Curiosity, with context.

Follow the sources.

Articles include source links and further reading. Source notes distinguish established descriptions of a custom from interpretations and popular stories about it. A museum object can document one place or period; it cannot, by itself, describe every household.

Leave room for difference.

“Chinese culture” includes many regions, languages, communities and experiences. Articles identify scope where it matters, including when a wordplay depends specifically on Mandarin. Practices may change across generations and across communities in China and around the world.

Take origin stories carefully.

A memorable legend is not automatically a documented historical beginning. A legend can help explain how people understand a custom, but it does not by itself establish when that custom began.

Look closely at the artwork.

The homepage uses a detail of Guo Xi’s Old Trees, Level Distance, ca. 1080, a handscroll in ink and colour on silk in The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum makes this image available through Open Access as a public-domain work. The painting is a visual invitation to explore, not evidence for the customs described in every article.

The simple graphics accompanying stories are contemporary illustrations. They are not photographs of historical objects or evidence for how a custom was practised.

Help improve a story.

If you find an error, an unclear statement or a missing perspective, email [email protected]. Include the article address, the passage in question and a supporting source if you have one. Please do not send identity documents or other sensitive personal information.