Tag: culture and understanding

Understanding Chinese Thinking:

The 24 Solar Terms Today is the ninth of October. The Chinese international school where I work has just put a message on its social media to remind all employees that today is the day of ‘Cold Dew’ which in Chinese is 寒露. ‘Cold Dew’ is a day that marks the changing seasons, specifically telling us to expect colder weather as we approach the end of Autumn. So what is ‘Cold Dew’ and why is this reminder important to my colleagues? Cold Dew is one of the 24 solar terms. Broadly the seasons in China follow the same pattern as […]

From China, ketchup for your chips!

These days of course we are increasingly used to the idea of buying manufactured goods from China. But here’s an astonishing fact that will change the way you see the interdependence between China and the world. Fully one quarter of the tomato ketchup now consumed in the world is grown and produced in China – yes, one in every four bottles! What are the facts behind this remarkable story? The first part of the puzzle is that the growing of tomatoes has become a significant part of Chinese agriculture. In 2021 China processed 4.8 million tonnes of tomatoes, 12% of […]