The sense of humour is a charming feature of the human being. Chinese sense of humour is mysteriously bound up with national characteristics. It is traditional and layered in meaning. We can not talk about the Chinese sense of humour without mentioning the Chinese language itself. So many comic situations are based on the coincidence of some Chinese character. There is a typical example; in China, during Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) families decorate the doors and windows by putting up the character  “FU“ meaning luck and happiness. It is the best wishes for the new year, but the decoration pasted upside down, which is very key to the humorous effect. In Chinese, “upside down” and “coming” have identical pronunciation, so people put “ “ on the proper places to bless the coming of “ “. The good wishes are expressed in a humorous way.

Xiang Sheng is a conventional artistic form to entertain the audience with word plays. A pair of performers stand on stage to talk with each other about little things or significant things, daily life and social problems. They sometimes passionate, sometimes cynical depending on what they are talking about. Most Chinese enjoy Xiang Sheng, which indicates Chinese people’s favourite sense of humour. They can find images of themselves in Xiang Sheng. I think it is necessary light relief for life.

I have just expressed my understanding of the Chinese sense of which may be somewhat limited. It can be compared to observing a leopard through a pipe only to see some spots. If you want to know more about Chinese people, we welcome you to visit our country.
 
back