Life of the Chinese in poor provinces. How Russians live in China. Family Institute in China

After three months of living in China, it surprises and shocks me just as much as in the first days. The story of Odessa resident Tatyana Lazarchuk, who decided on the most exciting journey of her life.

Everything I knew about China moving there was nothing more than a set of stereotypes. Like, everything is cheap there, everyone eats rice and drinks tea. The idea quickly diverged from reality as soon as I arrived here. A country of unrealistic economic rates and developments. And at the same time, the amazing wild behavior of its inhabitants. After three months of living in China, it surprises and shocks me just as much as it did in the first days.

How I decided to move to the Middle Kingdom.

China was never on my travel plans. The decision to live here was completely adventurous, spontaneous and already there - crazy. I was lucky enough to visit Europe, the Middle East and live in the USA for six months. My husband and I returned to Ukraine, just like my best friend, who lived in Beijing for a year. When we met, she started talking about China so passionately that I was immediately hooked. And I decided that the Celestial Empire should be next. The man also immediately became interested in this idea. Moreover, at that time, neither of us was tied to work. Therefore, after spending another ten minutes weighing all the pros and cons, we mentally already bought plane tickets. Moreover, while the move to America was thought out to the smallest detail, with China we left everything to “we’ll figure it out on the spot.”

Applying for a visa to China

The fact that China is not as simple as it seems at first glance became clear even during the visa process. We immediately planned to go for a long time - nine months. But the Chinese only issue a tourist visa for two months maximum. That's if you're lucky. Basically everyone is given one. At a time when, for example, the States issue a tourist visa for 10 years. And getting it is considered perhaps the most difficult thing. Well, I do not! Try to get a visa to China.

If you want to stay in the country for longer than two or three months, you need a business visa to China for a year. This is, in fact, the longest possible stay in China. Just a year! But now it is even more difficult for Ukrainians to obtain visas than usual, especially if they are under 30 years old - this is how the Chinese authorities are holding back the wave of people wanting to work in the country. Of course, illegal.

The Chinese do not care at all about your visa history, whether you have an American visa, Schengen or anything else. Everything that is important for Americans or Europeans is of no importance to the employees of the Chinese Embassy. If you want to get a business visa, all that matters is that you have a previous Chinese visa. It sounds absurd, but China is adamant. With difficulty, we received a tourist visa for only one month, in the hope of later re-issuing it or continuing. And got on the plane.

We didn’t fly to Beijing to visit our friends, because there is always heavy smog there. And they chose a city in the very south of China, on the shores of the South China Sea, on the border with Hong Kong - Shenzhen. A city that, in just 40 years, has transformed from a fishermen’s village into a modern metropolis with a bunch of skyscrapers and a population of more than eleven million, the third largest after Beijing and Shanghai.

China, which is shocking.

By the way, there is a factory here where iPhones and iPads are assembled. Arriving in Shenzhen, we encountered the first problem - without knowledge of Chinese it is difficult here. And the percentage of those who speak at least some English is so small that it’s like looking for a needle among a million Chinese. Young people are no exception. Therefore, figuring out the address where we needed to go, which was also written in hieroglyphs, turned out to be a problem. And Google is blocked. Just like Facebook, Viber or YouTube - the so-called Great Firewall of China is in action.

It turned out to be a myth that everything is cheap in China. China is far from cheap. In our city, renting a simple one-room apartment costs at least 15,000 hryvnia. Travel one metro station - 8.00 UAH. Bread here costs 30 hryvnia, and is far from the best quality.

In the first days, noise on the street is especially unnerving. The Chinese talk so loudly that they constantly quarrel. And the roads are a complete mess. Expensive cars travel along with motorcycles, carts pulled by the Chinese themselves, and bicycles with motors, which, by the way, are prohibited here. 5-6 people can easily ride on one such bicycle. I saw how they drove like that with a newborn. Without holding on to anything! They drive without traffic rules, yielding to no one.

Every day I am surprised how it is that in a city with perfectly smooth new roads and the same markings, drivers do not know what a pedestrian crossing is. In China you will never be allowed to cross a zebra crossing. And often they drive to the red light with a straight face. You can fight this and still go, and why, if most likely you will be shot down. But they definitely won’t stop. There are absolutely wild rules on the road here. Our friends who have lived in China for many years say that even if the pedestrian survives, some drivers may run over him several more times just to be sure. For Chinese drivers, it is better if the pedestrian dies, because if he survives, the driver will pay compensation for his entire life. But if you shoot down to death, the compensation will be one-time. That's why it's just cheaper.

The food in China is no less shocking. Walking down the street, you can catch a “fragrance” that can trigger your gag reflex. The Chinese eat everything. This means absolutely everything! I saw with my own eyes the carcasses of dogs and pigeons on the grill. However, our friends say that the Chinese even eat cats, snakes, bats and generally anything that moves.

It's not hard to guess, I don't eat meat here. In addition, the sounds of spitting that can be heard everywhere will also help ruin your appetite. The Chinese love to do this. Everywhere. On public transport too.

And the Chinese like to push each other and move on with a straight face, as if nothing had happened. Even if it's store staff. After America, where people apologize for 10 minutes even for something very minor, it’s difficult in China, yes. Sometimes I think that people with weak nerves do not belong here.

Whenever a person who does not have a strong attachment to his homeland moves, a feeling of euphoria first appears. For the first two or three months, everything around is new and interesting... After this period, a number of things begin to irritate you wildly, because this did not happen in previous places of residence. My period of irritation lasted another four months and ended a month ago, incl. It's time to write about life here. I live in Guangzhou, the southern center of the country, the third most important city after Beijing and Shanghai. It’s never cold here (the temperature never dropped below +7 for me), but it can be very hot, but this moment is still ahead, periodically heavy rainfalls creep in unexpectedly, and constantly high humidity.
Guangzhou is a fairly new city, so the sightseeing options are extremely tight, except for the numerous parks.
About real estate I live in the business center of the city. Several years ago, all the buildings in this area were demolished and new ones were built in their place. Prices for purchasing real estate here are now very high and until recently grew at a cosmic pace: 3.2 times in 2 years. For example, if we wanted to buy a rented apartment, we would have to pay 50.5 million rubles. – 210,000 rubles/m2 (in fairness, it should be noted that today this house is the most prestigious apartment building in the center of Guangzhou).
The amount we pay as rent is also quite high, with one thing: for this money we would never rent an apartment of similar size and level either in Moscow, or in St. Petersburg, or in Lausanne. The majority of visitors rent real estate measuring 120 - 200 m2 for 20,000 - 40,000 rubles. The Chinese themselves, like the Russians, are more inclined to buy; fortunately, unlike Russia, the mortgage interest rate here is very low.
When choosing an apartment and an office, I realized that I didn’t want to live/be in the place where someone lived/was before me, because the local population easily and naturally dirty everything around, including the walls... including with their feet. This is what a typical Chinese office looks like:
Chinese construction companies have no concept of high-quality finishing of premises. For example: they take a socket packed in plastic film, mount it, and then remove the film without caring that A - pieces stick out, B - film and electricity are not the best friends. Our main bathroom ruptured due to water tension - this happened a year after the house was put into operation. Having lifted the marble slab (solid marble, not tile), we saw that the installed hose was used. When they lifted the same slab again, it fell apart in half, i.e. Apparently it was carefully glued together, but what they used to glue it with stopped holding water... About everyday life For the first two months I lived in a hotel. Accordingly, as soon as we moved, we decided to celebrate this joyful event with home-cooked food. Our kitchen is fully equipped with built-in appliances: oven, built-in refrigerators, stove, dishwasher, even a TV on a bracket. Having happily bought the chicken, I decided to bake it. I took out a baking tray from the “oven” (why the oven is in quotes, I’ll now explain), laid the carcass on it, loaded it into the “oven” and began to select a program, fortunately the miracle technology writes in English. The automatic machine only offered a steamer, but I still found how to remove the word steamer and switch to cooking meat. I pressed “start” and the “oven” asked me to pour water into a specially designated container. I am a kind lady, and there is nowhere to go - the unit does not work without water, I poured it. And then the process of steaming my game began... The oven turned out to be a steamer. Likewise, the dishwasher turned out to be a sterilizer. It turns out that for the Chinese, simply washed dishes are not clean; they sterilize them, even at home. A cleaning lady comes to us twice a week; her visits cost 4,000 rubles per month. She manages to clean the apartment, iron the bed linen and things in 2.5 hours. The secret is that in China people don’t really like to use household chemicals (especially those that smell strongly) - they simply wash them with water. The majority of the population does not know how to iron; it is not accepted here; clothes are dried and put on. There are many dry cleaners with a 2-3 times difference in price, I started with an expensive one and became convinced that more expensive does not mean better. Now, for 1000 rubles I can get about 8 things cleaned. We bought the furniture for the apartment ourselves (in general, apartments in China are rented furnished). Our owners had five projects in their house, and only for one of them did they not have time to buy anything other than a TV stand. Accordingly, we agreed on independent arrangement with the condition that we do not actually pay the first two months of rent. As a result, instead of the terrible furniture that the landlord would have bought us, we got pretty decent things, spending a little more than the allotted amount on them. As an example of prices: for 100,000 rubles. I was able to buy a dining table, coffee table and TV stand made from solid stone.
By the way, when concluding a lease agreement, you make a 2-month deposit, which is returned at the end of the lease term; in addition, both you and the owner pay 50% of the monthly rental amount to the agent as a remuneration. In a normal situation, you must register in a rented property and pay a monthly tax - 8% of the monthly contract amount. But if you have a business visa, not a business one, then you can skip the registration procedure :). Rent here is calculated once every 2 months. These invoices must be paid no later than one week after receipt. The deadline by which this must be done is indicated on the invoice. There is no point in forgetting or postponing this event; from the very first day of delay, penalties in the amount of 3% of the invoice amount are charged (for comparison, in Switzerland 8% per year). In order to pay for the Internet, you need to open a card in one of the banks in China: money will be debited from it automatically. About banks: never in any country in the world have I seen such poor service and such transfer of paper to completely unnecessary transactions. For example: you need to change money. There are special exchange offices only in tourist places, so everyone goes to the bank, fortunately there are branches and ATMs on every corner. Agricultural Bank Main Building: If there are 2 people in front of me and only one cashier, then I can be sure that I will spend at least an hour and fifteen minutes in the bank. Bank employees check passport data 10 times with those indicated in the application for currency exchange. They take a copy of the passport itself and keep it for themselves. You fill out the exchange form yourself; if there are several currencies, then there should be several forms. Each form consists of 4 self-copying sheets, each of which is stamped by a bank employee. Next, he prints a couple more papers, on the same sheets, and checks your money from both sides... If you received money in foreign currency to a Chinese bank account, and you are a non-resident, you will have to go through the same operation in order for it to be on your card. Moreover, you do not have the right to exchange more than 50,000 US dollars per calendar year (if you change euros or any other currency, they will first be converted into dollars, and only then into yuan). ATMs here have varying degrees of friendliness to foreign cards: some allow you to withdraw no more than 1000 yuan at a time (5000 rubles) and no more than 5000-6000 per day, others - 3000 at a time. As soon as you try to withdraw more than 20,000 (100,000 rubles) in a day, it doesn’t matter which bank you started your operations with, this procedure will be denied to you and you will have to wait until tomorrow to continue. This is a limitation of local banks, because... The daily limit on my cards is higher than this amount. In general, what’s interesting is that withdrawing money and paying in cash turns out to be more profitable than paying for purchases with cards in dollars, euros and Swiss francs, and it’s better to use ruble cards as cards. The transaction itself takes longer than in Russia, and as a result you receive several checks, some of which are again on self-copying paper. About friends I found my first friend using a search engine on Gossip. I wrote to the girl in a personal message, and on the 3-4th day of my stay in China we met. In general, it is much easier for a person of European appearance to make friends here than in Switzerland or even Russia: you are sharply different from everyone around you, and this gives rise to communication at the first visual contact. There are a lot of foreigners in China, so there are no problems with communication. In addition to Russians, we have friends from Italy, the States, Canada, Slovakia, Syria, India, Great Britain, Singapore, Mexico, the Netherlands, Austria and of course China.

About food When I first moved to China, I insistently suggested that everyone go to a Chinese restaurant and did not understand why no one was particularly keen. Now we eat Chinese food once every two weeks. Chinese restaurants are much cheaper than European restaurants, the food is delicious (the scarier the restaurant, the tastier it is, and, to my taste, in the north of the country the dishes are tastier than in the south), but after scandals about recycled oil, posts about beef and eggs, I rarely want to taste something local. On the street you can buy a lot of all sorts of stinking nasty things (not larvae and other rubbish, which are still considered exotic here), but stinking tofu, disgusting meat of an incomprehensible animal, chicken paws (not legs, but paws) and who knows what else.. If you want European products of decent quality, then we found only two stores, their prices are higher than Swiss ones, and it turns out that going to a restaurant is more profitable than cooking at home.
For example, a package of mozzarella translated into rubles will cost 240 rubles, versus 80 in Switzerland. Parmesan - 500 rubles for a small triangle, versus 220 rubles in Switzerland (I don’t know Russian prices for these products, so I can’t compare). By the way, in any restaurant in China you get tea or water for free. Fruits are relatively expensive here, but vegetables and fish are cheap, the carcass of which is about 22-25 cm long costs 75 rubles, and this despite the fact that I don’t go to the market. I don’t go there because the Chinese like to eat freshly killed animals. Chickens, rabbits, piglets sit in cages, fish swim in aquariums: you choose who you want to eat, they kill and skin him in front of you. Of course, I understand that those whose parts I buy in the store were also killed by someone, but I can’t help but want to participate in the process; it’s easier for me to refuse consumption.
The Chinese do not like meat that is not freshly slaughtered, and virtually no one ever buys it in stores, so what you can find there does not look fresh even at the time of purchase, and after a night in the refrigerator it generally spoils. As a result: we cook at home once a week or two at most, and the rest of the time we eat in restaurants, regularly ordering home delivery (you can order virtually everything from McDonald’s to food from fairly decent European restaurants). All deliveries are made using bicycles and orders are only accepted by restaurants that are relatively close. Water, but tap water cannot be used here, comes in the same way. About transport Since we are holders of business visas, and to drive in China we need a Chinese license, which can be obtained by an official resident, we do not have cars. The main transport for moving around the city is a taxi. It’s very cheap, as a rule I spend 50 – 100 rubles, and it’s convenient – ​​there are a lot of them. The only downside for taxi drivers is that they change shifts at 18.00, just when everyone finishes work, so it’s better not to leave the office/home until 18.40, because all these 30-40 minutes you’ll be standing around waiting for a free car.
Motorcycles and mopeds are prohibited for moving around the city. The Chinese drive as they please: they can easily ride along a one-way street in the opposite direction, they easily carry out the same movement at a roundabout, they never let pedestrians pass, they do not react to red lights, they do not look in the mirrors when changing lanes, so they do not like to drive next to each other. Metro. The metro is clean, neat, no one spits, eats or drinks, but trains run much less frequently than ours, about once every 5 minutes. The ticket price is from 10 rubles or more, depending on the duration of the trip (living in the center, I was not able to ride for more than 30). Buses. I rode them 3 times. Clean, air conditioning works well. If you have an IPhone, then on the map, when you enter the place where you need to go, it will be shown what type of transport and what route number you need to get there.
Trains. On trains, the air conditioning works so well that you always want to put on something warmer. My biggest mistake was boarding a train for over an hour in shorts and a T-shirt. I was shaking the whole way. There are many high-speed trains in China with the help of which you can cover a very decent distance in an hour or three. It’s bad that these trains don’t always go in the directions you’d like to go. By the way, on all trains you will always be given a free bottle of water. I saw long-distance trains only from the outside and I didn’t like them: three levels of shelves, you can buy standing seats (and stand for, for example, 15 hours!), seated, recumbent and luxury recumbent (lux = Russian compartment, not SV). Airplane. Among the Chinese companies, I used China Southern Airlines and I didn’t like it: on long flights they don’t always provide earplugs, the food is disgusting, and they don’t provide a toothbrush and toothpaste. Moreover, they do not have large planes, so in economy there are no personal televisions. Airfare prices in Europe are more reasonable than in China.
About the toilet This topic deserves a separate post. Can you imagine a hole in the floor that someone decided to decorate by giving it a ceramic form? - This is the local toilet. (In my opinion, something similar comes to mind when I remember going to the restroom at a dacha railway station during the USSR.) These toilets are still being built in new class A shopping complexes (in A+ it’s still a familiar option to us) . They are at all train stations, airports, in the lion's share of local restaurants... The Chinese believe that this is more hygienic, but I could not see hygiene in the gender described. About medicine Medicine in China is expensive. Ambulances come only for money, the health insurance system is poorly developed and there is no government support. There are also no clinics here, only hospitals, where you don’t really have to be sick to visit a doctor, and private clinics. I went to a private clinic once, paid 12,500 rubles for an examination, and realized that I would never return there again. Once I was in the hospital and I also realized that I didn’t want to go there anymore... You can buy everything in pharmacies without a prescription, the problem is that everyone writes in Chinese. You have to tell the pharmacist the active ingredient of the drug in English and hope that you are understood correctly. Local tablets differ from European ones in that they must be eaten 3-4 at a time, otherwise they do not work. (When I had a cold, I took 12 tablets a day.) About beauty salons I’ve never seen chipped nail polish on Chinese women’s nails: either there’s no polish, or it looks like it’s all been applied. Manicure and pedicure are trimmed, for both procedures together in the basic version the price ranges from 400 to 1500 rubles. There are no special chairs anywhere: just chairs with cushions of varying degrees of cleanliness. Hair styling costs rubbish from 100 to 800 rubles, but a good professional hairdryer will only be available in “expensive” places. It is very difficult for people of European type to find a good place for a haircut and coloring: the Chinese have completely different hair, and they do not know how to work with ours. Massage is everywhere, any kind. Starting from 125 rubles for 40 minutes of massage of the feet and back, in an unpresentable place, ending with a two-hour full body massage for 5800 rubles. at the Ritz. All salon procedures that are not popular among the local population are obscenely expensive. Hardware cosmetology is not developed at all, despite the mass production of the devices themselves. As an example: LPG 5500 rub. in 30 minutes. Solarium 450 rubles for 8 minutes in a cabin that is very far from modern. Anti-cellulite wrap - 5800 rubles, done only at the Ritz. Epilation - wax, the rest is not worth even dreaming about, bikini - 2500 rubles. and they don’t know how to do it. To be fair, it should be noted that other places can be epilated cheaply. In general, Chinese women are not afraid to walk around with hairy legs and even hairier armpits... With cosmetology, in our usual understanding of the word, everything here is extremely neglected. About clothes I would like to immediately debunk the myth about cheap and good shopping in China, for a person accustomed to a certain level of quality of the things purchased - it is not here. I have several friends who believe that they produce luxury products in Chinese factories - bags, wallets. When I look at things, I think that people have never even seen this luxury - interesting models, but disgusting quality of leather, fittings and decoration. I am in no way saying that it is not possible to organize the production of something truly worthy, but this process will take a lot of time and effort. The Chinese and I have a different concept of product quality: they will turn a thing inside out, look at how smooth its seams are, even buying a jacket for 100 rubles on the street, but it will never occur to them to soberly evaluate the material from which it is made. The Chinese women themselves dress quite well, but as a rule, everything looks decent only from a distance of five meters. They almost never wear jeans, many wear skirts/dresses and heels. They either don’t use makeup at all, or they wear pronounced false eyelashes... In general, China is very simple in terms of clothing, like a kind of balance between Russia and Switzerland, i.e. No one will look askance at you if you dress up right in the morning, and there will be no judgmental glances if you don’t have makeup or appropriate clothes in the evening. An open neckline area is only allowed here at night. An open belly is equivalent to a bare chest for us, but at the same time, Chinese women can easily put on a skirt that looks more like a wide belt, or shorts that look like panties, and under this skirt/shorts they can put on tights with “pants”, most of which will stick out. Glasses without glasses are also very fashionable. I was at a local clothing market and saw things that looked quite decent, but there was nothing I could try on there. I was at the bag market and found something there that had become deformed after being worn for half a month. I have not been and will not go to those places where local shoes are sold... As for shopping malls, decent European brands here are 30% more expensive than in Europe/Hong Kong, and in any store the sellers will follow you on your heels, with the hope that they will still manage to sell you something... With I’ve finally given up shopping in China, since Hong Kong is only 2 hours away. About sport
The Chinese play a lot of sports. Older people do this in the mornings or evenings in parks (various types of gymnastics and martial arts - I’m not an expert and I’m not particularly interested in the names, dancing), young people in fitness centers, of which there are a lot. There are many table tennis tables in the parks. Basketball and badminton are very popular. Surprisingly, the Chinese are very bad swimmers. At sea, the lion's share of swimmers, regardless of gender and age, wear life preservers, and this despite the fact that you can only swim in strictly designated areas, limited so that even with my 160 cm height, I always reach the bottom with my feet without submerging even a part faces into the water. Local swimsuits deserve a separate topic; they are so closed (by the way, there are no thongs in regular lingerie stores) that they wildly shorten the already kilometer-long legs of Chinese women: monokinis without the slightest semblance of a neckline, with shorts and a skirt that partially covers them. In Russia/Europe they sew this only for very little girls, and even then with a more open bottom. Peculiarities of behavior of the local population The Chinese are divided into two categories: those who speak English and everyone else. The peculiarities of thinking of these groups are completely different; the first ones are very close to the European ones; the rest, of which the vast majority are, is absolutely illogical for us. I won’t write about those who can speak a foreign language, I’ll write about the rest. They never wait for other people to get out of somewhere, regardless of whether the elevator has arrived on the first floor, or the train has stopped at the platform - they won’t let you get out, they will immediately climb inside, and not along the wall, but in the very center of the passage . If you are standing and hailing a taxi, these wonderful people can easily approach from behind and stop two meters in front of you: the taxi stops next to the one who is closer. If a taxi driver stops a couple of meters from you, the Chinese will come running and get into the car first. They chew wildly not only when they eat, but also when they chew cud. Belching is also not a sign of bad upbringing. They talk very loudly. They do not like Americans and all persons without a clear national identity are classified as them. They won't sit next to you at a sushi bar because they think that sitting next to unlucky people (the Chinese love their country so much that they believe that you can only go somewhere else if you are not at all successful in your homeland) has a bad effect on their karma, but at the same time, local beggars believe that even visiting beggars are cultured people, and it is their direct duty to help their neighbors, unlike their compatriots. The Chinese are not aggressive and peaceful, you will never find yourself in a situation where you are afraid to walk down the street, but they are absolutely unclean. Spitting is officially prohibited, but 5 percent of the population does not know about this ban. A Chinese smile is a sign of embarrassment. A man, having gone on a date with a girl, will definitely remember everything that she likes and will feed her/offer her to do exactly that every subsequent time (if you like ice cream - get it at every meeting, if you like to eat sushi - go to the sushi bar...). When shopping or going to a restaurant, the man always pays. The local population is very easy-going; you can invite them somewhere right now. There is no arguing with elders here: if mom/dad/grandmother said it, then it will be so. A wedding, regardless of the age of the couple, must be approved by relatives. A woman, if she is not married, has no right to give birth to a child. If she somehow manages to do this, the child will never have a passport or other documents that would allow a normal existence (I asked if the documents could be bought - based on the answers of the interlocutors - no). They have absolutely no developed creative thinking; it is completely suppressed by the local school curriculum. (By the way, schoolchildren go to school in tracksuits) Since the country’s population is huge, each person has his own very narrow specialization: the driver of a mail delivery vehicle does not deliver it, the salesperson does not work with the cash register... In general, China reminds me of Russia in many ways 10 years ago: - there is an opportunity to make quick money; - everything is decided by the necessary acquaintances; - the more expensive it is purchased, the better the item (price is more important than quality); - boasting about how expensive you bought something or how much you spent on something is mandatory (the amount they tell you may differ several times from the real cost) - restaurants and clubs, for the most part, are only good six months after opening. P.S. Everything written is my subjective opinion, photos are my own.

Many say that life in China is good and there is great economic growth, many say that, on the contrary, it is bad.

We decided to look into this issue. Today you will learn the whole truth about how people live in China.

Comprehensive love for the state is the norm for the Chinese. What is this: a natural, voluntary impulse, “healthy” patriotism or a forced, false action that everyone has long wanted to escape from?- we will not be able to fully find out, since to do this we need to plunge into the centuries-old atmosphere of the Asian country and take many other steps to understand the inner essence of events. We can only judge from the outside, which by no means excludes the truthfulness of judgments, as well as their superficiality. One thing is clear: patriotism for the Chinese is both good and evil.

China - what is this?!

Today China is essentially two states; most countries recognize the People's Republic of China as the main one. The second state, the Republic of China, occupies a much smaller area called Taiwan (the island) and adjacent islands. The PRC is a communist state ruled by the Communist Party of China, the Republic of China is a democratic state. China was divided during the civil war that occurred after World War II.

Both of these regions call themselves China.

During the time period from the fall of the Qing dynasty to the outcome of the civil war, China was under the rule of the government Republic of China.

"..a partially recognized state in East Asia, formerly having a one-party system, widespread diplomatic recognition and control over all of China, now transformed into a democracy with limited diplomatic recognition and controlling only Taiwan and surrounding islands. She is one of the founders of the UN and previously served on the UN Security Council (in 1971, the seat of the Republic of China in the UN was transferred to the People's Republic of China)."

(Wikipedia)

The Communists, who won the civil war in 1949, took power into their own hands, and the country's former leadership moved to Taiwan.

Chinese civilization is one of the most ancient on Earth, rich in culture and history, China is one of the world's leading states.

The main state of China - the People's Republic of China - has an economic and social system - communism with elements of economic liberalization. In China, despite the fact that there is communism, own business is encouraged.

« According to the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, it is a socialist state, but about 70% of GDP is provided by private enterprises. According to amendments to the Constitution adopted in 2004, private property is “inviolable.” Officially, the PRC calls its current economic system “the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics.” Individual economists' assessments of the shape of the economy in China vary greatly."

Many popular attempts to demand political change were mercilessly suppressed. Strengthening state power, “The PRC regained Hong Kong Island from Great Britain in 1997 and Macau Island from Portugal in 1999.”

This huge Asian country ranks third in the world in terms of territory and first in population. Almost 1.5 billion Chinese make up an impressive fifth of the world's population (from 7.3 billion people).

A great power is a candidate superpower, the second economy in the world, a member of the UN Security Council, the world's largest exporter, the largest automobile manufacturer, has a large army, nuclear and other weapons, and gold and foreign exchange reserves.

Of the many peoples living in the country, 56 are recognized; they make up only 7% of the total population. The main share of those living in China are the Chinese themselves - “Han”.

The religions of China are Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and for some time now Christianity has begun to occupy a rather influential position, but “adjusted” to the pace of the state.

« The system of Christian theology must correspond to the national characteristics of China and fit into Chinese culture. This task was set by the head of the State Administration of Religious Affairs, Wang Zuoan, speaking at the “Sinicization of Christianity” forum in Shanghai. The concept of “socialism with Chinese characteristics” forms the basis of the ideology of the Chinese Communist Party.

The new Christian theology is also beginning to acquire requirements that, according to the authorities, must be taken into account when creating a version of Christianity Made in China. Thus, in his speech at a forum in Shanghai, the head of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, Wang Zuoan, emphasized that theology in Chinese should proceed from the fact that China has chosen the socialist path of development.”

(Lenta.ru)

It is also worth noting that the main “religion” of China for a long time was atheism. The “Cultural Revolution” bore fruit, and today over 62% of the Chinese population consider themselves atheists.

Belief in a state-approved religious niche is defined as “following religious practices that do not pose a threat to the security of the country.” That is, you can still believe, but carefully, with the permission of the rulers, in a limited way. The “green light” in the present for some religious movements, which were previously denied entry into the Celestial Empire, indicates that the country’s leadership understands the impossibility of maintaining the unity of the people without a spiritual background and understands the danger of a vacuum, the absence of “natural opium”, an outlet. Still, in China there is too much control to talk about the unimpeded implementation of the right to freedom of conscience and religion.

China has given the world an endless series of discoveries, while becoming the largest producer and exporter of these same discoveries. Much, from the compass, porcelain, silk, gunpowder to toilet paper, is the work of the hands and minds of the Chinese.

Almost the whole world lives according to the Chinese horoscope. Feng Shui entered the lives of those who are alien to Buddhist culture with a light tread. China also directly and firmly established itself in foreign territories through the famous “made in shina” goods. Prada, Dolce Habana for just a couple of bucks is already part of the fashion philosophy, who knows if the originals would be so popular if the availability of fakes were eliminated.

Despite the fact that the birth control policy began back in 1979, and despite - in the literal sense - harsh methods of combating increasing population growth - The Chinese are simply multiplying incredibly. What is the secret of their fertility everyone is wondering. Perhaps it’s the potions of their traditional medicine: many of the tinctures and herbs are either for increasing potency, or for fatigue and for longevity...

Perhaps the point is in patriotism breaking out beyond the boundaries of everyday life: they love the country so much that they want to give it as many creatures as possible “made” in their own image and likeness. The latter, of course, is doubtful, but we will talk about patriotism separately.

Space, nuclear, and chemical production have not left their mark on the country. In China, about a million children are born every year with anomalies and developmental defects.

Patriotism in China

Do the Chinese love their country, or are they simply forced to pretend that they love it? Naturally, there are both. But people who grew up with one-way information often have no choice.

In China, the “Golden Shield” project was put into operation in 2003: filtering Internet content in the country. Thanks to it, access to many sites is blocked that, in the opinion of the Chinese leadership, could become a threat to National Security, undermine the authority of the country, and also be simply harmful to the consciousness of citizens.

“Access to a number of foreign sites from the territory of the PRC is limited within the framework of the Golden Shield project;

Websites based in China may not link to or publish news taken from foreign news sites or media without special approval;

Web pages are filtered by keywords related to state security, as well as by a blacklist of website addresses.

A number of Western companies comply with the requirements of the Chinese authorities to limit access to information. According to Reporters Without Borders, the Chinese version of the search engine Yahoo! does not show certain information in search results

The Wikipedia website has also been repeatedly blocked in China. The reason for the blocking is due, in particular, to the description of the events in China in May-June 1989.

The system also blocks the sites of a number of religious and philosophical movements, in particular transhumanist ones.”

(Wikipedia)

This system of restrictions is also called the “Great Internet Wall of China.” There are also commentators on the Internet who, for a fee, glorify the ideology of the country’s leaders.

In general, the Celestial Empire, having realized that the Internet is not so simple, that all wars and revolutions can now start at the whiff of Twitter, put its authoritarian hand on this area.

About the Internet blockade, about the multimillion-dollar Chinese city of Shanghai, about skyscrapers that have grown out of the ground in the episode of the program “Heads and Tails”:

China, which was nurtured for centuries on imperial greatness, had dynasties of leaders as its rulers, and even despite religions and culture, called the emperor the main god, due to this desire to serve and be faithful to the goals of the state, it retained its unity. And today such a huge country with an endless army can be weak if it does not have unity(unity is the most important element of strength; it is not for nothing that the main party of Russia also contains a word with the same root as unity). And the more people there are, the more difficult it is to preserve community. Restrained and humble, he is a force, but unbridled and unhumble, he is a force that can turn against the rulers themselves. Realizing this, China is tightening the screws of restrictions more and more. After all, it is stupid to underestimate such a multi-potential country.

A civilization that has risen above the whole world, called the Celestial Empire for a reason, accustomed to receiving gifts as a sign of its respect, wants to feel its power in practice and unconditionally.

Criticism of the Chinese leadership is “exterminated” in every possible way, the state can only be praised, and national traditions are promoted. In a number of cities, all billboards with foreign goods have hieroglyphs inscriptions. National holidays are celebrated on a grand scale; every primary school student knows the geography of the country.

In 2012, an essay by a Chinese student published on Twitter received widespread attention:

“Time flies very quickly. It's almost the middle of the semester, exams are starting, I've started studying for them and I'm really nervous about taking the tests, I have to start working harder because if I don't work hard and know the material well, then my grades won't improve, and I will be scolded by my parents, if my parents scold me, then I will lose confidence in myself, if I lose confidence in myself, then I will not be able to complete my studies, if I do not complete my studies, then I will not be able to complete [university] if I won't be able to finish university then I won't be able to find a good job, if I don't find a good job then I won't be able to make money, if I won't be able to make money then I won't be able to pay taxes if I don't pay taxes, then it will be difficult for the country to pay teachers' salaries, if teachers cannot be paid, then they will not dedicate themselves to teaching, if they do not dedicate themselves to teaching, then it will hit the future of our country, if it will hit the future of our country, then It will be difficult for China to progress and the Chinese people will degenerate into a barbaric nation. If the Chinese people degenerate into a barbaric nation, then the US will begin to suspect that our country has powerful deadly weapons, if [the US begins to suspect that] our country has powerful deadly weapons, then the US will start a war against China, and World War III will break out , if the Third World War breaks out and the forces of both, the USA and China, are not enough, then they will start using nuclear weapons, if they start using nuclear weapons, then they will destroy the environment, if the environment is destroyed, then it will create a huge hole in atmosphere, if there is a huge hole in the atmosphere, then global warming will increase and glaciers at both poles will begin to melt, if glaciers melt, then the water level on Earth will rise, if the water level on Earth rises, then the entire human race will drown and die. Since this concerns the survival and safety of the entire human race, I must spend the remaining few days reviewing the material covered in order to do well on the test and thus prevent a tragedy.”

If some people found the text funny, others saw in it psychological oppression, enslavement to alien ideas from an early age, while others felt ashamed that they were not so responsible in their middle years.

In comments about the value of Chinese love for the motherland, one can find phrases about the difference between Russian and Chinese patriotism: they say that they cannot be defeated, because they are a united nation, because everything is good with them, and everything is bad with us. They are warriors, in every way they were able to raise the country, and we, Russians, consider them “people who have come in large numbers,” etc.

Those who unconditionally praise Chinese patriotism forget that we have too different mentalities for us to be able to try on Asian clothes and customs in order to find the best.

Long-known facts: the Chinese, along with their unlimited fertility, have lost all interest in the value of human life. China has a high suicide rate. In China, executions are carried out en masse for numerous crimes; in China, soups are made from premature babies. If earlier the last fact raised doubts and seemed provocative and compromising to many, today there are no secrets or innuendos: the process of preparing the dish was shown on TV, and the tasting was covered on other resources.

“The point of the information contained in textbooks and transmitted by the Chinese media is that the answer to all the hardships that the Celestial Empire has experienced can only be the revival of Chinese greatness and national pride in the heart of every Chinese. And they themselves admit on Internet forums that when asked “Why do you love China?” they answer memorized phrases from books and slogans. Often they do not have their own opinion on this matter...

...In fact, Chinese patriotism is a long-forgotten form of ethnic nationalism, which is determined by the influence of German romanticism. Sun Yat-sen was lying when he argued that Chinese nationalist ideas did not come from a foreign source, but were “transmitted to us by our forefathers.” Indeed, in the 19th century, German thinkers and philosophers first responded with the nationalism of “language, blood and land” to the conquest of the German principalities by Napoleonic armies. This concept subsequently attracted many romantics in Asian countries whose peoples felt oppressed by Western colonial powers. It is still being implemented by the CPC Central Committee to this day.”

(from the article “Chinese patriotism is based on a sense of self-humiliation”, the newspaper “Zhenmin Ribao”)

However, let’s also not react with imposed and memorized phrases. There is a lot to learn from China, but we are too different to compare our troubles and problems in the same way, much less compare each other’s level of patriotism.

China is one of the most interesting countries in the world. Taking first place in terms of population, the PRC is an advanced, strong state with an ancient, centuries-old culture and traditions. How simple, ordinary Chinese live is of interest to many who have never been to this mysterious place.

Thanks to the gradual implementation of the program to build a “moderately prosperous society,” income levels are gradually increasing, and more people than a year ago can be classified as middle class. The stereotype about poverty in China is no longer relevant. GDP has been growing steadily from year to year for the last 15 years, production, infrastructure, and transport are developing. The average salary is 905 US dollars with a cost of living of 500-800, varies in different regions.

In villages people usually live poorer, in cities they live more prosperously. The difference in income is compensated by living costs. In villages, many products are grown independently; the main costs are tools and fuel.

Housing is quite expensive; an apartment in a residential complex costs about $7,800 per square meter. Most often purchased with a mortgage:

• The maximum term is 30 years;
• Down payment from 20 to 30%;
• The average percentage is 5.

Conditions depend on income level and region of residence. There is pension provision depending on length of service and profession. Caring for elderly parents is not a necessity, but part of the culture.

Traditions

Customs and religions have developed in China for 3.5 thousand years, changing, mixing and evolving. The main religion is a mixture of Taoism, Buddhism and the teachings of Confucius. They also practice other world religions that penetrated the territory during historical interaction with other peoples. Freedom of religion is enshrined in law. Many people are surprised by how representatives of different faiths live in China without conflicts. The authorities strictly enforce the rule of law, maintaining peace.

It’s interesting: plucked flowers and given watches in China symbolize death. Bones and skeletons are not recommended for public images.

Big cities

The choice of area to live largely depends on your goals - study, business, work or leisure. Chinese cities are densely populated. The number of residents forces us to solve the issue of space with the massive construction of skyscrapers and high-rise residential complexes made of glass and concrete. Dynamic development is stimulated by the invitation of foreign specialists. Knowledge of Chinese is not always required; communication in English is often sufficient for work and communication in a large city.

The capital of the People's Republic of China with a population of about 22 million people. Residents are unhappy with air pollution problems, and the authorities are taking measures to improve the situation. It is the center of almost all areas of state life with the exception of the economy. This role historically belongs to Hong Kong and Shanghai. Accommodation is more expensive than in other places. As in other world capitals, this is due to the abundance of wealthy tourists from all over the world, a high concentration of main administrative institutions and offices of large corporations.

Despite its difficult history, Beijing has preserved quite a number of attractions and historically significant objects. Among them are:

• Part of the Great Wall;
• Summer Palace;

Tourists also visit museums, numerous parks and temples.

Along with Hong Kong, it is an important financial and business center with a population of more than 24 million inhabitants. It is among the 50 most expensive cities in the world in terms of prices, being in 47th place, behind the capital of China in 46th position. Divided into special areas for business, universities, and recreation. The authorities are constantly working to improve living conditions in the metropolis, creating more green areas and parks.

Interesting: in Shanghai, non-Chinese citizens have the right to purchase real estate. Restrictions apply in other regions.

High business activity is also due to the status of one of the world's largest ports. Historically, the city was influenced by Western countries. Nowadays, many conferences, meetings, and the best international exhibitions are held here. Entire streets are dedicated to shopping lovers. Nightlife is well developed with many clubs, bars and discos. Having visited the Chinese resort islands, tourists come here for additional experiences.

The third largest city in China with a population of more than 10 million people. A center of trade and the main transshipment point for many goods. A giant market and business center for wholesale buyers. Many enterprises are located here, in a special industrial zone. Various light industry products are often labeled “made in China, manufactured in Guangzhou province.” An important center of life in southern China, like Beijing and Shanghai, it includes many tourist attractions, universities and cultural centers.

Many things surprise and shock our people. The difference between Eastern and Western mentalities is reflected. The language barrier adds to the difficulty in understanding each other.

Learning Chinese is not always easy, even for those who have lived in the country for some time. The basis of the language is a multitude of hieroglyphs and their combinations that change the meaning of the word and unusual pronunciation. The confusion comes from the many dialects. Classic, pure language can only be heard on state channels. The largest number of English-speaking people in the world live in China, but you can meet them mainly in large cities. Most people speak Chinese and its dialects all their lives.

• WiChat. Instead of whatsapp;
• Weibo. Similar to Twitter;
• Baidu. Notice board, forum;
• Renren. Replaces Facebook.

Spicy food with specific smells and a frightening appearance is unusual for Russians. Animals, insects, snakes - the locals eat almost everything that moves. Residents talk loudly and often spit in public places.

In Eastern culture, women have historically occupied a subordinate position. Life in China changed radically for the better after the revolution in the mid-20th century. Mao Zedong declared that “women hold up half the sky.” The fair sex received equal rights with men, but old stereotypes are still alive.

Chinese women do not always receive equal pay to the stronger sex in similar positions. High level of domestic violence. But the situation is improving every year as society develops. It is possible to meet women in politics and business in important positions.

They know how to appreciate rest. They love to walk in landscaped courtyards, gardens and parks with water canals. In places of public recreation they spend time usefully - they train, practice gymnastics, play board games, and communicate. They love to eat well and tasty. The national cuisine is varied, but unusual for Europeans.

The Chinese strive for collectivism, in contrast to the European desire for independence and individual expression. The basis of philosophy is the path to the goal, and not the fastest achievement. Status and a beautiful photo mean a lot. Those with an Eastern mentality are prone to showing off and exaggerating their position in front of others.

Notable: Constant fear of getting into a shameful situation, losing face.

Traditions, customs and superstitions often govern the behavior of the Chinese. Food and drink play a big role; just remember the famous tea ceremony. Many superstitions are related to money. The Chinese gamble, banknotes are given in envelopes on holidays instead of cards, and special banknotes are burned for the spirits of ancestors during the ritual.

China is becoming more open. Foreign specialists are invited to work, students are welcome to study under international programs, and tourists are always welcome. Despite the difference in mentality, ordinary Chinese for the most part are simple people with standard joys and problems.

For the whole world and for Russia, China is a developing trading platform where you can start a business from scratch and make a successful career as an entrepreneur. Despite the fact that China is famous for its extensive market of goods and services, with a whole city of goods for shipment, the standard of living, according to representatives of other countries, is lower here, since every person does not have days off and works hard to earn a living , and therefore information about how people live in China is often distorted.

Standard of living in China compared to Russia

Information constantly appears in the media about the low standard of living of many Chinese and how bad they live in China. The main argument is that the concept of the middle class is absent due to the fact that the main population is below the poverty line. At the moment the information is not current.

If we compare China and Russia, today the Chinese live no worse than the Russians, if you answer the question of how ordinary people live in China. Over the course of a year, the average representative of China receives from 145 to 986,000 rubles, while in our country this figure is much lower. However, when calculating, it is important to remember the gradation.

It is enough for a village resident to earn 6 thousand rubles to live well, while a representative of the Beijing middle class needs at least 12 thousand rubles. for life. As for the age of average life expectancy, in Chinese cities and villages it is 76 years, while in Russia it is 70 years.

How do the Chinese live in small towns and big cities?

How is life in China? In 2019, more than 2/3% of the population lives in large cities. Every second resident comes from a rural area. Such people happily live in the frantic rhythm of the metropolis and are happy to overpay for benefits. Megacities are more often chosen because of the opportunity to dress well (it is not very cheap), have personal cars, purchase housing and buy a more modern gadget. China: how do ordinary people live? Like other countries, the country has poor and rich people who get along well together. All residents are equal. It is this fact that explains their tolerance and tolerance towards others.

How is the day of an ordinary citizen?

Looking through the pages with information “China, how people live,” you can find out the following: The day of an ordinary Chinese, regardless of social status, begins on average at 5-6 in the morning. After getting up, in the period between waiting for a bus or train in the metro, exercise is done and breakfast is taken (as a rule, it is porridge from millet or rice). From 7 am classes begin in schools, universities and work begins. According to labor legislation, the working day lasts 8 hours. In fact, it can take 10-12 hours. 4 out of 10 people have the opportunity to take paid or sick leave. At 12 o'clock there is a break for 1 hour at each workplace. In schools and offices, this is time for sleep or rest. At 6 pm break for dinner. At 20.00 people return home. Therefore, it is good to do this, since the people are very hardworking.

Culture and traditions of China

The culture and traditions of the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom are connected with history and professed religions. In the west there is an Islamic community with customs and traditions characteristic of such peoples, in the south and west - Confucianism, Diaoism and Buddhism. Representatives of these religious movements have different traditions, but there is a common common norm. It concerns gift giving. When the Chinese go to visit, they always bring wine with tea or sweets. In this case, there must be an even number of gifts. Otherwise, you can upset the owners, because all odd numbers are unlucky. In addition, gifts should not be black or white. Also, you cannot give them in the amount of 4 pieces. The Celestial Empire is also famous for its pearls. It's better to go to Shanghai. The PRC is engaged in the cultivation of cultured pearls using Japanese technology, which is kept secret.