|
|
| Useful
Advice for Tourists Visiting China |
Social Observations
- Chinese People |
|
| The
aim of this section is to give those travelling to China
for the first time an insight into the lives of ordinary
Chinese People |
|
About Chinese People
Face
This concept is fundamental to how Chinese people see
themselves. It is all about image and self-respect,
honour and nobility
Whilst this is a very large and fascinating subject,
I will not dwell here on the specific details - as these
would need an entire book dedicated solely for the purpose.
Instead I will give a few common examples
1. - New is extremely important. If
something is old and used, it has little value and no
Face, (with very rare exceptions)
a. This holds true for mobile phones, computers
and especially laptops and PDA's, similar gadgets, clothes,
fashion, and watches.
b. You will also notice that food is invariably
very fresh, and often you choose which particular chicken
or fish etc you want to eat = fresh = new, immediate
= Face.
c. Cars are a prime example of Face. Owning
a brand new micro car normally carries more Face than
owning a larger second-hand model. In fact, there isn't
really a second-hand car trade, yet. Showrooms only
sell new cars. I think a lot of used cars go for export.
Top models are usually
Benz (Mercedes is too difficult to pronounce)
and BMW, excepting the exclusive market
d. City homes are crazy! Owning (Renting)
a new apartment is vital - even if it is only a refurbished
flat in an old building. A new apartment or house in
a new development we call 'Gardens' is considered Top!
Western thinking can be similar at times, but not to
Chinese extremes. In UK we often consider an older house
as being better-built, more substantial, and having
stood the test of time. This concept is unknown in China.
To put this into perspective, I live in a large and
airy 3-double bedroomed, 3-bathroomed apartment. It
is old, and features some beautiful wooden paneling.
Associates are horrified I do not live in a nearby development,
because it is brand new. I have seen these of course
- and the entire apartment would fit in my living room
with space to spare. These also cost more than my current
place. I simply don't get it? This is Chinese Face!
2. Biggest, Largest, Best - Having
accepted that only new things have any value, the next
criteria is size. This is easiest to explain by taking
cars as an example. Cars need to be big - not because
space is required, but because of Face. Car companies
make special models for the Chinese market - these being
top of the range +, and nearly all are models with traditional
boot (Trunk).
3. Latest. When you mix the concepts
'New' and 'Time' together, you begin to realise just
how important 'New' is to Chinese people's Face. This
is exemplified by having 'The Latest + object'.
4. Location - is also a very important
component of Face. Cheaper areas for things like offices
and apartments have no Face. Companies will manufacture
in the countryside, but have expensive offices in Guangzhou
simply for Face. Without these plush offices they think
they cannot make International sales? To me, it just
makes their products more expensive. Housing is similar:
Why live in a spacious apartment within 5-minutes walk
of everything you need for daily life, when you could
live in a brand new 'Garden' miles from anywhere? In
China, the Garden has Face!
5. Money. Showing you have money is
an important part of Face. Chinese deal in cash almost
exclusively. They like to have 'a big roll', and show
it when paying for things in company. 'Going Dutch'
is totally unacceptable, and will cause offence to all
except a 'Brother or Sister'. Somebody must always host
a meal, and pay for it themselves. You can give them
money of course, but it has to be in special red envelopes
called 'Lai Xi' or Lucky Money. To give cash publicly
is offensive!
6. Restaurants. More to do with etiquette
here, but small measures of Face are:
a. The host should sit opposite the door
b. The host should pay for the meal (Or
be seen to pay for the entire meal)
c. You should occasionally select the best
pieces from dishes and serve them to your honoured guests
d. Tell the serving staff who is the honoured
guest. They will then present dishes as served, and
rotate the 'Lazy Susan' to in front of that person as
each new dish arrives
e. You should ensure all guests have enough
to drink - either top up with tea, beer or rice wine
yourself; or normally better to tell a waitress to do
it for you.
f. If a guest wants something not on the
menu (Especially soft drinks), then tell the staff to
go and buy it
g. You should order far more food than
can be eaten (Except with practicing Buddhists! - they
never waste anything, and eat all of each meal!)
h. The Top Dish is normally Fish. To impress
you should get your staff to ask a Bosses staff what
their favourite food is - often a specialty such as
marinated goose foot served at table by a chef, similar...
i. This implies you have also checked first
to find out which restaurant is most suitable for your
guests?
j. You should give smokers a packet of
premium brand of cigarettes each
k. The meal doesn't finish when you leave
your seats. Your Face ends when you have seen them to
their car, or You have personally hailed a taxi for
them, ie. seen them safely home; and even on foot as
necessary!
l. As host, you should arrive first and
be the last to leave. As a Boss, you should send a staff
to the restaurant half an hour before time, and arrive
yourself 15 minutes early
7. Numbers. Sometimes Westerns consider
the number 13 to be unlucky? In China this number is
3, although for Buddhist related things, 3 is very good.
Ask advice when the number 3 is involved - like buying
a flat in a development that has only 3 buildings =
very unlucky. 8 by contrast, is a very lucky number.
Numbers associated with your life can form a part of
Face
8. Feng Shui. This is a consideration,
and not a general way of life as such. It is certainly
not taken to the extremes re interior design as it is
in the west. However, it is taken into account re situations,
such as where you live in a broader sense.
9. Etiquette is part of Face, but is
dealt with in a dedicated section
Psyche
Eating and sharing food is very central to the Chinese
Psyche - which is why I repeated this line twice! Instead
of saying 'Hello, hasn't the weather been blahblahblah'
as Brit's do, Chinese will say 'Hello, have you eaten
(rice) today?'
Leading on from this, I have developed a compliment
which works very well: ' I hope you have many children,
and that your dogs grow fat and lazy'. (Mongolians will
say horse instead of course)
Both are related directly to having abundant food; and
imply wealth, virility, longevity, etc. This is emphasised
by the mention of dogs, which are still man's best friend
in China, but here they either work or are eaten. Very
few people are wealthy enough to have them as simple
pets
|
|
| This
information is as supplied by the Chinese Embassy in
UK, as dated 20th June 2008, and/or other reliable sources.
Please check this information yourself as it may alter
without notice, and whilst we try our best to ensure
it is correct, please do not hold us responsible for
any errors - this is intended as a simple guide only |
|
| Search
this Website |
|
|
| Our
Friends |
Excellent
& Free Online Chinese Language Portal
Thousands of free print-friendly Chinese reference sheets,
tests and revision aids.
Easy Learning format &
Listen to Spoken Words |
British Foreign Office
Resource and Advice for Travellers Worldwide |
Chinese Embassy in UK
Information About China
International Relations
Visa & Consular |
UK Embassy in China
Information About UK
International Relations
Visa & Consular |
|
Excel
Education |
Languages Courses
Study Abroad
Employability
Summer Camps
Information for Teachers |
|
Down The Road.org
How We Traded Our Ordinary Lives For a Global Bicycle Touring Adventure
See
Us in China |
Empowering Disadvantaged Children
& Their Communities = Worldwide |
Based in Shangri-la,
Yunnan
Province
Dedicated to Exploring Remote Areas of China
Committed to Nature Conservation and Preserving Ethnic
Cultures & Traditions
|
Based in Xi'an,
China's Premiere Travel Agency and International Travel
Community -
Committed to providing:
Best travel deals & current information for all
International Travellers |
Pearl Dragon
Vast
Online Trading and Information Resource
Link goes to Chinese Tourism and Galleries Section |
|
