Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
• Give face to someone by making a toast to them at any random moment during the
meal.
• Always take a gift if you are invited to someone's home.
• Never serve guests cold water. It should be somewhere between warm and hot.
• Don't split the bill. If someone else pays, repay them by taking them out for dinner.
• Take food from the shared plates with the back end of your chopsticks (if others
are doing this).
• Always leave a little on your plate to give the impression you're well fed.
On a similar point, you too, should avoid a direct “no.” Save the other person face with
an indirect reply along the lines of, “I'll get back to you.” Giving face can be done through
simple etiquette practices, such as the customary habits at dinners, but it can also be given
through thoughtful gift giving, and by knowing who to mention and when to mention them
in speeches or at meetings. If you're coming to Beijing to work as a manager or to conduct
business deals, it will be highly valuable for you to learn more about the culture of face.
Gift giving is an important part of Chinese culture, and a major part of relationship building.
It is one way to show politeness and respect, as well as to give face. On the less heartfelt
end of the scale, it's also a major tool for bribery and wheel greasing.
If a friend or colleague gives you a gift, don't open it in front of them unless they insist.
Not opening the gift in front of the person shows them that it's not the gift that's important
but their friendship. You can simply send a text message later after you open it telling them
how much you liked it. Additionally, you can show your appreciation by buying them a gift
in return. If you do give a gift to a Chinese person you may find that they refuse several
times before accepting it. Be patient and stick with your offer, but also try to detect a sincere
rejection of the gift if possible.
Unlike in the West, chocolates, wine, and flowers (especially white ones, which are for
funerals) are not traditional gifts to give. Instead, the Chinese prefer items that aren't avail-
able in China, such as something from your home country: specialty food items, such as
seasonal delicacies; spirits, such as cognac, whiskey, or
báiji
ǔ
(the Maotai brand in particu-
lar); and cigarettes. Expensive, beautifully packaged cigarettes are available, almost exclus-
ively for the sake of gift giving.
