While most countries celebrate the New Year on 1.1, according to the Chinese calendar the new year begins on the new moon that appears between 21 January and 20 February, which will appear on 5 February this year. Also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year, it is celebrated for 15 days. The different cycles of the Chinese calendar are fascinating, and include the 12-year cycle of the animal zodiac, a 10-year cycle associated with one of the five elements of Chinese astrology: wood, fire, water, metal and earth, and a cycle of these elements every two years. Chinese astrology also attributes characteristics to each zodiac year and specifies dates specifically suited for successful decision making.
How do you say innovative in Chinese?
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Singles Day, Alibaba’s marketing gimmick in China, had another record-breaking day in 2018, racking in $30.8 billion in sales in one day, more than Black Friday and Cyber Monday together(!).
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Disappearing cash: China is rapidly approaching a cashless stage, taking cash out of circulation and transitioning to digital wallet payments. Want to buy a carton of milk? Make sure you have your mobile phone with you.
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Will the mobile payment platforms soon be outdated? People in China may soon pay with virtually nothing but – themselves, with facial recognition as the new payment method. As in many other fields, physical products and physical means of payment are disappearing.
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Free downloading: China comprises 15% of the world’s population, but accounted for nearly half of the app downloads in 2018 worldwide.
Culture and Business in China:
Parent visit law – if your parents are 60+ years of age, Chinese law requires you to visit them on a regular basis.
Business card etiquette – in China business card exchange is a ceremony with do’s and don’ts. Make sure to take the card given to you with both hands and to give your business card with two hands. Give the card with your name facing the person, and bow your head a little. After receiving the card don’t forget to study it for a while as a way of showing gratitude.
Tested on animals under the auspices of the law – East versus west anyone? While in Europe testing products on animals is prohibited, under current Chinese law all cosmetic products must be tested on animals in order to be sold in China.
WeChat and we do everything else as well – imagine a world in which you pay the rent, schedule a doctor’s appointment, find parking and a date and download coupons - all using WhatsApp. This is exactly what the Chinese do with WeChat,– also known as China’s “app for everything” and “super app” because of its wide range of functions and platforms.
Hard to get – do you plan to bring a gift to your Chinese friend? Plan to work hard. The Chinese recipient will often decline the gift at least twice or three times before accepting, so as not to appear greedy. If you persist and insist, your friend may finally accept your gesture.
