Culture, Custom and Etiquette for China: Traveler Guide

First impression and greeting

Chinese social life dey run on mianzi (face) and guanxi (relationship). Small awareness go carry you far.

• Light handshake na standard, often wit small nod. Wait make elder or host extend dia hand first.
• Call person by title plus surname. Surname dey come first, so Wang Wei na Mr Wang, no be Mr Wei.
• When dem give you business card, collect am wit both hands, read am, no just shove am enter your back pocket.

Dining etiquette

Chop na di heart of Chinese hospitality, usually dem dey share am from communal dish for revolving lazy Susan.

• Make host seat you. Di seat wey face door na di honor seat.
• Never stand chopstick upright inside bowl of rice. E resemble incense wey dem burn for dead person.
• Try small-small of everything wey dem offer. If you leave small food, e show say host generous.
• For banquet, expect baijiu toast. Talk ganbei (finish di cup) and return di gesture, hold your glass small lower pass elder own as sign of respect.
• Host normally go fight to pay bill. To offer once na polite; to insist too much no be so.

Gift and good fortune

• Carry small gift when you dey visit house: tea, fruit or quality sweet dey safe.
• Avoid clock (di phrase song zhong sound like say you dey attend burial), avoid anything wey come for set of four, because four sound like death.
• Number eight dey lucky, and red dey signal joy and prosperity. Money gift dey go inside red envelope (hongbao).
• Present and receive gift wit both hands. Dem fit politely refuse gift once or twice before dem accept am.

Public behaviour: wetin to do and wetin no to do

• Remove your shoe when you enter most house.
• Keep public display of affection small small.
• Bargain dey expected for market like Beijing Silk Street, but no for mall or supermarket.
• Mobile payment dey rule daily life. Alipay and WeChat Pay now dey accept foreign card, so set one up before you travel.

Tipping for China

Tipping no be custom for China, e even fit cause confusion. Restaurant, taxi and hotel no expect am. Di main exception na upmarket international hotel and private tour guide or driver, where small gratuity dey appreciated but nobody go demand am.

Stay connected for China

HelloSIM eSIM go keep you online di moment wey you land, so map, translation apps and restaurant booking go just work, no roaming fee, no need to dey find Wi-Fi.