Sinophile
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Sinophile is a person from a non-Chinese background who demonstrates a strong interest in aspects of Chinese culture (most commonly Han Chinese culture including Overseas Chinese) or who shows a specific interest in the Greater China region. It is also commonly used to describe those knowledgeable of Chinese history and culture (such as scholars and students), non-native Chinese language speakers, pro-Chinese politicians, and people perceived as having an obsessive interest in any of the above.
On occasion the term is used to describe people who exhibit a sexual preference for Chinese or Asian partners. The term can be used to describe men or women but is more frequently used to describe men (particularly Caucasian men) occasionally being used as a synonym for those displaying a real or perceived Asian fetish. The term is not inherently offensive but is sometimes used as an insult (when it is being used to suggest an Asian fetish).
Some typical interests of Sinophiles are as follows:
- Hong Kong cinema (from Bruce Lee to modern gangster flicks)
- Chinese language and dialects (typically Cantonese or Mandarin)
- kung fu
- Chinese calligraphy and art
- Chinese horoscopes
- ancient art of feng shui
- traditional style Chinese restaurants
- tattoos of Chinese characters or zodiac signs
Famous Sinophiles include Gottfried Leibniz.
[edit] See also
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