Destination China

Etiquette

China has often been referred to as the Nation of Etiquette. According to many westerners, however, Chinese people often act in what appears to be a discourteous manner. The reason for this anomaly lies in the different cultural and historical views of social decorum.

Handshaking

Handshaking is considered formal greeting behaviour in China. It is used to show respect, but only if the person is someone important, like a government official or a businessman.

Mianzi (Face)

Mianzi, commonly referred to as ‘face’, is a reflection of a person’s level of status in the eyes of his or her peers. Having ‘face’ means you are viewed by your peers, superiors, and subordinates as one in harmony with the prevailing disposition of society. It is a subtlety that is not openly discussed in Chinese society, but exists as a conversational skill nonetheless. Mianzi can best be understood as the avoidance of embarrassment in front of others.

General

The number Four, which sounds like death in Chinese, is considered an unlucky number in China. You will see that in many buildings, levels 4 and 13 are non-existent for this reason.

When eating with chopsticks, at the conclusion of the meal, do not leave your chopsticks sticking in the rice so that they stand upwards. This is considered unlucky as it looks similar to incense that is often burnt at funerals.

If you want to ‘toast’ your glass with a Chinese person, it is considered a sign of respect to toast the top of your glass lower than theirs.