Culture & customs in China
The etiquette that actually matters, and what visitors get wrong.
What everyone needs to know
- Do not stick chopsticks upright in rice — it resembles funeral incense.
- Remove shoes when entering a home; hotels and temples usually have a sign.
- Receive business cards and gifts with both hands.
- Temples are working religious sites, not museums — dress modestly and do not photograph people praying.
The numbers
| Item | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Temple entry | Often free or ¥10–50 |
| Photography etiquette | Ask before photographing people |
| Gift opening | Usually opened later, privately |
| Numbers to avoid | 4 (sounds like death); 8 is lucky |
Do it in this order
- Learn to say 你好 and 谢谢 — even badly, it changes how you are received.
- In temples, walk clockwise and keep voices down.
- At a dinner, wait for the host to start and leave the last piece on a shared plate.
- When offered tea, tap two fingers on the table to acknowledge — the local equivalent of "thank you".
Mistakes to avoid
- Treating temples as photo backdrops.
- Passing items with one hand to elders or officials.
- Assuming a shared meal is individually portioned.
Sources
Culture & customs city by city
- Beijing
- Shanghai
- Xi'an
- Chengdu
- Chongqing
- Guilin
- Zhangjiajie
- Hangzhou
- Guangzhou
- Shenzhen
- Harbin
- Sanya
- Lijiang
- Kunming
- Suzhou
- Xiamen
- Zhengzhou
- Taiyuan
- Guiyang
- Fuzhou
- Yiwu
- Tianjin
- Nanjing
- Wuhan
- Changsha
- Qingdao
- Jinan
- Shenyang
- Dalian
- Changchun
- Hohhot
- Urumqi
- Lhasa
- Xining
- Lanzhou
- Yinchuan
- Dunhuang
- Luoyang
- Kaifeng
- Datong
- Pingyao
- Qufu
- Tai'an
- Huangshan
- Hefei
- Nanchang
- Wenzhou
- Ningbo
- Wuxi
- Yangzhou
- Shaoxing
- Zhuhai
- Foshan
- Dongguan
- Haikou
- Nanning
- Yangshuo
- Dali
- Shangri-La
- Xishuangbanna