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Be hospitable in China: Tips for American travelers and athletes
One of the best things a person can do before traveling to a new country is to find out cultural norms in order to know how to be polite. It's a great way to make friends, get the best prices when bargaining, and to not create a situation where someone is mad at you because you've made a faux pas without realizing it.
Jim Wells at behospitable traveler.com of the Hilton Hotels hooked us into travel tips to help Americans (or anyone else for that matter) know how to behave when heading to China for the Olympic games.
This is part of the Hilton Hotels' campaign to help people be the stellar travelers we love to love. Hilton Hotels is one of the sponsors of the games and have been getting involved big time. (No, I'm not being paid to say that, it's just an observation.)
Whether you're one of the athletes or a couch potato, follow these tips and you'll leave China happy and the Chinese will be happy to have had you as a visitor.
The tips are presented by athletes in videos and print form. These are a good read whether you are going to China or not since they offer a glimpse into the Chinese value system. From this link, click on the hospitableTraveler: A call to Act box. This will lead you the tips. Click on the learn more tabs to "Thoughtfulness," "Character" and "Awareness." If you have problems accessing that link, try this one. Under the heading "Dining," you'll even find rules for using chopstick rules.
There is also a link to helpful Mandarin phrases like "Where is the bathroom?" When I was in Beijing, I used the bathroom at McDonald's several times. I bet that by the time the Olympics start, Beijing will be flush in Western style toilets.
Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, Business, China, Hotels and Accommodations, Internet Tools
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Al Jensen Jul 18th 2008 9:54AM
If you're interested in learning a little Chinese (Mandarin) before you go to China, please take a look at http://www.zhongwenred.com
It has a lot of good material for anyone wanting to study the language.
KC Aug 1st 2008 8:43AM
As of June of this year, Beijing was not flush with American Standard porcelain products.
Oh another hint, carry your own TP out on the town in your pack. Arrrghhh! Unless they were saving it all for the Olympic guests, they're a bit stingy with it and they like to put it in the most inconvenient locations when they do have it.
Jamie Rhein Aug 1st 2008 8:58AM
Thanks for the TP reminder KC. I wouldn't be surprised if McDonald's even runs out when the crowds build.