Report on Chinese Tradition - Research Paper Example

04 October Chinese tradition: This paper is primarily based on discussing the veryimportant features associated with Chinese tradition which is one of the oldest and most complex traditions in the world. Overlooking the four most important elements when discussing Chinese tradition would be a great mistake since each of these elements has a difficult yet nice history associated with them. Therefore, it can be said that cuisine, housing, transportation, and clothing together form the base of Chinese tradition, and each of these core elements will be assessed in this paper historically as well.

Facts and discussion presented in this paper are basically meant to highlight the reality of the claim that “over time, the Chinese tradition has remained successful in maintaining its uniqueness and it is still considered highly different and surprising considering the elements of thoughtful and catchy beliefs and philosophies which are too prominent in everything to remain ignorant to.” Striking the right balance between taste and health benefits gains love for Chinese food due to the fact that herbal plants began to be used in Chinese cuisine before they were thought about as food ingredients anywhere else in the world.

So many food philosophies were created in ancient China which claimed that food should necessarily include a broad range of flavors so that the basic nutritional requirements of a human body could be met in a good way. Using herbal plants in the food in a way that leaves a very big impression in one’s mind is basically a practical application of the belief that food and medicine share the same origin, which is a part of Chinese tradition. Chinese philosophers have always stressed on adding health benefits like longevity and medicinal values to the food and using less fatty ingredients.

“A good Chinese food is prepared with poly unsaturated oils and does not use milk based ingredients like cream, butter and cheese” (Health Benefits of Chinese Foods). The element of symmetry is too obvious in Chinese housing/architecture while specially focusing on width which sets the Chinese tradition in contrast with the Western culture which lays stress on height in architecture, thus proving the reality of the claim that Chinese culture is every bit as unique in architecture as in cuisine.

Appreciating the basic skill with which such traditional style buildings are constructed by expert Chinese builders is hard to resist because every minute detail is worked on in a good way (ChinatownConnection). The lovely aspect of the architecture which gets it different from the other building styles practiced around the world is that the interior of buildings is designed in such a way that it highly reflects Chinese social and ethical values. It is also nice to mention that in contrast to other architectures, wood is used as the main constructing material in Chinese architecture owing to the fact that wood represents life in Chinese culture.

China has rapidly modernized itself in transportation over the past years while this is an interesting fact that no form of wheeled vehicle existed in China prior to 1200 BC. According to one source, about 300 million bicycles are currently being used in China which sets this country in huge contrast with other countries (Transport in China). While in ancient China, transportation was really poor in condition, nowadays a vast network of transport is currently thriving in China. Historical documents say that for a very long time in China, low-speed means of transportation remained in practice in spite of the fact that world outside China had changed much in terms of transportation.

It took China many years to change its transportation style and invest in fast-speed trains, planes, and buses. “With an aggressive effort since 1949, by the Chinese government to improve their country, a comprehensive transportation system was created. It consisted of railways, highways, airplanes” (ChinaHighlights). According to a report published by (Thinkquest Team), Chinese clothing creates a huge influence on the tourists in terms of beauty, style, and decor, thus making Chinese tradition unique and exceptional.

Currently, fashion designers in China are seen focused on creating a good blend of ancient and modern ideas so that new lines of clothing could be produced, which would go along the cultural and modern fashion philosophies. Considering the highly good approach in fashion, Chinese people are focused on welcoming the internationally recognized styles and use them in their native traditions. Concluding, Chinese beliefs and philosophies make the Chinese culture stand out from the mainstream and reflect its own individualistic identity.

Given the huge popularity gained by Chinese cuisine around the world, there remains no confusion in the claim that individuality clearly defines the structural framework of Chinese tradition. Keeping up with specialty is not an easy job and yet, Chinese people have maintained being genuine and different considering the amazing yet simple beauty of traditional style Chinese buildings which have such a good interior while an impressive and catchy exterior. China has seen an abrupt improvement in her logistic system and yet, with more emphasis on bicycles than other means of transport, Chinese logistic system does it bit to define the uniqueness of the Chinese culture.

Works cited: ChinaHighlights. “China Transportation.” 1998. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. ChinatownConnection. “The Art of Chinese Architecture.” 2005. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. “Health Benefits of Chinese Foods.” 2011. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. Thinkquest Team. “Living and Values.” 1998. Web. 04 Oct. 2011. Transport in China. “Back to a Trip to China.” 2006. Web. 04 Oct. 2011.