Every country has its own rules and regulations and respecting them is our duty. Whenever we visit somewhere, it’s important that we respect the things that are followed there. As a guest, we would never want to hurt the sentiments of people in the country we are visiting. Hence, as tourists, it is our duty to properly check the “Do’s” and “Don’ts” there.
Today, we are here with the list of “Don’ts” in China; if you have plans of travelling to China, have a look at the list of 9 things which you should simply avoid doing.
1) Don’t let someone else pay the bill!
Don’t be surprised when you visit a restaurant in China and see some cat-fights going there. People follow a trend in China. They don’t allow others to pay the bill. They fight over it; one says “Main bharunga” and immediately, the other one says, “Nahi nahi, bill toh mai hi bharunga”. The money switches over from here to there, and finally, the winner gets a chance to pay the bill. Showing the excitement to pay the bill is always considered to be a good gesture there.
2) Chinese people may say, “No Thanks”! Don’t take it seriously..
As a courtesy, a Chinese person might refuse to take the drink or food when they are offered by someone. They always say “No, thanks” for the first time. However, don’t take it too seriously! Be a good host and offer it for the second time. The guest might refuse it even though he’s very hungry; offer it the 2nd time and they’ll welcome it.
3) Don’t you dare go somewhere without a gift!
Well, you need to spend few bucks and take a gift along because Chinese people just love gifts; in China, exchanging gifts is a common trend. In fact, if you go to meet someone there, he/she might expect that you’ll come along with a gift.
4) Don’t indulge in PDA
Chinese people don’t appreciate public display of affection; for many, it’s still a taboo. No matter how romantic the place is and no matter how much you feel like kissing your GF/BF in public, you need to control yourself. People there won’t like it and for sure, even you wouldn’t want to be embarrassed, right?
5) Don’t accept something easily. Saying a “NO” is important
This is an important part and parcel of Chinese etiquette. You should NOT accept something without saying a NO. People there tend to say no to gifts or food because they believe that if they accept it in one go, they will be tagged as “Greedy”. So, next time you go there, you need to refuse things politely before you accept them.
6) Don’t mess up with chopsticks. Hold them correctly
Never ever try messing up with those Chopsticks; they are very important in Chinese culture. Using them the wrong way is considered to be insulting. Moreover, there are certain things that you “Can’t” do with the chopsticks. For instance, you can’t keep knocking the bowl with those sticks nor can you hold it upside down. Just using 1 stick is also not appreciated.
7) Don’t be late
Punctuality is something that Chinese love to follow. Being late is considered to be very rude there. No matter how messed up you are, make sure to reach on time, be it a date or be it a formal meeting.
8) Don’t tip as it’s considered to be insulting
In other countries, tipping might be considered as a good thing, but in China, tipping is regarded as offensive. People don’t like to take extra money there. Sometimes, you might fall in situations wherein Chinese people don’t even realize why extra money is being paid to them. Why fall in such embarrassing situations? Avoid tipping instead.
9) Don’t touch too much
Usually, we all greet each other with a hug or with a handshake, but Chinese people don’t like to be “Touched” too much. They prefer a verbal greet rather than hugs. Instead of a handshake, they would prefer a nod. Moreover, touching someone’s head is a strict no. Yes, head is considered to be sacred and touching it reflects disrespect.
Do you know of any more things that are not considered to be valid there? Let us know.