Just in time for the beginning of the Year of the Water Tiger, we turn our gaze eastward in February - to China! The New Year is considered the most important Chinese holiday, although it is more of a celebration week. The country is also otherwise rich in traditions and history, the traces of which are reflected in many parts of East Asia. As an important economic power, the country with the largest population in the world also plays a significant global role.  We would like to share a few impressions of the incredibly diverse People's Republic with you here.

With the "Partner Country of the Month" campaign, we want to shine a spotlight on the countries, regions and partner universities of TU Dresden that don't necessarily come to our students' minds first for a semester abroad.

Table of contents

1. 1. General facts and figures about China
   2. Did you know that ....?
   3. Cooperation with TU Dresden
   4. Don't miss...
   5. Let's get cooking...
   6. Contact and further contact persons
      1. Do you want to get first-hand information?
   7. Partner Countries Archive

General facts and figures about China

Capital: Beijing
Population: 1.411.780.000 (2020)
Official languages: Mandarin and officially recognized regional languages
National holiday: October 1 (Foundation of the People's Republic of China)
Currency: Renminbi / Chinese Yuan (元), 1 Euro = 7,19 Yuan

Further facts and figures can be found on wikipedia, on China.org, or e.g. on Gov.cn.

Small language excursion:

• Hello - 你好 Nǐ hǎo
• How are you? - 你好吗? Nǐ hǎo ma?
• My name is ... - 我姓 ... Wǒ xìng ...
• How much is this? - 多少钱? Duō shao qián?
• Thank you - 谢谢 Xièxie
• Bye - 再见 Zàijiàn

There are over 300 different dialects and languages spoken in China - since the 1980s, High Chinese (Mandarin) has been the official language taught throughout the country. English is only common in larger cities among younger people.

The Chinese character system is one of the oldest in the world, the first evidence is found carved in so-called bone oracles around 1600 to 1000 BC. It is the only alphabet of antiquity that is still in use today. For those who cannot read the characters, the Latin transcription, called Pinyin, which transcribes the sounds, can help.

The rumor persists that Chinese is difficult to learn. There is certainly some truth in this, because the characters are not based on the reproduction of uniform sounds, but refer to semantic, i.e. meaning-giving, elements, so that syllables with the same sound can be clarified by different characters. So it is no wonder that the Chinese writing system has a lot of characters, in fact there are about 100.000. BUT: many of them are no longer in use, so that most texts can be understood well even with the knowledge of 2.500 to 5.000 characters. Another bonus of the language is the relatively simple Chinese grammar.

If you would like to know more about the language or would like to learn it, you are welcome to take a look at TUDIAS or attend courses at the Volkshochschule.

In order to be able to study the People's Republic of China in more detail, there are various support programs and scholarships through which one can gain authentic impressions of the country and its people. The following are just a few examples:

Bildungsbrücke MINT (the current application deadline for program participation beginning September 2022 is February 20, 2022).

Sprache und Praxis in der VR China (DAAD Scholarship)

Did you know that ....?

• Laughter is an important means of communication in China? Chinese people often laugh even in situations where it might seem unusual or inappropriate. It is meant to help relax the discourse.
• very great importance is attached to table manners? While there is no need to be embarrassed about smacking and slurping, one should, among other things, attach importance to the correct use of chopsticks (do not insert them vertically into the rice) and be careful not to leave any rice in the bowl. Also, do not refuse food or drinks offered - that is considered ignorant.

• Dresden has a twin city in China since 2009? In the Middle Ages, Hangzhou was already considered the "greatest city in the world" in Marco Polo's description, and today it is an important economic center, producing green tea and silk, among other things. European flair can also be found: in a suburb of the city, parts of Paris have been recreated, so that you can visit the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe there.

• it is rare to find a room with the number 4 in a hotel? The number 4 is pronounced in a similar way to the Chinese word for "death" and is therefore considered an unlucky number. Similarly, the word for "shoe". Since this is pronounced similarly to "unhealthy/bad", one should avoid buying new shoes during the New Year's days in order not to scare away good luck for the New Year. The color red, on the other hand, is considered a lucky charm.

Cooperation with TU Dresden

You can find an overview of all cooperations of TU Dresden that you can use for your exchange in our database. It is also often worth your time to ask professors in your own faculty who might have direct contacts to your partner university of choice.

Cooperations of TU Dresden with universities in China

• Southwestern University of Finance and Economics
  • Faculty cooperation in economics
• Beihang University, TUDworldwide (all faculties, except medicine)
• Zhejiang University, TUDworldwide (all faculties, except medicine)

Don't miss...

Xi'an. One of the oldest cities in China, once the starting point of the Silk Road, has been famous, especially since 1974, for the discovery of the Terracotta Army. The more than 7,000 clay soldiers guarding the tomb of China's first emperor all have their own uniforms and individual faces. Also worth seeing is the Muslim quarter in the city with mosque and oriental market.

Huanglong. A very special atmosphere radiates from the park, also known as a world wonder or fairyland, where a multitude of limestone ponds are terraced, creating thousands of pools with crystal clear water and breathtaking colors. The area has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1992.By the way, Huanglong means golden dragon - the name comes from the fact that the sinter terraces formation looks like a giant golden dragon seen from above, winding its way through the pristine forest and snow-capped peaks.

The Bridge of the Immortals. In the Huangshan Mountains, also known as the Yellow Mountains, there is the highest bridge in the world - at 1320m above sea level. Until 1987, locals crossed the precipice via a hanging construction - many fell in the course of this, hence the name of the bridge, which is now safe for pedestrians. If you have the courage to climb the heights, you will be rewarded with a spectacular view of the unique granite stone formations, which are thousands of years old and have been shaped by ice ages and weather.

Pingyao. If you want to experience China in its originality, you should make a detour to

Pingyao - the city has hardly changed externally for 700 years and gives an excellent impression of the historical cityscape from the Ming era with a completely preserved city wall and the multi-level market tower.

Zhangjiajie National Park. The association with the science fiction film "Avatar" is no coincidence when looking at the filigree karst pillars, as these are said to have served as inspiration for the landscape of the fictional Earth-like moon Pandora. Other highlights of the park include waterfalls, dense primeval forests, karst caves with impressive flora and fauna, and the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, which can be crossed via a glass-bottomed suspension bridge.

Street Food in Beijing. Night markets and food streets are becoming increasingly popular not only among locals but also among visitors to Chinese cities. Here you can get typical snacks at a reasonable price, try exotic dishes and get an authentic insight into Chinese cuisine. Take a look at the huge Wangfujing Food Market, which is open 24 hours a day, or make a detour to Qianmen Food Street, where you can also find numerous tea houses and try the Wu Yu Tai ice cream with interesting varieties, such as matcha or jasmine tea.

Let's get cooking...

Chinese cuisine is characterized by strong regional differences. According to a proverb, the north of the country prefers salty food, while the south is dominated by sweet dishes, and while the west likes sour food, the east loves spicy food. While the north also has Mongolian influences and many cereals are on the menu, sugar cane is often used in the south.

Surely everyone is familiar with the dish "Peking duck", otherwise the Chinese cuisine has enriched us, for example, with tofu and soy sauce and green tea. Dairy products are rather rare in China, which is also due to the fact that a large part of the population is lactose intolerant. In general, many animal ingredients are used in China and fish and meat are often on the menu. For vegetarians, Buddhist or Daoist cuisine is therefore recommended.

Dim Sum

Spain has tapas, Italy has antipasti, and China has dim sum. The dish originated in Cantonese cuisine, but is now eaten everywhere in China in modified versions.  The term means "appetizers that warm the heart" and refers to a snack that, depending on how it is prepared, can be eaten at any time of day, from breakfast to afternoon tea time to a midnight snack.

Ingredients for 4 portions

For the dough:

200 wheat starch (alternatively, you can buy wan tan sheets directly or get 300g ready-made dumpling dough).

For the filling:

125 g shrimps
 ½ onion
 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
 1 tbsp. sesame oil
 Pepper from the mill
 salt
 6 tbsp. soy sauce
 4 tbsp. wine vinegar

You will also need a steamer

Preparation

1. make a smooth dough from wheat starch and about 80 ml of hot water. To do this, add the water in small amounts. Roll out the dough thinly and cut out circles of approx. 8-10 cm in size.

2. clean shrimps and chop finely.  Peel half of the onion and chop it as well. Mix shrimp with onion, ginger, sesame oil, pepper, and salt.

3. Place the filling in the center of the dough circles. Fold dough circles together, pressing firmly while folding seam side into seam side. There should be something like a zig-zag seam.

4. cook dim sum in bamboo basket over steam for 10 minutes. For the sauce, mix soy sauce and wine vinegar and serve.

(Thanks to EatSmarter! for the recipe idea).

This is just one way you can prepare dim sum - you can find many more variations at The Spruce Eats for example!

Great visual impressions of Chinese cuisine are also offered by the videos of Dianxi Xiaoge- maybe there is one or the other inspiration for you!

Contact and further contact persons

Have you had any great experiences in China? Did you successfully spend a semester abroad in Beijing, did you have inspiring culinary experiences or do you have any tips for places and things you shouldn't miss? We would be happy to share your experiences either here, on Facebook or, if you like, in a digital information event with other TUD students. Get in touch with us:

Do you want to get first-hand information?

Would you like to know more about China? Ask our regional ambassadors - TUD alumni who are active in many countries around the world and can give you tips and advice for your stay.

Getting in touch is very easy: On the interactive world map, markers indicate the cities where the regional ambassadors live. A short profile is stored for each one - so you can easily get in touch with them: https://tu-dresden.de/regionalbotschafter/weltkarte

Partner Countries Archive

Have you missed a partner country? Don't worry! Here we collect all pages of the previous months for you to read up on:

January 2022: Iceland

December 2021: Russia
November 2021: Romania
October 2021: Mexico
July 2021: Sweden
June 2021: Taiwan
May 2021: Netherlands
April 2021: Vietnam
February 2021: Czech Republic
January 2021: Brazil

December 2020: Austria
November 2020: India
October 2020: Estonia
July 2020: South Korea
June 2020: Hungary