Traditional Culture, Philosophy, Religion and Customs (传统文化与宗教民俗)
What this domain tests
You must explain Chinese thought and custom accurately to foreigners and to domestic guests, distinguish philosophy from religion, and know the etiquette expected inside temples, mosques and churches.
Thought systems
- 儒家: Confucius (551–479 BCE); core ideas 仁, 礼, 中庸, 和而不同; the Four Books (大学、中庸、论语、孟子) and Five Classics; Mencius argued human nature is good, Xunzi that it is bad and must be shaped by ritual.
- 道家: Laozi's 《道德经》, 道法自然 and 无为; Zhuangzi's 逍遥.
- 佛家: entered China around the late Western Han / early Eastern Han; the White Horse Temple at Luoyang is dated to 68 CE; Chan Buddhism and Huineng.
- 法家 and 墨家: law and statecraft; 兼爱非攻.
Religion today
Five recognised religions: Buddhism, Daoism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestant Christianity; freedom of religious belief is constitutionally guaranteed. Site etiquette: dress modestly, lower the voice, do not touch ritual objects, ask before photographing clergy or worshippers, do not walk in front of people praying.
Customs and festivals
Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Qingming, Dragon Boat, Qixi, Mid-Autumn, Double Ninth; the 24 solar terms (UNESCO intangible heritage, 2016); the twelve zodiac animals; tea and banquet seating conventions; Peking opera with its 生旦净丑 role types (UNESCO, 2010).
Commentary boundaries
Separate legend from recorded history, avoid fortune-telling or predictions, and respect ethnic and religious taboos.
Worked example
A guest asks, "Was Laozi the founder of Daoism?" Answer: Laozi is the founder of the Daoist philosophical school; Daoism as an organised religion formed in the Eastern Han, conventionally traced to Zhang Daoling's Five Pecks of Rice movement, which venerated Laozi as 太上老君. The distinction prevents a common misunderstanding spread by temple guides.
Traps that cost marks
- Treating Confucianism as a religion with clergy and scripture in the Western sense.
- Dating Buddhism's arrival to the Tang.
- Mixing up 七夕 (Qixi) with 清明 (Qingming) when explaining festivals.