DOs and DON'Ts in CHINA | Some of these are ridiculous....

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  • Опубліковано 20 кві 2023
  • I share with you the do's and don'ts of China. These are what I've learned to be true and I'm sure some of these will shock you too.

КОМЕНТАРІ • 112

  • @Zerpentsa6598
    @Zerpentsa6598 Рік тому +22

    Many Chinese people will be surprised to hear some these advice given as if they are rigid rules. Take drinking custom. Even if you don't empty your glass, you're not going to incur the wrath of your host or fellow diners unless they are a rowdy lot. As for waiting for your elders, it's more important if you're a junior member of the family, and then only if the elders are very traditional and hierarchical. Many hosts will actually ask guests to eat first as a sign of courtesy. The golden rule is act with consideration and decorum and you'll be fine.

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому +6

      Yes this is also true, I've been to alot of Chinese homes where they ask me to eat first etc. I just meant this is not that big in the west as it is in China, and that's why I shared this and there is some foundation to this

    • @hclau218
      @hclau218 Рік тому +3

      Yes, but it is the host or elder who ask.. You do the respect, the host or elder do the gracious.. So , she is correct.

    • @fatdoi003
      @fatdoi003 Рік тому

      the etiquette is to let elders walk first, eat first etc... but in most situations, the elders will then let the young kids eat first..... also never ever take the drumstick of a chicken or duck for yourself.... those pieces are for others, like you give the drumstick to others or others give it to you..... and there's usually seniority to it

    • @owkd-oc4ox
      @owkd-oc4ox Рік тому

      ​@@lizzyinchina eating noodles, not just in China, you go to Japan Korea, people all do that, and southeast Asia

    • @chew5461
      @chew5461 Рік тому

      Totally agree.
      I also want to add the followings:
      1) I am not sure how "slurping " noodles is widespread in China. But I know the Japanese do this too. It is to show one enjoys the meal.
      2) Many of the "do's" and "don't's" mentioned in this video are not widely practised. Eg., Chinese people ask a lot of "personal " questions. Many of the "do's" and "dont's" may be practised by the elderly, not all Chinese. All over the world, the elderly tend to hold on to traditions/what are considered okay in their times.
      3) The people in China are very proud of their country. Naturally they will be upset if foreigners talk bad about China, especially if the China-bad stories are not true and spread by Western media. This is NOT making them "lose face" as described by Lizzy. Nothing to do with "face". It is a natural patriotic response when foreigners talk bad about one's country.
      4) Lastly, and very important. Lizzy gives the impression that there is great animosity of the Chinese people towards the Japanese. This will give a wrong impression and much misunderstanding. If this is true, why " In 2019, some 31.9 million foreign tourists visited Japan, and almost 53 percent of them were from China's mainland"?? Quote from Yicai Global.

  • @sarahlee9979
    @sarahlee9979 Рік тому +12

    The 'slurping' is only for 'soup based' noodle, which is non-existing in the West.
    Eastern people learned not to slurp on dry noodle (ex: Italian spaghetti) as it gets really 'messy' (around the mouth).
    The 'slurping' (for soup based) is due to that noodles itself have no flavor and water do not adhere on noodle like 'sauces'.

    • @Banmuyuan
      @Banmuyuan Рік тому +1

      Slurping also helps to cool the hot soup/noodles since you are sucking in cool air.

    • @Zerpentsa6598
      @Zerpentsa6598 Рік тому

      It's so cliché to give such advice.

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому +3

      That's true 😂 , no matter how hard I try not to slurp in China, it's like Chinese noodles are meant to be slurped

    • @hclau218
      @hclau218 Рік тому

      @@lizzyinchina you obviously have never been to Japan. If you do go there, check out the slurping! Next level....

    • @fatdoi003
      @fatdoi003 Рік тому +1

      @@lizzyinchina same as japanese ramen.... when the chef hands you a bowl of 2nd degree burn noodles to you, you'll learn to slurp very quickly....

  • @RED--01
    @RED--01 Рік тому +4

    1-You gotta try everything? Completely untrue.
    I have been to so many parties with Chinese friends.. they never forced or felt bad for me not trying food.
    2-Slurp is NOT encouraged by ANYONE AT ALL that I have seen.. In matter of FACT I got complemented several times for not being extremely noisy while eating. I personally DO NOT slurp anything when I eat noodles...I use chopsticks on my noodle.. gently bring them to my mouth.. then I eat and..that simple.
    When I want I raise the bowl(if its small) or use my spoon to drink soup..Which then I drink like its water..nobody slurps water right?
    3- Don't play with chopsticks ..OFC you don't do that... Same shit in the West.. I never saw ANY culture where pointing forks and knifes at people or playing with them is polite.
    4-Tipping is considered kind offensive because they already get their salary in full.. That's is correct.
    5-About gifts is a little strange.. I would say is the same as in Western countries.. When I had birthdays in Brazil.. It's polite to say... '' oh! you didn't have to! Thanks!'' As in the USA EU and many other countries..
    This varies from person to person tho. I usually say wow that's awesome thank you ! And they feel happy..
    6-About the green hat..is not actually ridiculous.. Many countries also have items that in said occasions are offensive.
    7-Showing public affection is perfectly fine.. I have no idea where you live but around Shanghai is fine.. And I'm not talking about foreigners.. I've seen by now hundreds of couples holding hands and kissing when outside.. Of course you don't see them kissing like crazy or kissing in a bus/train/subway.
    But outside on the streets or places like it there is 0 problems.
    8-No mention of Japan? COMPLETELY incorrect. No sushi except very few restaurants and they are not good? COMPLETELY INCORRECT.Damn I had sushi for lunch today!
    Even Chinese buffet restaurants have sushi and RELLY well done.
    So far I only spoke to a few friends about Japan and they themselves hold no grudge against them.. They feel that this takes them NOWHERE.
    That notion of we have to hold grudge for ever is slowly dying out..
    9- I'm a westerner I have been to countless countries and honestly I think its offensive to be pointing fingers. And I think most people think that as well..I myself never pointed unless its a fight situation..
    10-Never saw any of those rules when visiting any places in China to be honest.. In a hot day I didn't see a single Chinese person NOT wearing hats or shorts.. And this clockwise thing.. My god I think you are in another country.. People go anywhere they want..
    Not taking photographs of people in particular is not well seen even in the West. And nobody will go around touching people on their heads right?
    My overall review of it... is that NONE of that will ever take you to JAIL neither in trouble with ANY police.
    Some things are true and some things are maybe only true for that specific place that you live..
    I have been to many places in China and in most places those rules do not exist neither people look at you in a bad way if you do it.
    The place you live must have an old society or something..

  • @shosheruss
    @shosheruss Місяць тому

    Useful and organized presentation

  • @Nomad-Poker
    @Nomad-Poker Рік тому +5

    few advices:
    ① ganbei is not a must-do thing. Only in few situation... such as drinking with your boss, drinking with your father in law, drinking with newly-wed couples...etc
    When you must show max respect.
    ② always don't be the 1st one eating... unless you are the host to tell your guests just feel like home help yourself.
    otherwise, you should better just sit down and wait... Mostly situations, only the host/eldest/most successful person can be the 1st to pick up chopsticks.
    ③don't stick chopsticks in rice, because it symbolizes buring incense to someone passed.
    in the funeral of countryside town, you can see a bowl of rice with chopsticks stick in,and right next to it is the coffin... for real
    when I was kid I did it one time ,and my mum hit my hand real hard with a chopstick, it's not only symbolizes me passed and also the elder in your home...
    only these 3 are quiet important to follow, others are just minor tiny things not everyone cares.
    or even you do it wrong, you won't offed anyone.

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому

      Oh wow okay! Thanks sooo much for sharing this then 😁😁😁

  • @kkng5529
    @kkng5529 11 місяців тому +1

    I am a Chinese living in Hong Kong. FYI, traditional and polite Chinese don't slurp. We were not allowed to slurp when we were kids.

  • @manimalworks7424
    @manimalworks7424 Рік тому +1

    I am Chinese from Shandong Province, I have not heard of many of the dos and don’s. It’s perfectly fine just do what I like and be considerate and respect others

  • @jimmyliu6856
    @jimmyliu6856 Рік тому +2

    wow, they're accurate and well explained.
    about giving pears. well, you can give a pear as a whole or a bag of them. people would think of pear (梨/Lí) instead of depart (离/Lí). don't cut a pear in half and share them because cut means separate (分/Fēn). when coming together, cutting pear (分梨) represents the separation (分离) from the one that you're sharing pear with.
    I don't eat pear slices by myself.

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому

      Ohhhhh okay! So no cutting, but giving whole pears are okay? Got it 😁 thanks

  • @Thomas-Chin10
    @Thomas-Chin10 Рік тому +10

    This is a very well prepared list and your delivery of it is impressive! A slight bow to express gratitude is good but not the deep bow seen in Japan. Hugging between women, if they know each other, is accepted, but only for rare occasions, such as the two have not seen each other for a long time. Most young and educated people don't hold grudges against Japan. If we all forgive, the world would be a better place.:)

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому +1

      Thanks for sharing 😁, next time I'll try the small bow

    • @fatdoi003
      @fatdoi003 Рік тому

      deep bows only at funerals or at cemetery

    • @johnsonlee9797
      @johnsonlee9797 10 місяців тому

      Eating pig brains Scorpions are rare in China Misconceptions

  • @phandes
    @phandes Рік тому +5

    Another don't is, don't take too serious on every rules don't in your talk, chinese people are very forgiveness to foreigners. No worry too much. 😊

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому

      Yes that's true! Very forgiving and kind

  • @billyoshea4667
    @billyoshea4667 Місяць тому

    I will soon be visiting China, and this is very useful. Thank you!

  • @liamporter1137
    @liamporter1137 Рік тому +1

    Thanks for sharing.

  • @JitTan
    @JitTan Рік тому +1

    I like your vlogs because you are fair and unbiased
    Some foreigners like China too much and are not critical enough by not giving negatives as well You give balanced views

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому +1

      Thank you 😁. Yeah I just want to give ALL the info, people can then make up their own minds

  • @hengwang405
    @hengwang405 Рік тому +1

    Let me clarify that, the Japan thing is not so real. We keep it in mind, but we don't hate it all time.

  • @sola4393
    @sola4393 Рік тому +3

    You don't need to slurp your noodles, it is actually bad manner. In ancient time those who slurps or eat loudly are usually of lower class/blue collar workers hanging out on the street doing hard labour. They were never taught table manner or manners in general. The other possibility of this happening is the Japanese influence with the noodle slurping. Traditionally well mannered Chinese people will eat quietly. Eating with mouth open creates sounds like a pig chewing their filth, that is not well manner. Much teaching of manners were lost through time, many of these were not taught by families in the modern day or only a little had pass on to next generation or people just slacking off with it. Also the drinking, it means bottoms up, you don't need to drink the whole thing, it is just symbolic, no one will lock you up for not doing it. 😂

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому

      😂😁😂 ohhh okay! I understand 🙏

  • @katkrist6409
    @katkrist6409 Рік тому +3

    lol Actually, slurping food was not allowed and used to be viewed as discourteous in China, but people thought they should liberate the natural selves and not be constrained by "an ancient rule" . Plus, in South Korea and Japan, slurping noodles is a way of showing respect to the cook. lol So i guess people think that's not a bad reason to justify the behavior of slurping food. But I believe most Chinese will realize slurping is not good if you remind them.

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому

      😂😂😂 ohhh okay! Got it l! Thanks 😁

  • @GoddyGoodman
    @GoddyGoodman Рік тому

    well,welcome to Shanghai,there are a lot nice sushi restaurants around. really hope Lizzy would have chance to visit east coast line of China,Hangzhou,Shanghai,Ningbo etc.. Believe there will be quite different experience for you then.

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому +1

      I've never been to Ningbo 😁 will put that on my list. And eat sushi in Shanghai

  • @oneplacegifts5946
    @oneplacegifts5946 11 місяців тому

    Wow Lizzy U delivered it. That’s exactly the dos and donts in the country! For me personally it’s all good that u don’t drink up the whole glass of liquor when made a toast and it’s ok if u r so tempted for public display of affection toward another person take hugging for example…kissing is a big no though 😂

  • @kl9518
    @kl9518 Рік тому

    Great information.
    Food in China is affordable already, no tipping makes it even better.

  • @user-ig8ox2ih5r
    @user-ig8ox2ih5r Рік тому +4

    There are some weird foods that only tourists eat.

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому +1

      Yes, I think some tourists are definitely more daring than others

    • @hclau218
      @hclau218 Рік тому +2

      @@lizzyinchina Not true.. the insects, spiders etc are a common practice in the Yunnan, Thailand, Laos , Mynmar and Laos region. Plenty of these on "street food carts" all over the region.

    • @user-ig8ox2ih5r
      @user-ig8ox2ih5r Рік тому

      @@hclau218 In China's tourist attractions, this is just a means of making money rather than a normal eating habit. Those insects are expensive and rare in China. There may be more people eating in other countries.

    • @user-ig8ox2ih5r
      @user-ig8ox2ih5r Рік тому

      @@hclau218 It's rare to see these in restaurants.

    • @hclau218
      @hclau218 Рік тому

      @@user-ig8ox2ih5r Probably. In Thailand, only on street food. In Cambodia and Laos, they are on menu of nice restaurants!!!

  • @juempe77
    @juempe77 Рік тому +4

    when you slurp your food it taste better. Specially soups!!

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому +1

      That's true. Noodles here are meant to be slurped 😂😂😂

    • @fatdoi003
      @fatdoi003 Рік тому +1

      i mean slurping liquid is ok but not to the point the whole room can hear it.....

  • @tweedy4sg
    @tweedy4sg Рік тому

    Gan bei is the Chinese equivalent to English 'bottoms up'.
    And NO, you don't have to empty the glass if you can't.
    But if you wish to humor someone like say one's boss or someone one is attracted to, then empty it.

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому

      😂😂😂 thanks for clearing that up

  • @GoddyGoodman
    @GoddyGoodman Рік тому

    Thumb to the “Green Hat”,LOL,exactly.

  • @tweedy4sg
    @tweedy4sg Рік тому

    Most of the don'ts are actually the result of homophone .
    That's becomes an issue with a tonal language like Chinese.

  • @jierling6440
    @jierling6440 3 місяці тому

    😂😂😂I am form the southern of China.actually it's considered rude and disrespectful in my hometown if you slurp and make noises while eating. as a kid we got disciplined by parents not to slurp especially there are guests around the table.I guess things are just different in different regions.

  • @johnhor2570
    @johnhor2570 Рік тому +3

    Must say, its generally true. 😊

  • @wymmyw8744
    @wymmyw8744 Рік тому

    chinese family table manners.. are very tame nowadays.. compared to what my parents and my older brothers used to tell me on how chinese table manners was in the 80s and 90s..

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому +1

      Yeah I also heard it was much stricter before

    • @sola4393
      @sola4393 Рік тому

      @@lizzyinchina yup, example don't play food on the plate with your chopstick or you will get smack on the hand. Don't eat with your mouth open, don't talk while eating, finish all the food in your rice bowl etc. You will get smack when you have bad table manners. lol Kids were taught at young age in the family. Not sure what happen how these days people had become so sloppy now.

  • @user-xq8qx6bg2j
    @user-xq8qx6bg2j Рік тому

    ❤❤❤❤😘❗️

  • @ensher1552
    @ensher1552 Рік тому

    Every DO and DON'T you said are true. Another don't do, I never pick food on the far side of the disk, never pick the same expensive tasted food liked lobsters multiple times, always save for someone who have not yet taste it.
    I never buy a house with the house number like 44, 444, 4444. It will be very hard to sell your house to Chinese. 8888 is prefer means lot of riches.

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому

      Wow okay 😁😁😁 thanks for telling me this 👏

  • @longlonglo3501
    @longlonglo3501 Рік тому +5

    Why do Chinese people love to eat strange food? Because in ancient China, the land was barren and there were wars for years. There was not enough food, so we had to make use of everything we could eat in order to survive.

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому +3

      Wow yeah, that's true. I didn't mean it as a bad thing towards China, the food is just more strange than western food and it'll be a memorable experience for a lot of foreigners in China

    • @hclau218
      @hclau218 Рік тому +2

      @@lizzyinchina Not true about the "hunger" part. It is more like a dietary philosophy. " If it moves and not human, you can eat it! " There's also the " waste not want less" philosophy. For example, every part of the pig is eaten... meat, head, hoofs, ears, innards and blood we just haven't figure out how to process the " oink" yet!

    • @longlonglo3501
      @longlonglo3501 Рік тому +3

      @@lizzyinchina Thanks for understanding. I mean no harm. Many foreigners don't understand why Chinese people eat strange food, I just want to explain. For example, Chongqing hot pot, a popular dish in China today, evolved from boatmen boiling more food than they could eat

    • @davidz7858
      @davidz7858 Рік тому

      Do you think west people went through the similar situation? Ancient China was much richer than west countries.

    • @longlonglo3501
      @longlonglo3501 Рік тому +3

      @@davidz7858 I don't know much about the history of western countries. I'm sure there are not as many people as Chinese. Although China has a vast territory, there are not many places to grow food, and there is no corn, potatoes in ancient times. There was not enough food, and in ancient China, people lived in the inland, and there was little fishing, so there was not enough food to eat. China didn't have enough food for everyone until about 1980. When my father was growing up, there wasn't enough food to eat.

  • @stevenliew2507
    @stevenliew2507 11 місяців тому +1

    The Koreans and Japanese too slurp their noodles but we Overseas born Chinese don't slurp our noodles 😂😂

  • @chew5461
    @chew5461 Рік тому

    1) I am not sure how "slurping " noodles is widespread in China. But I know the Japanese do this too. It is to show one enjoys the meal.
    2) Many of the "do's" and "don't's" mentioned in this video are not widely practised. Eg., Chinese people ask a lot of "personal " questions. Many of the "do's" and "dont's" may be practised by the elderly, not all Chinese. All over the world, the elderly tend to hold on to traditions/what are considered okay in their times.
    3) The people in China are very proud of their country. Naturally they will be upset if foreigners talk bad about China, especially if the China-bad stories are not true and spread by Western media. This is NOT making them "lose face" as described by Lizzy. Nothing to do with "face". It is a natural patriotic response when foreigners talk bad about one's country.
    4) Lastly, and very important. Lizzy gives the impression that there is great animosity of the Chinese people towards the Japanese. This will give a wrong impression and much misunderstanding. If this is true, why " In 2019, some 31.9 million foreign tourists visited Japan, and almost 53 percent of them were from China's mainland"?? Quote from Yicai Global.

    • @maudesuzelle
      @maudesuzelle 11 місяців тому

      Yes, I agree with every points you said!

  • @johnsonlee9797
    @johnsonlee9797 10 місяців тому

    Eating pig brains Scorpions are rare in China Misconceptions

  • @Tempest-Proteus
    @Tempest-Proteus 10 місяців тому

    Dony buy shoes or slippers as gifts for your loved one. It's asking your partner to run away.

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  10 місяців тому

      😂😂😂😂😂😂 oh no

  • @georgeszurbach444
    @georgeszurbach444 Рік тому

    Very different customs compared to the West.

  • @phelgawang5660
    @phelgawang5660 Рік тому

    slurp, heheh, as a chinese, when you eat hot soup or noodles, there's no way you can eat those without slurping.
    for those donts, some people don't care about those, some people do.
    like your vids

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому

      Very very true! Even i tried to not slurp! 😂 but impossible, so I get it now

  • @johnsamu
    @johnsamu Рік тому

    The "slurping' is similar like wine/whiskey tasting to enjoy the flavors of the food/drinks.
    Also the need to "eat everything" isn't that rigid, if you really don't like it, just politely refuse.
    Completly emptying your glass isn't that rigid also, nobody really cares

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому

      😂 I understand the slurping l, it's impossible not to slurp the noodles, it's just not that common everywhere so just wanted to share that 😁

  • @alicegreen7802
    @alicegreen7802 Рік тому +4

    nice

  • @user-mn9ep4rk2h
    @user-mn9ep4rk2h Місяць тому

    Chinese themselves are very fond of talking bad about China with each other, especially some talkative seniors, but for foreigners, it is not encouraged. That seems like I can do anything to my child, but you as an outer can not.

  • @terrancezhou1911
    @terrancezhou1911 Місяць тому

    Slurping is a Japanese habit for eating noodles, not Chinese

  • @PomegranateChocolate
    @PomegranateChocolate 2 місяці тому

    Bragging is considered bad form.

  • @lkchoh1454
    @lkchoh1454 11 місяців тому +1

    Have you like kissing boyfriend in public? Kissing around in public is not common in China.

  • @maneil9297
    @maneil9297 Рік тому +1

    You do NOT have to try everything, I believe, these days

    • @lizzyinchina
      @lizzyinchina  Рік тому +1

      Yeah, I do try things, but definitely some things - no way

    • @maneil9297
      @maneil9297 Рік тому

      @@lizzyinchina I think people are more aware of cultural differences these days, not forcing others to do or eat things others are not comfortable with, well I surely hope so

  • @KhanKhan-fw9fb
    @KhanKhan-fw9fb Рік тому

    I know China Russia is my tiger when any country I go I aksad China Russia

  • @guotaihuang2118
    @guotaihuang2118 Рік тому

    Slurping is consider impolite . Placing a pranks with you on insisting food you don't like. Choose better cultured companion