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Writer's pictureBilingualbees

The Humble Chopsticks 筷子


The Chinese are thought to have used chopsticks as early as 1200 B.C., firstly as a cooking utensil. It was not until A.D. 400 that people began eating with chopsticks as they found them efficient. It subsequently spread to other parts of Asia. Since then different cultures in Asia have adopted different styles of chopsticks. For example, in Japan, the chopsticks are traditionally made of bamboo or wood and are often lacquered whilst in Korea, the chopsticks are metal. Chinese chopsticks are longer and thicker than the Japanese and Korean counterparts.

Here's a short and touching YouTube clip that shows how deeply rooted chopsticks are in the Chinese culture. It also gives us an authentic glimpse of Chinese traditions especially around the New Year.

The video is in various Chinese dialects including Mandarin with bilingual English and Simplified Chinese subtitles.


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