Faces of China ?

[Simon_CH]

I have been wondering for a long time, there seems to be quite big differences in looks in different parts of China, some quite tall, some small. Some with broad, darker faces others very slender and white. I think I can quite easily differ between Chinese and Koreans, Japanese, Malaysian, Thai, Laotians.. but within China I often wonder where a particular look comes from. Does anyone of you know a good web ressource with lots of picture for this question ?

Thanks,

Simon

[gougou]

I don't know about such a site, but you could try your hand at Chinese, Japanese and Korean first. It's harder than you'd think!

[Simon_CH]

Thanks gougou, I have already done this test! I was amazed at first how difficult it is, because in real life I never ask a Japanese if he's Chinese, but in this test I just got an "Ok". But I think there must be noticeable differences between the provinces, no ?

Or especially among the many minorities in China.

[roddy]

No pictures, but there's an article here on various 长相特征 that might help.

[dalaowai]

I don't know how accurate that web test is, I had Chinese and Japanese classmates take the test and they all failed miserably. The people they photographed all look quite American.

[gato]

I don't know how accurate that web test is, I had Chinese and Japanese classmates take the test and they all failed miserably.

Yeah, I don't think it was a randomly selected group of pictures. They were trying to make a point.

[gougou]

The people they photographed all look quite American.

I think that was exactly their point - to take out differences that would result from growing up in different cultures, and to focus on physical traits only.

[Simon_CH]

Yes, I suspected that as well. Whenever I see Japanese people, be it live or on pictures/TV, I have no problems whatsoever identifying them as such. And I always know when it's a Korean or a Chinese tourist group when meeting one in Switzerand. That's why I was surprised at my difficulties doing so in the test.

Here the results from a google picture search of Japanese/Korean/Chinese man:

Pretty easy no ?

[gato]

I got 7/18. Acutally it should have been 8/18, except that I hit the wrong button for one (an obvious Chinese-looking girl).

See my results in the attachment.

I got 5/6 Japanese right, 2/7 Chinese (should have been 3/7), and 0/5 Koreans.

Funny that I have personally known very few Japanese. I am Chinese myself and have had many Korean friends and two Korean roommates. There's a reason for the result somewhere. It's not entirely random.

AllSameResult1.doc

[muyongshi]

May I just point out how odd I think it is the way they state that the people are all "100% Chinese, Japanese or Korean, none of them are mixed". Isn't this statement inherently flawed from an ethnicity stand point?

Anyway.... my point really being is that these nations are soooo long in their history and while there are certain characteristics that stick out (specifically I believe in Japanese men and Korean women- don't try to argue- it's entirely subjective) Chinese are especially mixed.

[renzhe]

I had Chinese and Japanese classmates take the test and they all failed miserably.

I guess they are the same people who address my girlfriend in Korean or Japanese whenever we are in the suitable context (a Korean restaurant, for example).

There are some people with distinctive features that can't be mistaken. I have a Japanese friend who is obviously Japanese. And even he got addressed in Korean all the time while in Korea.

Outside of the extreme cases, there is a lot of overlap, once you take out the bias and cultural clues. Extreme examples tend to stick in our minds, and we tend to overgeneralise.

[chrix]

clothing, mimics, gait and other cues like that play a big role as well

[Music&MeForever]

No way! There's no such thing as a typically Chinese face! Differences are too big even if we compare only North and South. Bruce Lee perhaps?

On the other hand, there is such a thing as a typical Japanese face, and it belongs to Makoto Nagano 長野 誠 :

At least for me he is the finest example of classical Japanese male beauty. And such a nice name, too :

PS By the way the Japanese man with the kid in on second photo #8 looks very Korean to me, and the Chinese guy ( a Northerner most likely) could easily pass for a Mongolian

[Simon_CH]

He looks like Masato to me

But I agree with most of the points here. Would still be interesting to see "typical" Northern/Southern/Western Chinese faces.