Do you plan to visit China? 6 things not to do in China

China is a great country with a rich history, vast attractions, and extraordinary traditions. Before going there, you should remember several things not welcomed by the Celestial Empire much more than anywhere else.

So, if you don’t want to ruin your vacation, and if you find yourself in a difficult situation that does not aggravate it, even more, you need to know the following.

1. Pampering with chopsticks

Chopsticks in China are not just cutlery. It is also a ritual thing. In particular, sticks are part of the memorial ritual of the Celestial Empire. In other words, the item is not only practical but also highly sacred. So, it’s not worth breaking, indulging, sticking into food just like that. The locals won’t understand.

2. Talking about politics

China is a country that knows everything about “little talk”. So don’t try to talk about politics there. And this is not at all about prohibiting discussion of the Communist Party, but about the fact that conducting such conversations with strangers is the height of disrespect and lawlessness. At the same time, for attacks on the country’s leadership, a fine and even result in deportation.

3. Bribes

There is a stereotype that all bribe-takers in China will dare! It would not be wrong, but it is not. However, in the Celestial Empire, they are pretty actively and very severely fighting this phenomenon. So it would help if you didn’t even try to solve any issue with money and represent the authorities on occasion.

4. Foreign currency

In China, foreign exchange legislation is quite challenging. Trying to pay with dollars or euros is strictly prohibited in most places. It is best to use the good old yuan. In an attempt to use the “enemy” currency, the tourist may face an unpleasant conversation with the police, and deportation comes after. Interesting fact: in some border cities of China, neighbours’ circulation of foreign currencies is allowed.

5. Tipping

Tipping is illegal in China, like in many other Asian countries. Here it is considered not just bad form. An employee who accepts a tip can have severe problems with their superiors. The fact is that this amount is already nominally included in the account. Therefore, it is prohibited to take additional money from the client. For such an offence, a person can be deprived of a bonus or even fired from his job. So there is no need to bring honest workers of the Celestial Empire under the monastery.

6. Looks and gestures

Much attention to the etiquette of communication in the Asian tiger is paid to looks and gestures. In principle, active gesticulation is not welcome here. The riding insult would be to point at someone with your finger or even your hand. You should also know and remember that looking in the eyes is a sign of terrible taste and insolence. The Chinese prefer to “humbly” look at the interlocutor in the neck area.

And also: be yourself

Even if you are a tourist, you should not dress in China colourfully and provocatively. The locals value taste and simplicity first of all. Pretentiousness and even more outrageousness are not welcome in the country. Many ordinary people may even refuse to talk to a brightly dressed tourist altogether. And the Chinese do not like it terribly when visitors try to imitate their clothes.