Middle Kingdom

Stories and discussions about Topic Beijing and China

  • Culture,  Middle Kingdom

    The beauty of Chinese banknotes

    Cash is vanishingChina is a pioneer on the way to a cashless society. In 2020 (maybe boosted by COVID-19), virtual payment methods have become almost universal in China. For the average customer this promises easy and quick ways to pay. In combination with self-checkout supermarkets and the greatest online shopping experience on the planet, China shows the way. Already, cash and banknotes have almost gone the way of the dinosaur in China. Yet one thing, that most won´t think about, will be gone too. Many countries have beautiful pictures on their bank notes. While Europe uses its paper money to showcase important buildings and iconographic symbols of Europe, China emphasizes…

  • Middle Kingdom

    My top 10 Chinese Quotes on Education

    Knowledge is Power Everyone who is interested in China and its history knows that for Chinese (for East Asians in general) education and traditional values are among the most important things in life. Deeply ingrained in Asian societies the positive attitude to rigorous education is reflected in many Chinese sayings. Reading them made me think about how different -despite of all the obvious similarities- East and West are in many ways. The changes in the last decades might have led to even greater differences at least in the field of education. And dare I say, maybe not for the better in the West. My thoughts are meant as a contribution…