DOs and DON'Ts in CHINA | Some of these are ridiculous....

I share with you the do's and don'ts of China. These are what I've learned to be true and I'm sure some of these will shock you too.

[sarahlee]

The 'slurping' is only for 'soup based' noodle, which is non-existing in the West.
Eastern people learned not to slurp on dry noodle (ex: Italian spaghetti) as it gets really 'messy' (around the mouth).
The 'slurping' (for soup based) is due to that noodles itself have no flavor and water do not adhere on noodle like 'sauces'.

[Zerpentsa]

Many Chinese people will be surprised to hear some these advice given as if they are rigid rules. Take drinking custom. Even if you don't empty your glass, you're not going to incur the wrath of your host or fellow diners unless they are a rowdy lot. As for waiting for your elders, it's more important if you're a junior member of the family, and then only if the elders are very traditional and hierarchical. Many hosts will actually ask guests to eat first as a sign of courtesy. The golden rule is act with consideration and decorum and you'll be fine.

[Nomad-Poker]

few advices:
① ganbei is not a must-do thing. Only in few situation... such as drinking with your boss, drinking with your father in law, drinking with newly-wed couples...etc
When you must show max respect.
② always don't be the 1st one eating... unless you are the host to tell your guests just feel like home help yourself.
otherwise, you should better just sit down and wait... Mostly situations, only the host/eldest/most successful person can be the 1st to pick up chopsticks.
③don't stick chopsticks in rice, because it symbolizes buring incense to someone passed.
in the funeral of countryside town, you can see a bowl of rice with chopsticks stick in, and right next to it is the coffin... for real
when I was kid I did it one time, and my mum hit my hand real hard with a chopstick, it's not only symbolizes me passed and also the elder in your home...

only these 3 are quiet important to follow, others are just minor tiny things not everyone cares.
or even you do it wrong, you won't offed anyone.

[kkng]

I am a Chinese living in Hong Kong. FYI, traditional and polite Chinese don't slurp. We were not allowed to slurp when we were kids.

[manimalworks]

I am Chinese from Shandong Province, I have not heard of many of the dos and don’s. It’s perfectly fine just do what I like and be considerate and respect others

[jimmyliu]

wow, they're accurate and well explained.

about giving pears. well, you can give a pear as a whole or a bag of them. people would think of pear (梨/Lí) instead of depart (离/Lí). don't cut a pear in half and share them because cut means separate (分/Fēn). when coming together, cutting pear (分梨) represents the separation (分离) from the one that you're sharing pear with.
I don't eat pear slices by myself.

[RED--]

1-You gotta try everything? Completely untrue.
I have been to so many parties with Chinese friends.. they never forced or felt bad for me not trying food.

2-Slurp is NOT encouraged by ANYONE AT ALL that I have seen.. In matter of FACT I got complemented several times for not being extremely noisy while eating. I personally DO NOT slurp anything when I eat noodles...I use chopsticks on my noodle.. gently bring them to my mouth.. then I eat and..that simple.
When I want I raise the bowl(if its small) or use my spoon to drink soup..Which then I drink like its water..nobody slurps water right?

3- Don't play with chopsticks ..OFC you don't do that... Same shit in the West.. I never saw ANY culture where pointing forks and knifes at people or playing with them is polite.

4-Tipping is considered kind offensive because they already get their salary in full.. That's is correct.

5-About gifts is a little strange.. I would say is the same as in Western countries.. When I had birthdays in Brazil.. It's polite to say... '' oh! you didn't have to! Thanks!'' As in the USA EU and many other countries..
This varies from person to person tho. I usually say wow that's awesome thank you ! And they feel happy..

6-About the green hat..is not actually ridiculous.. Many countries also have items that in said occasions are offensive.

7-Showing public affection is perfectly fine.. I have no idea where you live but around Shanghai is fine.. And I'm not talking about foreigners.. I've seen by now hundreds of couples holding hands and kissing when outside.. Of course you don't see them kissing like crazy or kissing in a bus/train/subway.
But outside on the streets or places like it there is 0 problems.

8-No mention of Japan? COMPLETELY incorrect. No sushi except very few restaurants and they are not good? COMPLETELY INCORRECT.Damn I had sushi for lunch today!
Even Chinese buffet restaurants have sushi and RELLY well done.
So far I only spoke to a few friends about Japan and they themselves hold no grudge against them.. They feel that this takes them NOWHERE.
That notion of we have to hold grudge for ever is slowly dying out..

9- I'm a westerner I have been to countless countries and honestly I think its offensive to be pointing fingers. And I think most people think that as well..I myself never pointed unless its a fight situation..

10-Never saw any of those rules when visiting any places in China to be honest.. In a hot day I didn't see a single Chinese person NOT wearing hats or shorts.. And this clockwise thing.. My god I think you are in another country.. People go anywhere they want..
Not taking photographs of people in particular is not well seen even in the West. And nobody will go around touching people on their heads right?


My overall review of it... is that NONE of that will ever take you to JAIL neither in trouble with ANY police.
Some things are true and some things are maybe only true for that specific place that you live..
I have been to many places in China and in most places those rules do not exist neither people look at you in a bad way if you do it.
The place you live must have an old society or something..

[Thomas-Chin]

This is a very well prepared list and your delivery of it is impressive! A slight bow to express gratitude is good but not the deep bow seen in Japan. Hugging between women, if they know each other, is accepted, but only for rare occasions, such as the two have not seen each other for a long time. Most young and educated people don't hold grudges against Japan. If we all forgive, the world would be a better place.:)

[JitTan]

I like your vlogs because you are fair and unbiased
Some foreigners like China too much and are not critical enough by not giving negatives as well You give balanced views

[billyoshea]

I will soon be visiting China, and this is very useful. Thank you!

[phandes]

Another don't is, don't take too serious on every rules don't in your talk, chinese people are very forgiveness to foreigners. No worry too much. 😊

[hengwang]

Let me clarify that, the Japan thing is not so real. We keep it in mind, but we don't hate it all time.

[sola]

You don't need to slurp your noodles, it is actually bad manner. In ancient time those who slurps or eat loudly are usually of lower class/blue collar workers hanging out on the street doing hard labour. They were never taught table manner or manners in general. The other possibility of this happening is the Japanese influence with the noodle slurping. Traditionally well mannered Chinese people will eat quietly. Eating with mouth open creates sounds like a pig chewing their filth, that is not well manner. Much teaching of manners were lost through time, many of these were not taught by families in the modern day or only a little had pass on to next generation or people just slacking off with it. Also the drinking, it means bottoms up, you don't need to drink the whole thing, it is just symbolic, no one will lock you up for not doing it. 😂

[igoxihr]

There are some weird foods that only tourists eat.

[katkrist]

lol Actually, slurping food was not allowed and used to be viewed as discourteous in China, but people thought they should liberate the natural selves and not be constrained by "an ancient rule" . Plus, in South Korea and Japan, slurping noodles is a way of showing respect to the cook. lol So i guess people think that's not a bad reason to justify the behavior of slurping food. But I believe most Chinese will realize slurping is not good if you remind them.

[longlonglo]

Why do Chinese people love to eat strange food? Because in ancient China, the land was barren and there were wars for years. There was not enough food, so we had to make use of everything we could eat in order to survive.

[oneplacegifts]

Wow Lizzy U delivered it. That’s exactly the dos and donts in the country! For me personally it’s all good that u don’t drink up the whole glass of liquor when made a toast and it’s ok if u r so tempted for public display of affection toward another person take hugging for example…kissing is a big no though 😂

[juempe]

when you slurp your food it taste better. Specially soups!!

[tweedysg]

Most of the don'ts are actually the result of homophone .
That's becomes an issue with a tonal language like Chinese.

[kl]

Great information.
Food in China is affordable already, no tipping makes it even better.