After the Maoist era, there has been a renaissance of traditional Chinese culture.  Local religions including Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism have flourished. These are not mutually exclusive, and many people practice a combination of the three along with elements of various folk religions. There has also been a revival of Chinese Islam and Christianity, although religious institutions remain under the control of the government. The Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) and the China Christian Council (CCC) are Protestant groups. The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association (CCPA) and the Chinese Catholic Bishops Council (CCBC) are subordinate to the government in Beijing, instead of to the Holy See.

Traditional Chinese arts have also re-emerged from the Cultural Revolution, but their developments have been hampered by the Chinese society's ready acceptance of outside cultural influences,[citation needed] particularly the popular culture of Hong Kong, which has a huge following inside the PRC. Nevertheless the television stations in the PRC have in recent years produced numerous quality drama series, covering everything from imperial history to modern-day police actions, and are gaining immense popularity in mainland China.

The official enforcement of the One-Child Policy has created a generation of "Little Emperors" doted upon by their parents, made more so by the development of a Western-style consumer culture within the PRC. This initially revived a sense of xenophilia among the mainland Chinese population that originated in the colonial days of the late 19th century. However, as mainland China became an economic power in its own right, the PRC government has intentionally fostered a sense of patriotic pride amongst the mainland Chinese population, which some critics see as a resurgence of Chinese nationalism.

Beginning in the late 1980s and early 1990s mainland China became exposed to more western elements, notably pop culture. American cinema is popular. Young people gather late at night in bars and nightclubs. There is a growing obsession with brand names. Teen slang is incorporating western language. China has also developed a unique cell phone culture, as it has the most mobile phone users in the world.

Meeting people: Upon the initial greeting of meeting someone for the first time, short handshakes are usual on first meeting followed by the Chinese greeting of "ni hao?” which translates to “How are you?" Rather than try to remember the full, two-or-three syllable Chinese name, listen for the first one (the family name).

Traditionally, conversations in China, even business conversations, start out with innocuous topics, to set a mood of friendliness. Eventually, the small talk might become quite direct, which is not meant to be offensive. It is quite common on short acquaintance to be asked about personal matters, including questions about your family status.

Never arrive late. At business meetings, it is usual to exchange business cards.

Mealtimes: At a formal meal or banquet, you will be expected to at least sample every dish. You are not obliged to eat all of the meal given. However, if you finish a dish, chances are you will be given a refill.

At meals and receptions, the host will give a toast. Often a choice of drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, will be offered. Beware the Chinese toast "gan bei", which, roughly, means "bottoms up", especially if you are drinking "mao tais" (a traditional Chinese drink).

The politest way out is to say "sui yi," which, roughly, means "cheers, but I will only drink a little." Be prepared to offer a toast to your host. And remember, the soup comes last in a traditional Chinese meal.

In the street: Chinese in Beijing and other big cities have become accustom to foreigners, but if you get off the beaten track in the city or elsewhere, you will be bound to attract attention. It is only curiosity, and you will generally find people helpful. However, if something doesn't quite happen as you imagined, you should stay calm and polite. As a rule, complaining or shouting only results in mutual loss of face and a deterioration of the situation.

China is a conservative society. Unless you want to attract attention, dress conservatively. However, it is not necessary to dress formally, except for business meetings and receptions.

Money Usage in China

The basic unit of Chinese currency is the Yuan or Renminbi (People’s currency) abbreviated RMB. The yuan is divided into 10 jiao or mao. The jiao is divided into 10 fen. Chinese currency is available in 100, 50, 20, 10, 5 and 1 yuan notes.  Money Exchange is available at the front desk of all major hotels, some Bank of China branches and at the Friendship Store.

ATMs: a limited number of Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) that accept foreign credit cards are available around major cities in China. These machines issue withdrawals in Chinese currency only.

Tipping: Tipping is officially forbidden, and most hotels and restaurants impose a service charge in lieu of tips. However, the practice of tipping (in private) has become more widespread in recent years because of the influx of Westerners.

Black Market: As a foreigner, you may be asked to exchange Chinese money for dollars. Don't do it; it is illegal.

Using your credit card will often result in the bank's service charges (typically 3-6%) being added to your bill.

When receiving bills from merchants that are torn or dirty, feel free to demand other bills since other merchants may not accept those torn or dirty bills.

If you cannot spend all of your Chinese currency before departure, you can reconvert up to 50% of the amount you originally exchanged at your hotel’s exchange counter. The airport also has an official currency exchange counter, but there may be a long wait and it may not be open outside normal business hours. You will need to present your official currency exchange receipt and your airline ticket.

Human Rights

The Constitution of the People's Republic of China states that the "fundamental rights" of citizens include freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to a fair trial, freedom of religion, universal suffrage, and property rights. However, censorship of political speech and information is openly and routinely used to protect what the government considers national security interests. In particular, press control is notoriously tight: Reporters Without Borders considers the PRC one of the least free countries in the world for the press. The government has a policy of limiting some protests and organizations that it considers a threat to social stability and national unity, as was the case with the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. The Communist Party has had mixed success at controlling information: a very strong media control system faces very strong market forces, an increasingly educated citizenry and cultural change that are making China more open. In some cases, especially on environmental issues, China's leaders see expressions of public dissatisfaction as a catalyst for positive change.

Foreign governments and NGOs routinely criticise the PRC, alleging widespread, gross human rights violations including systematic use of lengthy detention without trial, forced confessions, torture, mistreatment of prisoners, restrictions of freedom of speech, assembly, association, religion, the press, and workers' rights. There is a body of uncontested evidence that the Party has been using Falun Gong practitioners as a live organ bank since 2000; they are kept in jails or forced labor camps, blood and urine tested, and when an organ is needed for transplant they are killed, the organs removed, and the body incinerated. China leads the world in capital punishment, accounting for roughly 90% of total death-penalty executions in 2004. Human rights issues are one of the factors driving independence movements in Tibet and Xinjiang. In the Reporters Without Borders' Annual World Press Freedom Index of 2005, the PRC ranked 159 out of 167 places. PRC journalist He Qinglian in her 2004 book Media Control in China documents government controls on the Internet and other media in China.

The PRC government responds to these criticisms by arguing that the notion of human rights should factor in standards of living; rise in the standard of living for some Chinese is seen as an indicator of improvement in human rights.