CULTURE & COMPROMISE: Marrying A Chinese Woman

Dating Chinese women can sound like an ideal way to find love especially for many foreign men who wish to commit to a relationship with a traditional lady. As ideal as it truly sounds, the path foreign men must take to guaranty a match may not be the easiest. Yes, typical Chinese women have traditional values and would therefore make excellent wives, but the apparent cultural difference may cause problems if not integrated well and immediately upon starting a relationship.

When foreigners do not make an effort to embrace their Chinese girlfriend’s culture, it may weaken the relationship. To counter issues foreigners have marrying into Mandarin culture, it may be best to have a deep understanding of her tradition. This not only allows you to just work around the Asian culture, but may also be a way for you to appreciate some aspects of her beliefs. See the cultural difference as an opportunity to learn from each other as opposed to it being a problem that harms your blossoming WMAF (Western Male Asian Female) relationship.

Communicate and share each other’s culture. Especially growing up in a collectivist Chinese culture, when Asian women see the effort foreign men make to learn her traditions and embrace it as his own will surely be very much appreciated. In return, Chinese girls would tend to love learning new things which means learning your values and beliefs will be considered by her as an exciting adventure.

More importantly, a vital practice within your WMAF relationship may be to truly embrace the commitment. Do not let the opinion of others faze the concrete feelings you know about the relationship with your Asian girlfriend or wife. Prior to foreign men’s decision to date Chinese women, onlookers already begin talking and establishing false stereotypes about people engaged in a WMAF relationship. This proves to be something inevitable. Hence, it will be entirely up to both the foreign man and Shenzhen woman to protect what they have and realize that what you truly feel about the connection will be much more valid than that of an outsider's point of view.