| People always tell you what to do in China, but what about what NOT to do in China? China is famous for its ancient culture and traditions, however modern day China is not without its own set of rules. In many cases these are more important to note than the older traditions which have become less important during the recent economic boom and communist rule. Here are our top tips of what you really should NOT do in China.  Get Flustered In China there is the idea of ‘face’. For those of you that don’t know this, it is difficult to explain in a couple of sentences but basically put, ‘face’ is a little like the western concept of dignity and social poise. It is extremely important in Chinese culture and staying calm and composed is a very large part of this. In many situations, becoming angry will mean that you lose ‘face’ and could cause the other person to lose ‘face’. If you don’t appear in control you will lose the respect of others and many people will not want to work with you again. If you upset somebody with your anger, you will likely ruin your relationship (be it professional or personal) and that will be almost impossible to repair. Directly Saying ‘NO’ This relates to the point above of saving face. It is very rude in China to say no to somebody. You need to find another way of saying what you mean whilst politely implying no. It may sound like a difficult thing to do but after a while it is something you will get used to. Jokes About Family Names People in China can find this very offensive. Many foreigners find surnames (family names) such as Wong and Chin amusing and joke about them. Whilst laughing about names might be fine in the west, here in China people are very proud of the heritage and their family name is a big part of that so please, no jokes. Take No Care with Gifts It’s true that you should give and receive gifts with two hands and that many people will refuse a gift once or twice before accepting it. Often gifts are opened after the person has left and not opened in their presence. However, the most important thing to remember about gifts is that if somebody gives you a gift, feel obliged to give one in return when you can. The same thing is true of invites to dinners and general favours. If somebody does you a favour, be quick to offer to do one in return. In China, to not do this is seen as ungrateful, even if you do say ‘thank you’. |
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