As one of the few ancient civilizations that survived through the thousands of years of history, the Chinese culture is deeply rooted in history yet going through dramatic changes in the recent decades. The cultural values of China can be better understood through the six dimensions proposed by Hofstede. In this essay, the six dimensions are to be analyzed in three pairs. Power and collectivism, masculinity and uncertainty, long-term orientation, and restraint are the most notable features of Chinese cultural values.

China has been under the rule of dozens of emperors through the dynasties, and social hierarchy has become imprinted in Chinese culture. Although the concept of democracy has been brought into the country in the modern world, it is rather practiced with caution.

With one dominant party ruling the country, the Chinese are among the cultures with a high power distance index. The members of the Chinese society acknowledge and accept the power inequality at different levels: including schools, families, and workplaces. Accordingly, the Chinese also value collectivism more than individualism, since the former aligns with the social hierarchy and high power-distance. People don’t like to stand out too much from the crowd in the Chinese culture, while group activity is more likely to bring a sense of safety.

When it comes to masculinity and femininity, the former is definitely more valued than the latter according to Chinese values. Compared to the humanized approach adopted in some developed countries when it comes to the working environment, the Chinese usually need to work much harder and longer hours to compete with others.

While Confucianism and its definition of women’s subordinate roles to men have had deep influences in China, circumstances are completely different in different parts of China. In the developed urban areas, women enjoy almost the same social status as men do, although they are often underpaid relative to men.

In the rural and less developed areas, the major duties of women are still the domestic chores and bearing of children. Due to the high masculinity, the Chinese are not good at being too careful and detailed to avoid risks and uncertainties.

Finally, the Chinese ranks at the top in the long-term orientation category. Chinese people are more pragmatic, modest, and thrifty in general. Most of the Chinese population are not religious, which again reflects this result. When it comes to indulgence vs. restraint, different regions have different features again.

There are some cities in China, such as Chengdu, where leisure is an important element of life, even of higher priority than work. in other places, such as the major cities, work ethics lead to much lower indulgence. In general, China is still a society with more rigid social norms, although things are changing quickly with the increasing influence of the younger generation.

In conclusion, China is observed to value power and social hierarchy and accepts social inequality as something completely normal. The high masculinity naturally results in low uncertainty avoidance in China. Utilitarianism and pragmatism are also valued in Chinese culture, while religion and indulgence are less important. The analysis by Hofstede’s cultural dimensions has provided a much clearer picture of Chinese cultural values.