Every country has its own culture, and China is of no exception here. Many foreigners, after living in China for several years, have noticed some drastic differences between the western culture and the Chinese culture. They’re also baffled by some Chinese people’s habits that can be observed in their daily life. In this article, we’re going to find out some interesting features about Chinese people’s daily life. Let’s answer the question together: Why do Chinese people do that?

1. Drinking hot water

Don’t feel surprised if your Chinese friend recommends you drink hot water when you’ve caught a cold. According to the traditional Chinese medicine, drinking hot water can effectively confront minor illnesses such as cold or fatigue. In addition, it’s also believed to be a good way to prevent chronic disease.

2. Saving money

Most Chinese people more or less have some savings. In China, many people are constantly bothered by a feeling of “insecurity” due to the fact that the social welfare system hasn’t been well developed yet. Another thing is that housing prices have soared in the past few years, therefore, Chinese people would like to save money in case they need medical treatment or want to buy a house.

3. Having dinner at 6 pm

There’re two significant differences between the western culture and the Chinese culture in terms of dining. First of all, Chinese people usually use chopsticks when they’re eating, whereas in western countries, people have got used to eating with forks. The second difference is that in China, people normally have dinner around six in the evening. However, this would be too early for people from the West, as they prefer to have dinner somewhere around eight or half-past.

4. Growing their own vegetables

In China, people living in rural areas often grow their own vegetables instead of buying them on the market. It’s said that these vegetables are safer because they don’t contain any food additives. Growing your own vegetables is also a good way to make some extra money as you can choose to sell your vegetables as well.

5.  Avoiding the sun at all costs

Young girls in China desperately want to look white, and that’s why whitening cream is so popular in China. Chinese girls always take good care of their skin and do whatever they can to avoid exposure to the sun to protect their skin. Many foreigners find it strange when they see Chinese girls using umbrellas on a sunny day, well, that’s because of the importance of “looking white”.

6. Doing everything on WeChat

Nowadays Chinese people can’t live without smartphones as different apps make life much easier. WeChat is the most downloaded app in China, and it’s not just a communication tool. People in China use WeChat to make payments, book tickets, pay bills, etc, which means one can get by in China purely with the help of WeChat. While people around the world are getting addicted to the use of smartphones, Chinese people’s life, to a large extent, depends on the use of smartphones.

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