Ok, so we are a superpower and all that but let's face it, there are many things that Chinese do better than us. Here are 10 of them.
Number 10. Food. Not only have the Chinese developed a complex and tasty cuisine for themselves, they've managed to provide other countries with some of the linchpins for theirs. They ate noodles 4 thousand years ago, and have been enjoying a ketchup-like sauce for at lease 5 centuries. America's biggest contribution to global cuisine is fast food.
Number 9. Infrastructure. US was once the leader in large scale infrastructure projects. These days, China is where much of the action is. From high-speed railways to power plants to entire new cities, China's construction pace is incredible. According to the consulting firm McKinsey, China puts in 8.5% of GDP on infrastructure compared to 2.6% by the U.S.
Number 8. Chinese Gardens. No offense to Martha Stewart, but the art of gardening in China goes far beyond aesthetics. Arrangements and flora are steeped in both history and cultural meaning. Whoever came up with the idea of installing pagodas inside the gardens is a genius.
Number 7. Martial Arts. Let's face it, combat and self-defense in America relies mostly on firearms and pepper spray. While effective, they certainly lack the finesse -- and the fitness benefits -- of China's several-thousand-year-old hand to hand tradition.
Number 6. Time Zones. China sticks to a single time zone. The US uses 6. Sure, that gives each region the benefit of daylight, but it also requires doing math -- and keeping up with the random places that don't do daylight savings.
Number 5. Even though the United States has the most supercomputers in the top 5, China has the fastest. There's just something about being number 1 that's so much cooler.
Number 4. Tombs. Chinese are much more elaborate when it comes to burials for their greatest leaders. China's first emperor was buried with thousands of terracotta statues to watch over him. (1,3-5,all) George Washington is buried alongside his wife, Martha.
Number 3. Alternative Medicine. Chinese medical practices like acupuncture, herbal remedies and tai chi go back thousands of years. (1,1,1) The US went the natural route for a while, but started to switch to synthetic pharmaceuticals in the late 19th century.
Number 2. Opera. If for no other reasons than the intricate make-up and acrobatics, it's tough to say Western Opera can fascinate audiences quite like the Chinese performance tradition.
Number 1. Fishing. Even though it's not used much today, cormorant fishing, which uses a bird to go grab the catch for you, is much more clever than tying a worm to a line and waiting for something to bite. Kudos.
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