What are the major differences between Chinese and Western cultures?

Here are 8 illustrations which juxtaposes the cultures of the West (blue) and East (red). These are generalizations, of course, so these illustrations aren’t true of all Chinese people or Westerners.

1) Dealing with problems.

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2) The individual.

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3) Transportation.

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4) Expressing an opinion.

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5) Sunshine.

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6) Society and senior citizens.

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7) Networking.

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8) Streets on Sundays.

All images are from a book by Yang Liu, a designer who moved from Beijing to Berlin at the age of 13. Her book was published in 2007.

My own background, in case you’re interested. I was born in Taipei and lived there for 8 years. Then I immigrated to California and have lived here ever since. I’m in my mid-20s.

Having lived in China for about 4 years now and in the USA for over 14 years I think I’m well qualified to shed some light on this matter.

And since I’m neither Chinese nor a Westerner, you can be assured I won’t be sugar-coating anything or favor one over the other. These are simply my observations.

The biggest difference I discovered between the two, at a fundamental level is their priorities. Chinese culture tends to prioritize the result or the end whereas Western society prioritizes the process or the means.

China is Outcome-Driven

To put it very bluntly, China cares more about money than the west. The ideal outcome that every Chinese person strives for is to have more money. Yes, money is EXTREMELY important in Chinese culture because it guarantees security for the family. They have no social safety net to fall back on. And the memories of the difficult times is still fresh in the minds of the older generations.

This is why it is extremely important in Chinese culture to have your own house and car to show people that you have wealth. You’ve made it. How you attain that wealth is not really important or up for discussion, as long as you reach that status or checkmark. Life is brutal and unforgiving. It is a culture where they respect power and money more than anything else.

Chinese are also more productive and industrious at the business level. There is less red tape or regulations to deal with so they get $hit done. Competition is fierce because everyone is hustling to outgrow and out-compete and out-produce you. The Chinese are remarkably pragmatic and solution-oriented people.

Since Chinese culture focuses on results, people tend to be more successful in life. They are good at “obtaining” things like permits, quotas, meeting deadlines or requirements, etc.

The West is System-Driven

While China is an outcome-driven culture, the west is a system-driven one. The outcome is important, but what’s more important in western culture is the processes and the art that you use to reach that outcome.

That is why in the west it’s taboo to ask someone how much he/she makes. What’s more important is what the person does for a living.

In business, the Chinese will focus on reducing costs and increasing efficiency while Westerners, especially Europeans, will care more about how that product is made and provide valuable experiences with that product.

To illustrate this let’s look at watches. The Quartz watch was perfected by the Japanese, an eastern culture similar to the Chinese. It was revolutionary because it was more precise than mechanical watches. A perfect example of focusing on the outcome. The desired outcome of the watch is to tell the time as accurately as possible at the lowest cost. Japan delivers. However, can a Casio G-Shock watch evoke the same kind of experience and emotion as a Rolex or a Vacheron Constantin can? Probably not. Even though they are less accurate, there’s something special about these mechanical watches in how they are made and the history that a Casio can never compete with.

In western culture feelings or experiences are important while they are suppressed in eastern cultures. Westerners will say things like “how are you feeling today?” “how do you feel about bla bla bla?” etc. This is rare in China. The west has a more literary and artistic output from the west.

Living in Asia I noticed how westerners are just wired differently from East Asians. They will have tons of small talk even at work, talking about the news or some difficulties they encountered on their way to work that day, trivial affairs that are never really the topic of conversation among the Chinese. For the Chinese, they made it to work on time, there’s nothing more to say on the matter.

Since western culture focuses on the how, it is an extremely legalistic or litigious society. In the west, a company must abide by certain regulations or codes. For example, they have to follow specific animal protection laws when making leather products. So generally it’s more costly to get things done in the west. That’s why so many businesses have moved their productions to China where the regulations are lax.

Westerners also tend to be more inquisitive. Science has traditionally been a forte of western culture. And science is really about taking things apart and learning how they work, learning the processes and the mechanics. While westerners are very good at discovering new ideas, the theoretical department, the Chinese are experts at commercializing those ideas and implementing them in a practical setting.

To sum up the global economy today: The west supplies the designs, China implements those designs. Be it iPhones or Shanghai skyscrapers.

Collectivism vs Individualism

The second biggest difference between China and the west is that the former is a collectivist or conformist society, while the latter is an individualistic society.

China as a whole is much more unified and centralized than the west. The Chinese practice conformity to a truly remarkable extent, largely due to its Confucius and Communist past. You could be thousands of miles away in a different city in China and still expect to find the same kind of architecture, shops, signage, amenities, etc. There’s both the upside and downside to this. It can be a tad boring to see the same stuff everywhere you go, but it affords a certain level of convenience. This is why I think there is a stronger sense of national identity in China.

The West is more individualistic and this is reflected in the political landscape. Europe is a fragmented continent. It is divided into many small countries which are in turn divided into many small regions and towns. And each of these regions and towns has its distinct culture, architecture, customs, and sometimes even languages.

For example, Scotland has its own separate unique identity that is different from the UK or Europe. And Scotland is a country of only about 5 million people. Many medium-sized cities in China have more people than the entire country of Scotland. The same goes for regions like Wales, Northern Ireland, Cornwall, Andalucia, Catalunya, Bavaria, Veneto, Flanders, etc.

Here are some illustrations that demonstrate the differences between the Chinese mindset and the Western mindset.

While the West “blesses” someone after sneezing, Chinese people don’t.

Because the Chinese are very family-oriented, living with parents when you’re 22 is far from an issue.

“There’s a Chinese saying ‘三思而后行,’ which means to think three times before taking actions. In history, the Chinese highly value reflection and past experience.

Chinese tend to be more familiar with political figures rather than artists and scientists.

It’s often hard to accept compliments when you’re Chinese.

Chinese people love food. There are thousands upon thousands of different Chinese cooking styles and cuisines. Food is not just ‘fuel’ for the body, but a pleasure, an art, and a way of socializing. That’s why Chinese people love asking friends and family out to eat dinner at a restaurant.