Learn Chinese: culture of Unit 9

The dialogue of Unit 9 revolves around dates, travel plans and Bái Xuě's academic schedule in Beijing. A good opportunity to see how the calendar works in China, how long university studies last, and why hundreds of millions of people take to the road at the same time every winter.

1. The Chinese calendar

In daily life, China uses the Gregorian calendar (called "solar", 阳历 yánglì), the same one used in most countries of the world. It is this calendar that governs administrative, school and professional life.

But there is a second one, traditional, called "lunar" (农历 nónglì, literally "agricultural calendar"). In reality it is lunisolar: the months follow the moon, each one beginning at the new moon, with adjustments to stay in phase with the seasons.

This calendar is in no way a relic. It is the one that sets the great festivals: Chinese New Year (春节 Chūnjié), the Lantern Festival (元宵节 Yuánxiāojié), the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节 Zhōngqiūjié). Many Chinese people also know their lunar birth date and celebrate it in addition to the other one. Two birthdays a year: there is something to be said for that.

2. The length of university studies

In the dialogue, Bái Xuě says: 我在这儿读四年大学。 Wǒ zài zhèr dú sì nián dàxué. "I study here for four years at the university."

The Chinese bachelor's degree (本科 běnkē) does indeed last four years, as against three in the UK and most of Europe, though that matches the four-year norm in the United States. It is the standard length of the first cycle.

The course of study runs as follows: four years of bachelor's, then possibly two to three years of master's (硕士 shuòshì) and three to four years of doctorate (博士 bóshì). Entry goes through the 高考 gāokǎo, the national exam that decides which institution a student will be admitted to. As we saw in Unit 8, the university is a social marker of the first order.

3. The rhythm of the academic year

The academic year begins in September and is divided into two semesters: from September to January, then from February or March to June or July.

Two long breaks: the winter vacation (寒假 hánjià), about a month around January and February, and the summer vacation (暑假 shǔjià), two months in July and August.

4. 春节 Chūnjié and the great migration

Chinese New Year, 春节 Chūnjié, "the Spring Festival", is by far the most important festival of the year. Its date changes every year since it depends on the lunar calendar: it falls between late January and mid-February.

For families, it is the time of reunions, of the New Year's Eve meal (年夜饭 niányèfàn), of moving into the new year all together. The equivalent of Christmas in the West, except that people go home whatever the cost.

Hence a phenomenon that has no equal anywhere: the 春运 Chūnyùn, the "spring migration". Every year, hundreds of millions of people travel at the same time from one end of the country to the other. Trains, planes, coaches and roads are saturated for several weeks.

The phenomenon comes from the economic structure of the country. Millions of migrant workers (农民工 nóngmíngōng) live in the coastal cities but come from rural provinces that are sometimes very far away. 春节 is often the only time of the year when they see their families again, and sometimes their children.

The university winter vacation falls at the same time. Students too go home during this period. If you are traveling in China, avoid these forty days.