Beijing, Feb. 9 (PTI): Chinese are generally inclined to hide their wealth and most insist they do not have money.

The disinclination to show wealth has been ingrained in Chinese culture since ancient times. People today are becoming even more private about their income, which has risen rapidly with the boom in the Chinese economy.

Psychologists believe this attitude derives from China?s thousands of years of cultural tradition, evidenced in proverbs like ?a prominent bird gets shot? and ?a blossoming tree will be eventually destroyed?. They summarise the essence of Chinese social experience and reflect a certain feature of Chinese society, the state media reported.

Exerting a profound influence on Chinese culture for thousands of years, Confucius? doctrine of the golden mean promotes a humble, calm way of life. Thus formed the Chinese people?s unique psychological quality of disliking publicity.

Since Qin Shihuang, the first Qin emperor (248 BC to 206 BC), unified China 2000 years ago, the country has mostly remained. In this relatively stable society, there was little competition and no basis for comparison. The people then did not need to reveal their wealth.

The unwillingness of the Chinese to show wealth also has a physiological reason.

Scientists found more dehydrogenates in Chinese livers than westerners? in studies of intoxicated people from various countries.

This explains why alcohol poisoning occurs much less frequently in Chinese even though the alcohol content of China?s ?white spirit? far exceeds those of foreign liquors.

The existence of dehydrogenation enzymes in the human brain may have to do with the fact that the Chinese are better at controlling their moods than westerners.