Foreigners lack basic understanding of Chinese culture - survey

Yu Dan, dean of the Beijing Institute of Culture Innovation and Communication, released the survey on Foreigners' Perception of Chinese Culture Saturday in Beijing. [Photo for China Daily]

The Survey on Foreigners' Perception of Chinese Culture was released Saturday in Beijing. It finds basic understanding of Chinese culture still lacking in major overseas countries.

The project was jointly conducted by the Beijing Institute of Culture Innovation and Communication and Survey Sampling International at the end of 2014. It surveyed 2,400 people from six countries - the US, UK, France, Japan, South Korea and Australia.

The survey used symbols of Chinese culture to gauge understanding of the Middle Kingdom. The symbols, from famous historical figures to souvenirs items, were put into six categories:people, philosophy, art, nature resources, life style and culture mores.

More than 70 percent of all interviewees were rated fewer than 60 points out of 100 points, with a higher number indicating more familiarity in their understanding of basic Chinese culture elements.

"Though China makes news often now, its culture remains not well-known enough," Yu Dan, culture scholar and dean of BICIC, said."The majority (in the survey) are people who have heard something about Chinese culture but know it only in bits," she said. "These are our target audience to hear our stories."

South Korea is the country most familiar with Chinese culture, while France turns out to be the least familiar. Of all channels of information, the Internet has taken over television and print publications to be the venue most foreigners rely on for information on China.

"We should therefore show our culture through new media and social platforms more," Yu said. "Just bringing performances abroad or screening a Chinese film is far from enough in this age."

According to the report, the panda is what China is best known for overseas, while ideas of Chinese philosophy are least known in the survey's provided symbols.