China Travel Etiquette Photos, Videos and More
CLICK HERE: Learn how to Hold Chopsticks - Video
Hold the bowl in your palm, and study this video to learn how to hold chopsticks. The Chinese hold foreigners in high esteem if they can propery hold and use chopsticks.
There is no other way to learn than to practice, so watch, pause, study, and re-watch!
It is important to know that gifts are a major part of the Chinese culture. For example, the Chinese would much rather reciprocate a gift with another gift than to send a ‘thank you’ card. When visiting someone in China, especially if you are a guest in their house, it is imperative that you bring a gift (whatever the monetary value) to show respect to the host.
In this article, you will learn about gifts, gift giving, and gift ideas that are appropriate in China, and which gifts are not appropriate (and should be avoided).
Smoking in China. There are a lot of smokers in China! Especially in Yunnan, where most of the tobacco is grown. Did you know that farmers can make up to 20x as much growing tobacco versus other vegetables? It pays the bills.
It is common to greet someone with a cigarette. Men smoking publicly, women, not so much. Smoking at meals (at a restaurant or in a home) is going to happen. You will be offered cigarettes many times on your trip. There are many types of cigarettes in China. There are even fake cigarettes in China (so if you though “normal” cigarettes were bad, what the hell are they putting in those “fake” ones?!)
This is all to say, there is etiquette on smoking in China, and whether you smoke or not, it might be helpful to know what the smoking etiquette is in China.
This may be part of the problem. They are cheap. Chinese cigarettes cost as little $0.30 USD per box. If you want to buy the brown box that cost $10.00 USD a box, they have those, too. And they have about 100 varieties in-between. You can even get American cigarettes in China.
This article is aimed at the person who wants to learn how to negotiate in China. The bargaining tips here work, but require a little perseverance. It takes some energy, and some people are not comfortable negotiating with vendors, and would rather spend their energy taking in the sights — if this is you, move on to another article.
Having said that, below are some Chinese bargaining and negotiating techniques that will most likely save you at least 50% on all your purchases in China. This is all from first-hand experience, and again, if you don’t want to dicker, then don’t! There is nothing wrong with paying full price.
There are four types of shoppers in the eyes of a store owner:
As in most countries, tourists pay a premium on goods. The difference in China is that that price fluctuates from person to person based on their appearance, handle of the Chinese language, their accent, sex, skin color, willingness to not be in a hurry, etc.
Most tourists do not feel comfortable bargaining for a variety of reasons:
This section on Chinese table etiquette is a more detailed version than the general Chinese dining article. Here, I will focus on things that may happen while you are at the table in China.
The image to the right is a view from where you will sit, and the bowls and plates that you will be using. This particular dinner is a Chinese fish hot pot.
Click to Enlarge, Read Details
Quickly though, #1 = spicy dipping sauce, #2 = hold food, soup bowl, #3 = don’t touch, #4 = the hot pot or fish dish.Not all Chinese tables are setup this way — if you are not eating hot pot, there is no spicy dipping sauce. Sometimes there is no lazy susan.
This article focuses on specifics of doing business in China. Throughout the rest of the Complete China Guide you’ll find business tips as well.
For the most part, Chinese people are extemporaneous. Things happen on the fly, sometimes without any notice. With the language barrier, a non-native speaker is sure to be confused. “Where are we going?” “What’s happening?” Sometimes friends will call you to go out to dinner with an hour’s notice. Once I actually got a wedding invitation with 30 minutes to spare. Chinese people absolutely love it when other people randomly show up at their door, unannounced. Try to embrace this. It is not meant to be rude and is not considered imposing.
Read more articles about Chinese Etiquette and Travel Tips here!
Walking around barefoot, or in your socks. If you’re on a flight from the US to Beijing, don’t lose face by walking around the plane in your socks. Double-gross for doing this outside on the pavement. To the Chinese, this is just appalling.
Setting your bag, purse, or backpack down on the ground. Large pieces of luggage, okay, but not smaller bags. The Chinese think that the ground is dirty, and consider it bad form to put a nice bag on something dirty. Find a chair to put it on if you want to blend.
Eating cheese. A lot of Chinese cringe at the thought of cheese.
Wearing revealing clothing. While Chinese fashion is modern and… interesting, it is rare that a women (or a man) will wear low-cut tops or mini skirts, for example. If you visit China and choose to bring along a more revealing wardrobe, be prepared to get stared at by some men and scowled at by some older women.
Eating too fast. The Chinese are about slow-paced meals. This is when conversations and gatherings take place. Don’t ruin it, or lose your face, by scarfing down your food. Eating while in a hurry is an odd concept for the Chinese.