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.   If you are considering going to live and work in China, then I am sure that you have already begun your research and read as much literature as possible regarding Chinese customs, culture and lifestyle.  I have lived in China for almost eighteen months,  (I taught in Beijing during the academic year of 2002-2003 and I taught in Shantou, Guangdong Province on a six month contract), and I wish to share some of the many unwritten cultural differences that I have experienced during this time.   These are not things that I have ever found in the plethora of guidebooks available on living in China, these have all been discovered on my confusing, frustrating and sometimes painful, time in  the country.  One of the most apparent cultural differences to a foreigner living in China is personal hygiene.  It is well known that spitting is common throughout China, but I did not know that many Chinese consider blowing your nose straight onto the ground to be fairly acceptable until I experienced it!  To many foreigners, this is considered unclean and often quite disgusting.  On the other hand, however, I was not aware that my idea of the hygienic way to deal with the same problem, (i.e. blowing my nose into a tissue,) is considered fairly rude if done in public. At best, it is considered very strange and will attract a great deal of staring or sniggering if done in front of other people.  Another common problem for Westerners  is dealing with the omni-present problem of squat-toilets and lack of plumbing.   Usually in public places such as schools, restaurants and shopping centres,  the flushing mechanism consists of a tap and a bucket, and usually, the only public place where a Western toilet can be found is in major international restaurant chains.  A tap and a bucket may sound fairly primitive, but this is often the classier end of the spectrum.  Do not be surprised to walk into a public washroom and find a structure resembling a trough; in this situation, you are expected to squat in a line with any other patrons of the facilities, without the luxury of dividing walls, doors or running water to act as sanitation.  If you are lucky enough to find something resembling plumbing and the option of a western toilet, I would choose the squat toilet anytime.  This may sound odd, as squat-toilet will require the ability to balance and aim in a straight line all at the same time - an expertise that many foreigners do not possess.  But another valuable culture difference in China is that, while many Westerners consider squat-toilets to be old-fashioned and less hygienic, many of the Chinese consider Western toilets to be equally unhygienic.  It's not unusual to find a toilet seat covered in footprints - the Chinese squat on top of the Western toilets rather than use them in the slightly more traditional way. Moving on to the slightly more acceptable topic of fashion and what to wear in China, I would advise conservative dress and covering up if you are to have any chance of minimising the level of staring and attention that you will certainly receive as a foreigner.  This means refraining from wearing shorts above the knee for both men and women, trying to wear short sleeves if at all possible in the uncomfortably hot summer months, and certainly women should not show cleavage at any time.  Most guidebooks will tell you that it is acceptable to dress fairly freely in China, but in reality this is not the case.  Many Chinese would rather be too hot in their clothing during summer, (I have seen  locals walking around in polo-neck jumpers in the height of summer,) than to be showing as much skin as Westerners do.  Tank tops that are favoured by many Western women draw attention to our different body shape, and the slightest hint of cleavage will give many Chinese the impression that you are walking around in your underwear.  The same can be said for shorts on both men and women. I find summer a highly confusing time to determine what is considered to be acceptable clothing, as Chinese women will wear shorter skirts than many of their Western counterparts, and also wear dresses made of very thin, flimsy material.  To many Westerners, this would attract more attention than a sleeveless top, but one crucial aspect to understand in China is that foreigners need to play by a different set of rules to the Chinese in order to minimise the staring. Before going to China, foreigners will need to accept that they will be stared at simply for being different.  We will usually be taller, fatter, and often paler then most Chinese, and this means that the more of your white skin that you expose, the more staring you will receive.  You are expected to abide by a different set of rules simply because you are a foreigner, and you will be treated differently as such even if you act or dress in the same way as the Chinese.  Meeting New People and Doing Business in China When meeting new people in China, there are some fundamental rules of etiquette that will make the meeting go a lot more smoothly for all involved.  Whether you are in a business, formal or casual setting, it is always polite to accept a drink when it is offered to you, even if you can only manage to drink a small amount.  You will usually be offered a type of Chinese tea or hot water on arrival, and you may also be offered a small amount of food, depending on the occasion.  This may be a local delicacy, but the chances of you recognising what is being offered are often fairly slim in my experience.

.. RESOURCE LINKS FOR CHINA About Moving To People's Republic of China Including Moving Companies. Articles On Living In China Articles On Living & Investing In China - Also Including Articles On Real Estate In China Banks of China See banks of China at our Banks of Asian Pacific section. People's Republic of China Country Information Weather, time and facts for The Republic of China. People's Republic of China Economy & Business Including real estate and banks. Real Estate in China Real Estate In China - Current real estate listings of properties in China. Embassy Resources for People's Republic of China Embassy Resources for China - On our sister site EmbassyWorld. Maps of People's Republic of China Maps of China Our own Embassy maps plus a large number of differing China maps, also including city maps. Travel & Tourism In China Information about hotels, restaurants, travel agents, guides and virtual tours. Links to China Including search engines, art, culture and education. Media & News In China Media & News Resources for China Newspapers, magazines, online resources and news channels with current China information. .. . Previous Articles on China Being in Beijing Beijing is moving forward in a big way; really, a quick moving microcosm of the country as a whole. Irrespective of the Olympics catalyst, the “People” get things done in the Republic and in some small way I’m pleased to be a part of it, whether it’s plunking down small change for a token gift or photographing the city skyline to share with my readers. It’s an imperfect city that’s given plenty the right to complain - pollution, heavy traffic - but it’s also taking great strides to improve the living conditions and still offers plenty in the way of cultural heritage and daily attractions. On The Modern Silk Road Born in South Korea and raised in America, I embody Eastern roots with Western views. Traveling through China fulfilled part of my personal story, for in our heritage lies a discovery that may answer some of our precious questions. With a group of students from The Beijing Center, I traversed part of the 1,423 mile ancient Silk Road exploring the land, people, and places of my root culture. Being An Expat In China Sitting just outside Richard's Pub puffing on the day's one and only reflection. It was warm and dry, small plastic shopping bags and other pieces of random garbage blew by. The scooter's scurried past like so many petro-powered cockroaches spewing thick blue oily smoke into the air for all to breathe. Small children stood on the running boards of the scooters between mom's rippling skirt and the steering yoke, attention riveted forward with absolute glee. .

Some topics of conversation that would often be considered inappropriate or rude in Western countries are not considered rude in China.  As a foreigner, it is fairly common to be asked how much money you make, whereas being asked or asking about somebody’s personal life is not usually appropriate.  If you do not feel happy answering this question, it is usually acceptable to explain why and talk a little about some cultural differences.  As a foreigner, you can get away with saying or doing almost anything, (within reason of course!), as long as you back it up with a friendly smile.  It is generally assumed that foreigners are not aware of Chinese customs and cannot speak any Chinese, so if you do speak some Chinese, be prepared to hear people talking about you in the street, on the bus, or even in your workplace.  This may not be done discreetly or subtly in any way, as they will assume that you cannot understand. 

Many Chinese directly associate money with status and intelligence, so it is important to gauge an appropriate price when negotiating in a business environment.  If you are selling your skills or a product, aim for a price that is towards the higher end of the spectrum.  If you set a price that is too low, this will be seen as a negative reflection on your skills or your product.  However, if you set a price that is too high, the other party will not feel they are getting a fair deal and this will create some potential ill-feeling.  This is a delicate balancing act and requires some research into typical market rates for your skills or products.  Business relations (Guan Xi) are highly regarded in China, and the initial financial discussions will be seen as an important step towards building these relations.

When living or working in China, be prepared to accept both positive and negative stereotypes according to your colour, race, or religion, and remember that this is not usually meant to cause offence.  The Chinese associate pale skin and fair hair with beauty and they will often form immediate opinions about you based on your appearance.  Some other stereotypes that I have come across include associating Jewish people with business acumen and intelligence, age with authority and Westerners with wealth.  If you do not conform to one of their more positive stereotypes regarding physical appearance, then be prepared to experience some problems getting work or dealing with people who are not used to dealing with foreigners.

The concept of truth in China is very difficult for most Westerners to understand, myself included.  It is considered disrespectful to say “no” or reply negatively in anyway to someone in a higher position than yourself.  This can include your teacher, your manager, or even a guest.  I first experienced this when I asked a question and later realised that I had been told incorrect information.  As this was the first time that this had happened, I gave the person the benefit of the doubt and assumed a simple breakdown in communication caused by the language barrier.  I attributed this to experience and vowed to explain myself more clearly the next time.  However, the next time that I discovered that I had been misled, I was very confused.   had made a fairly straightforward request, and the person to whom I was speaking had a high enough level of spoken English for me to safely assume that she had understood the basic information of my request.  After this happened time and time again, and without any knowledge of any cultural difference that could explain this, I began to assume that I had been lied to.  However, what had actually happened was that I had been told the answer that they thought would make me happy. 

As a teacher, this happens on a daily business when I ask my students questions such as, “Do you know how the television works?” or “What time does the lesson finish?” The student will always reply in the affirmative, and then look completely blank when I ask them for the actual answer.  On another occasion, I was asked to speak at an English club by a student of mine, only to be told to attend on the wrong day.  This happened when I asked the student what day the presentation was on and she replied that it could be on any day that was convenient for me.  I could not make the day that the student had originally suggested and suggested an alternative.  The student agreed to this because she thought it was disrespectful not to, when in actual fact the English club needed the presentation to be on a specific day.  Feedback or criticism is never given directly to someone who is seen as a superior, rather via a third party.  In my experience, this often resulted in a convoluted game of Chinese whispers and a complete breakdown in communications. 

To surmise, I believe that all of the cultural differences that I have mentioned are worth remembering and being aware of.  These are issues that I have come across on a daily basis during the 18 months that I have lived in China, although some of the misunderstandings can be avoided if you are dealing with an international company, or if the person you have contact  with is quite used to dealing with foreigners, or has anytime abroad themselves. 
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Living, Working & Investing in China - Living. Working & Investing in China - What this report will do is arm you with ammunition needed to reduce the number of unpleasant surprises related to living, working or investing in China. In it, the author relates his first hand experiences to help alleviate your worries regarding mundane daily tasks such as getting your hair cut, making your computer work and what's on TV. It includes information on jobs available in China, where to look for them and how to avoid the bad ones. It offers reassurances about visas and examples of actual teaching contracts.

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