Which Chinese words do foreigners recognize the most?

The China International Publishing Group (CIPG)  released a report on the most recognized Chinese words overseas. According to the report, Shaolin, from the Shaolin Temple – the most well-known Buddhist Temple internationally for its martial arts training – tops the list of the 100 most recognized Chinese words.

Among the top 100, culture-related words, such as Chunjie (Spring Festival) and Chongyang (Double Ninth Festival), account for a large portion of the list.

Yuan, China's currency, is third on the list, while gugong, the Chinese for the Palace Museum or the Forbidden City finished in fourth place.

The Palace Museum has become a must-see attraction for world leaders during their trips to China. US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania, French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte, as well as British Prime Minister Theresa May and her husband Philip, were all guests there during their visits to China.

The Chinese word mahjong also squeezed into the top 10 list. The game, which is widely played across China, made its way onto the global stage in recent years, and has found fans worldwide.

Chinese words about the martial arts, such as Qigong, tai chi and Wushu are also included on the list. And Chinese food, one of the country's hallmarks, has found its place as well.

Dumplings (Jiaozi), hot pot (Huoguo), pancake (Jianbing) and steamed bun (Mantou) are among the eight food words that foreigners recognize the most. 

Many foreign students were inspired by Chinese pancake vendors and launched their own start-up catering businesses after returning to their own countries.

Nowadays, people can eat Chinese pancakes not only in China, but also in the US and Europe.

Meanwhile, many Chinese festivals, such as the Double Ninth Festival, the Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and the Spring Festival have also become familiar to foreigners.

Chinese words related to the country's politics and economy have also found their places on the list; for instance, the Chinese words for the Belt and Road and China's well-known high-speed railway. Also, the names of the traditional fairy tales that are used for the Chinese spacecrafts Wukong and Chang'e, have made the list.

Zhifubao, or Alipay, the online payment mobile application under China's tech giant Alibaba, was listed in the science and tech category. Alipay, dubbed by foreigners as one of the new "great inventions" of China, saves users the trouble of carrying their wallets.

Alipay instantly responded to the report, saying it is a great honor to be listed, while vowing continued efforts in the New Year.

According to the CIPG, the report was based on surveys in eight English-speaking countries including the US, UK, Australia, Philippines, South Africa, Canada, Singapore and India.

Which Chinese words you recognized first before you come to China? Welcome to Leave a comment below.

Source:gov.cn

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