Every country has its own list of no-no’s, so what about in China? What are the taboos? Let’s take a look.
Don’t kiss to greet! Kissing a Chinese woman as a greeting will not only make her very embarrassed, but it will also embarrass and possibly anger any Chinese men with her. Kissing or hugging as a greeting is quite normal in the western world, but not in China. A warm handshake is enough!
When you are invited to a social event in China, it’s polite to bring a special gift for the host. For this, the options are nearly limitless: food, clothes, books, etc. However, there are a few exceptions. For example, in China, a clock should never be given as a present. In Chinese, clock (zhong) has the same pronunciation as a character meaning “death”. Giving a clock as a present means you are cursing (诅咒) them.
Don’t stand your chopsticks vertically in your bowl. It’s seen as very bad table manners in China. Vertical chopsticks look like burning incense (香), which is heavily associated with making offerings at tombs for one’s ancestors. So, when you are invited to dinner at a Chinese home, put the chopsticks down parallel on the edge of the bowl or on the table.
Wearing a green hat is bad news, for “green hat” carries a particular meaning in China. One story is that in ancient China the wife of a merchant had an affair with a cloth seller. She made a green hat for her husband to wear, and when the husband went out for business, the cloth seller would see the green hat and know that he could meet his lover. Since that time, “green hat” has been the symbol of a wife betraying her husband.
Knowing more about taboos is a part of learning different cultures, which is helpful for cross-cultural communication. I hope that after reading this blog you will have a better understanding of the cultural taboos in China. This will help you to better communicate with your friends, family members, or colleagues in China.
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