{"id":1262,"date":"2023-10-24T03:59:15","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T19:59:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/2023\/10\/24\/avoid-these-social-faux-pas-in-china\/"},"modified":"2024-07-01T12:29:28","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T04:29:28","slug":"avoid-these-social-faux-pas-in-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/avoid-these-social-faux-pas-in-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoid these Social Faux Pas in China!"},"content":{"rendered":"

A trip to China can be exciting and eye-opening. Culture, manners, and social ideas might be quite different from your own, but there\u2019s no need to cause unnecessary conflicts.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

To avoid faux pas and offending Chinese<\/a> inadvertently, take note of these\u00a0ten things not to do in China.<\/p>\n

A trip to China can be exciting and eye-opening. Culture, manners, and social ideas might be quite different from your own, but there\u2019s no need to cause unnecessary conflicts.<\/p>\n

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1) Don’t Disrespect Homes or Temples<\/strong><\/p>\n

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It is important to remove your shoes before entering many homes or temples. But it is an individual thing. Chinese follow different household customs. If they want you to remove your shoes, don’t worry that your feet are less than presentable. Your hosts are probably more offended by shoes worn inside than by a hole in your socks.<\/p>\n

However, it is also\u00a0rude to show the bottom of your feet or your soles to others. So when you sit and cross your legs, try to point your feet at a spot where there are no Chinese present.<\/p>\n

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Image: China Discovery<\/p>\n

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2) Don’t Talk About Uncomfortable Topics<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Unless you have a good reason,\u00a0don’t talk about death, or mention that someone died. Death is quite a serious and ominous topic to Chinese. The color white represents death, so avoid giving white things as gifts or wrapping gifts in white paper or ribbons.<\/p>\n

Other things you shouldn’t talk about\u00a0are comparing China to Japan, or political and religious issues. Chinese people are often not comfortable discussing history or political incidents that may cause embarrassment to China with foreigners, as they see their history from a different perspective. Avoiding sensitive topics like this will keep your conversation positive and friendly.<\/p>\n

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3) Don’t Expect Interpersonal Communications to Be the Same
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Traveling to a foreign country can be\u00a0an exercise in patience. Don’t expect the locals you encounter to speak English.<\/p>\n

Don’t point\u00a0at people or beckon with one finger when you are talking to them. Instead, motion with the palm of your hand.<\/p>\n

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4) Don’t Touch People<\/strong><\/p>\n

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The Chinese are less touchy freely. They hug and kiss much less than people from other cultures. When you meet a stranger, it might be best simply to greet verbally instead of trying to shake hands. This feels unnatural to most Chinese.\u00a0When greeting, a slight nod is fine. Don’t bow and never kiss or hug hello or goodbye, as personal contact is not that common.<\/p>\n

However, you’ll find that\u00a0personal space\u00a0in public (especially on public transport) is quite uncommon. Chinese in crowds may be more pushy and crush up against others for a place in line or a seat.<\/p>\n

Both of these notions may go against your beliefs and what you are used to at home, where affection is much more readily displayed but personal space is more valued.\u00a0Learning the nuances of behavior takes time.<\/p>\n

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Image: China Highlights<\/p>\n

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5) Don’t Stop Offering Gifts<\/strong><\/p>\n

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If your travel<\/a> to China includes meeting individuals, either for business or personal reasons, you might consider travelling with gifts you can hand out. Appropriate gifts at appropriate times may be useful in building relationships and make Chinese happy.<\/p>\n

It isn’t usually considered appropriate in China to refuse a gift that is offered. However,\u00a0don’t be offended\u00a0and don’t stop offering if a gift is refused at first. Generally it may require several offers before a gift is accepted, so that the receiver isn’t seen as greedy. It is Chinese culture<\/a> to refuse the first offer, to show restraint. Likewise, a gift might not be opened in your presence since it may lead to loss of face to open a gift in front of the giver.<\/p>\n

Likewise\u00a0a compliment\u00a0isn’t usually accepted to prevent the appearance of vanity.<\/p>\n

However, remember that your gift may be viewed as a bribe, and it may make people feel indebted to you or be viewed in a negative way for these reasons. But in general, it will be okay if given in a friendly way.<\/p>\n

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Image: China Highlights<\/p>\n

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6) Don’t Offend with Your Gift<\/strong><\/p>\n

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While gift baskets of\u00a0flowers\u00a0and fruit are common in the U.S., certain types of flowers and fruits are considered\u00a0unlucky or inappropriate in China. It is best to avoid these altogether or learn about the special meanings of flowers and fruits to know what to give accurately. Don’t give bad smelling flowers, and cut flowers should be avoided as well.<\/p>\n

Varying regional cultures in China ascribe different meanings to certain\u00a0colors. It is best to choose either yellow, pink, or red for gift wrapping. Avoid any dark colors or white since these are commonly associated with bad luck.<\/p>\n

Avoid giving clocks\u00a0also since they connote death to Chinese.<\/p>\n

Avoid giving umbrellas\u00a0because the Chinese word for umbrellas,\u00a0san\u00a0sounds like the verb ‘to split up’.<\/p>\n

On top of that,\u00a0green hats\u00a0are a taboo gift. This is because the phrase “to wear a green hat” (\u6234\u7eff\u5e3d\u5b50 d\u00e0i l\u01dc m\u00e0ozi) means ‘to be cuckold by one’s unfaithful wife’.<\/p>\n

Don’t give anything in fours\u00a0since the Chinese word for four sounds like the word for death.<\/p>\n

However gifts that come in\u00a0sets of eight\u00a0such as a set of eight tea cups or pieces of candy are considered a good omen, since eight is a lucky number. Eight sounds like the word\u00a0fa\u00a0that means ‘wealth’ or ‘good fortune’.<\/p>\n

When somebody offers you their business card or a gift, accept it with\u00a0both hands. Also use two hands if you are offering your business card or gift to somebody else. This is seen as a sign of respect to the person you are meeting.<\/p>\n

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Image: China Highlights<\/p>\n

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7) Don’t Tip<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Tipping is a practice that is not observed\u00a0in China. Cab drivers, restaurant staff, and bellmen do not expect to be tipped and could even be offended if offered extra money. If not offended, they will be confused and try to give your money back. Not tipping avoids these awkward situations, even though it may take some getting used to if you are coming from a society where tipping is important.<\/p>\n

The sole exception\u00a0to this practice is a tour that is catered for foreign visitors. The individuals on these tours often depend upon tips for their income. Therefore, it is wise to budget for tipping guides and drivers as one would in most other places in the world.<\/p>\n

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Image: China Highlights<\/p>\n

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8) Don’t Try To Pay When Hosted by Chinese<\/strong><\/p>\n

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If you are a foreigner new to them, Chinese are not quite sure what you’ll do when they invite you to a meal. Among themselves, who the host is to be is clear from the situation. The elder or senior person will do the inviting and be the host.<\/p>\n

It is considered rude if someone who isn’t the host at the table starts ordering the food since the hosting person orders all the dishes and usually<\/a> does so without asking people what they want. But since you are a foreigner, it would probably be ok for you to tell the host what you like or dislike. Then again, it might be considered quite rude.\u00a0It depends on the situation\u00a0and who you are with.<\/p>\n

In China, restaurant bills are never shared. They don’t “go Dutch.” The\u00a0person hosting might be embarrassed if you chip in. However, if you have asked people out yourself, it is expected that you pay for the entire bill.<\/p>\n

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Image: China Highlights<\/p>\n

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9) Don’t Forget Table Manners<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Don’t ignore chopstick etiquette.\u00a0Chinese have a lot of ideas about this. Chopsticks are for eating only. They are not to be used for gesturing to items or individuals. They are also not to be used as drumsticks or as playthings at someone’s table.<\/p>\n

Don’t place chopsticks inside the bowl when finished or stick them in your hair. Instead, place the chopsticks on top of the bowl. Definitely don’t stick your chopsticks straight up in your food. This is an ill omen representing death or a curse against them.<\/p>\n

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Image: China Highlights<\/p>\n

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10) Don’t Get Upset<\/strong><\/p>\n

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If somethings unexpected happens, which is likely to happen while you are traveling, don’t get upset and make a scene, as this leads to the people you are dealing with losing face, leaving the situation even less likely to be resolved. The best way to deal with situations like this in China is to\u00a0remain calm and patient, and ask for help from your guide in solving the issue at hand.<\/p>\n

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Image: China Highlights<\/p>\n

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Source: China Highlights<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A trip to China can be exciting and eye-opening. Culture, manners, and social ideas might be quite different from your own, but there\u2019s no need to cause unnecessary conflicts. To …","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":11712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,41,21,33],"tags":[1041,60,386,353,306,29,34,559,27,30,214],"class_list":["post-1262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pro-tips","category-china-jobs","category-hot-jobs","category-part-time-job","tag-avoid-these-social-faux-pas-in-china","tag-china","tag-chinese-culture","tag-e-china-cities","tag-hiredchina","tag-jobs","tag-jobs-in-china","tag-marketing","tag-news","tag-shopping","tag-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1262"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1262\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11713,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1262\/revisions\/11713"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hiredchina.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}