worse — just because you were related to the offending party.
If you want to understand just how far collectivism goes in China, look no further than lianzuo — or collective responsibility. Throughout China’s 2,000-year feudal history — from at least 7th-century BC all the way to the turn of the 20th century — people were guilty by association. That is, if you were a blood relative or close business associate of the guilty, you would be taking a fall along with them. This China Daily article refers to it as families that hang together — and we don’t mean “hanging out” in the modern sense, either.
Huge, mythical beasts with piercing eyes and gigantic, roaring mouths stand guard at many of China’s most important buildings and ancient structures. The name of these imposing creatures is “Fu Dogs” or Rui Shi (”auspicious dog” in Mandarin), also known as Imperial Guardian Lions.
Started during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.), the tradition of placing two large statues of male and female lions near the entrance of an establishment was intended to …
The more I learned in China about the contrast between the way folks in the East and the West make use of their names and titles, the more fascinating it seemed, maybe because I think it implies something about the deep differences between our two cultures. 
