Show Thread

China is a large country with a very long history and unique culture. It is these reasons that make it such a draw to visitors, but there are some things that must be kept in mind when visiting China. China opened up to the outside world only three decades ago and has witnessed dramatic changes in those thirty years, but because China was closed to outsiders for centuries, its cultural is unique and most Chinese people are only familiar with their own culture and do not understand other cultures. Visitors must keep this in mind when visiting China. The old expression "When in Rome do as the Romans do" is a great way to look at China and its cultures and traditions. China is an amazing and diverse country which never fails to enchant visitors. It is important to remember that their culture is ancient and unique. Being flexible will help immensely.

Modesty:
Chinese people are inherently shy and modest. They do not display emotion and feelings in public and find speaking bluntly unnerving. Most couples never even hold hands when walking in public. For the most part, Chinese people never hug or kiss in public. The most public display seen when saying hello or goodbye is generally a handshake. It is not uncommon to see two females, or even two males walking down the street hand in hand. Most visitors to China cannot understand it and assume they are a couple. This is not the case, in China only truly close friends hold hands, but two friends of the opposite sex cannot hold hands. Please keep this in mind when traveling with your significant other, or boy/girlfriend. More and more people are accepting of it, but not everyone is yet.

Patience:
Sometimes decisions that would be made easily and instantly elsewhere, can sometimes take quite a while in China. Everyone feels they must make absolutely sure that everyone involved is truly happy with the decision and not just being friendly. It is Chinese culture and sometimes requires patience.

Face:
The concept of "Face" in China is extremely strong. "Keeping face" is of extreme importance and "losing face" in public is unacceptable and can usually end in a fight. It is important to never embarrass shame, yell at, or demean a Chinese person. Losing face is considered unacceptable and if you make someone lose face, you will never get what you want, and may get something you don't want.

Humor:
Chinese people like people the world over love to laugh and Chinese people have excellent senses of humor, but sexual and political subjects are strictly avoided.

Getting stared at:
In many parts of China, people have never seen a Westerner outside of movies and television, so when traveling to more underdeveloped areas, chances are you will get stared at. Although sometimes uncomfortable, it is nothing more than harmless curiosity.

Photo taking:
It is considered extremely rude to take photos of people without their consent. In some of the more touristy areas, the locals have gotten used to it, but it is still a good idea to get permission before taking a photo. Gesture with your camera with a big smile on your face will usually get you the photo you want. If using a digital camera show them the photo you just took. This works well particularly with children who will find seeing themselves in the photo very exciting and many others will then pose for you to be able to see themselves in your camera.

Tibetan etiquette:
Tibet has very unique rules of etiquette, you can see China Odyssey Tours'Tibet page to get more information on Tibetan etiquette, or click here for Tibetan Etiquette.

China is an amazing country with sites, culture and traditions which cannot be seen anywhere else in the world. China warmly welcomes overseas visitors and the government is working hard to improve and increase tourism facilities. Visitors to this country rarely failed to be completely bowled over by it. It is important to remember that China is not a "Western" country and that it has its own unique traditions and etiquette. Try to respect those traditions and be flexible and you will have a truly unforgettable time in the remarkable country of China.

Thanks for your comprehensive China travel tips...

For more about China travel info, I recommend you read this website: chinatraveltourism.com

This post was last modified: 02-23-2011 05:16 PM by JayFang.

That's great. yet i haven't travel to china. Soon going to trip to china. Thanks for sharing.It will be useful to me.

This post was last modified: 02-23-2011 05:16 PM by JayFang.

That's great. yet i haven't travel to china. Thanks for sharing.It will be useful to me.

This post was last modified: 03-03-2011 09:18 AM by JayFang.

China has everything one expects to find on her vast territory, from ancient cultural and historic relics to stunning natural wonders. China is a vast country with different climates. Before going to the trip, Check Your passport with all necessary visas and International Airline tickets.

This post was last modified: 03-07-2011 02:58 PM by JayFang.

Hi there! just wanna say this is a GREAT tips to all travelers like me..and thanks dude for sharing all this China Travel Tips. I will visit China soon and I will keep this in mind. Thanks again


"Traveling can be a pleasant experience; be sure you have carefully prepared to travel before deciding to do so."

This post was last modified: 07-27-2011 10:11 PM by JayFang.