China: Etiquette

China is a very cultural and historic country. It is very important to keep in mind that China only opened its country to outsiders three decades ago. Below are some tips to help ease the Chinese anxiety about foreigners and hopefully teach them the cultures of other countries.

China is a very modest and shy country. They rest on traditional ideals which is why it is difficult for the older generations to be open minded about different cultures. The Chinese rarely display emotions and feelings in public. Couples do not even hold hands in public. Males can be seen holding hands with males and females can be seen holding hands with other females. This only happens when people are truly close friends. Males and females very rarely hold hands in public.

The Chinese do not greet by hugging or kissing each other on the cheek, rather at the most they shake hands. Sometimes the Chinese will bow as a greeting. Try to follow what the Chinese are doing and you will be okay. As long as you make an effort to conform to their culture, they will be accepting.

The people love humor and have a great sense of humor; however, jokes or subjects related to politics or anything sexual are strictly avoided. This is very different from European countries which are extremely interested in foreigner’s point of view on politics.

Try to “keep face”. This means always keep your temper and never act confrontational, especially in public. This is very important in the Chinese culture.

If you happen to be traveling to more underdeveloped areas of China as opposed to the big cities, be prepared to be stared at. However, try not to take offense to this; the people are just curious. The larger cities in China have been exposed to Western culture through movies and television while the more underdeveloped areas are still learning and accepting other cultures.

Lastly, when sightseeing most people enjoy taking photos as memorabilia. Please remember that the Chinese culture finds it extremely rude to take pictures of people without asking first. Typically, if you have a digital camera and ask a Chinese person to take their picture, show them the picture after as they will be more willing to obey your requests.

When traveling to China, the etiquette is rather simple, just remember you are in a modest and rather shy country. Enjoy!


Have you ever come in contact with someone exhibiting unusual behavior in your own country… later to find this person is foreign? What was your reaction?