Here are the most surprising Chinese customs you should know about before traveling to China.
One of the reasons I keep coming back to China is that it’s so different to my country and everything I’m used to.
From drinking hot water to avoiding the number four, many Chinese customs and etiquette have deep cultural roots.
Below, you’ll find the ones that often make me stop and think, “Wow, China really is different”.
If you have any questions, drop me a line in the comments area below (I answer every one). If you’re a Facebook user, you can join my free Facebook China travel group and ask away there. And, if you’re about to jump on the plane, don’t forget your China eSIM!
1. Burping, slurping and spitting are the norm
People have to be reminded not to spit. Image by Alex Segre on Shutterstock.
The locals can be quite expressive when they go about their daily lives.
In China, slurping your noodles or soup is a perfectly fine way to dine. Even burping after a meal can be a compliment to the chef!
And, some men like to loudly spit, to help clear their throat or ‘just because’.
To be honest, when I was living in China I also liked clearing my throat. But I always tried to be discreet about it!
2. Napping is a national pastime
People sleep anywhere in China. Image by Liudmila Kotvitckaia on Shutterstock.
The working week is long in China, so it’s perfectly fine to have a siesta in the middle of the day.
Depending on the employer, a worker may have up to two hours for their lunch break.
This is why lots of people have foldable cots at work, complete with a blanket and pillow. (You can read how my friend Olivia Seaton-Hill enjoys napping at work in Shenzhen.)
You’ll also find workers sleeping in customer-facing areas, like in shops and restaurants.
I find this unashamedly cute – it simply does not exist where I’m from (Australia).
3. Gift-giving is unique
Giving a present with both hands shows respect and gratitude. Image by Chao-ye on Pixabay.
As a tourist in China, it’s unlikely you’re going to give anyone a gift.
But if you’re visiting friends or relatives, there are a few unique etiquette rules to be aware of:
- You should give your gift to the recipient with both hands
- It’s OK if they initially decline the gift out of politeness before accepting it
- During Lunar New Year, give red envelopes filled with cash to kids and young unmarried relatives.
Red envelopes, known as “hong bao”, can be the physical variety (i.e. literally red colored paper envelopes) or you can give digital red envelopes via apps like WeChat.
When I was working in China, I remember my boss acting quite strange after I gave him a small gift. Perhaps it was because I left it on his desk?
4. Young people are obsessed with plastic surgery
This is one of the most noticeable trends in modern Chinese society.
Countless young people in China, mostly young women, are undergoing extreme medical procedures to radically change their appearance.
The plastic surgery boom is being influenced by beauty and cosmetic surgery apps, as well as social media influencers who receive free surgeries in exchange for promotion.
One such app, SoYoung (新氧), claims to offer algorithm-driven analysis of “facial imperfections”. After it assesses your face, it gives you a score and tells you what surgeries are needed to improve that score.
You can then get connected to clinics and even apply for beauty loans.
If you want to dig deeper (and you have time to spare), check out the super-fascinating BBC documentary above.
Or, wait until you arrive in China and see if you can spot the billboard advertising for cosmetic procedures.
5. Weird foods are thoroughly enjoyed
You can find all sorts of strange foods in China. Image supplied by Mike Cairnduff.
This one is subjective. Food that you might find weird is totally delicious to someone else.
That said, you will find some pretty gnarly food in China.
From crunchy chicken feet to “stinky” tofu, your tastebuds and senses will be pushed to the limit.
I remember almost burning my tongue on a vacuum-sealed hot chili quail, which I bought from a train station. As they say, “When in Rome!”
You can read more about the Chinese food that some Westerners find disgusting if you’re interested.
6. Queue jumping is acceptable
A queue, of sorts, in China. Image by C.Hug on Flickr.
In the eyes of foreigners, this is one of the most irksome Chinese customs.
Orderly queues do not exist in China. If you need to get to the front of the line fast, you simply push your way through.
But even if you’re not pressed for time, you can try cutting in line. It’s just what you do in China.
Occasionally, you’ll see someone being told off for cutting in line, and all hell breaks loose.
But the Chinese are very adept at doing it, so by the time you’ve noticed, the queue jumper is already up the front getting served!
In my experience, Chinese airports are the exception to this rule. People generally line up when checking in and going through customs (probably because they’re forced to).
7. Payment apps are used for everything
WeChat is one of the preferred ways to pay. Image by Jirapong Manustrong on Shutterstock.
Everything is being digitized in China, and this includes how you pay for things.
The locals use WeChat Pay and Alipay for everything (and so can you – see my guide for tourists here), from buying train tickets and takeaway food to making donations to homeless people.
China is quickly turning into a cashless society, even though by law merchants must accept cash.
If you’re traveling soon, then check out these helpful China travel apps.
8. There are rules around using chopsticks
Watch what you’re doing with chopsticks. Image supplied by Mike Cairnduff.
Some rules in China are more like malleable guidelines, which can be bent and twisted.
But when it comes to the quintessential Chinese utensil – the chopstick – there are some hard-and-fast rules.
For instance, you shouldn’t:
- point them at people
- suck on them
- stand them up in your food (this looks like incense sticks commemorating the dead).
If you’re after a deep dive into Chinese culture, check out this page.
9. You get a day to commemorate the dead
The Chinese custom of tomb sweeping. Image by GuoZhongHua on Shutterstock.
Speaking of commemorating the dead, did you know there’s a public holiday in China to do just that?
In early April each year, most Chinese people get the day off work to pay their respect to deceased family members.
It’s called Qingming Festival and it’s a Chinese folk tradition that dates back centuries.
People visit their ancestors’ graves and bring food, burn incense, as well as sweep away dirt and remove weeds.
That’s why the holiday is also known as Tomb Sweeping Day.
10. Women are pressured to marry by age 27
A marriage park in Shanghai. Image by Bystrov on Shutterstock.
Chinese women are expected to find a guy and get married by their late 20s. Any later, and they’re referred to as ‘leftovers’.
Some parents will go to great lengths to find their daughter a man, like advertising their offspring at the local marriage park.
This is a public space where desperate parents have photos of their kids alongside essential statistics like age, height and education level.
Each time I visit China, I enjoy walking around one of the major People’s Parks, such as in Chengdu, looking at photos and absorbing it all.
Such intense pressure to get married has meant the Chinese wedding industry is booming. There’s a cool documentary about it, which you can see here.
11. Every bride has a price
A Chinese bride is going to cost you. Image by 220 Selfmade Studio on Shutterstock.
While we’re on the subject of marriage, one of the sobering aspects of Chinese society is the wedding dowry or bride price.
Some Chinese girls will expect her man to pay her family a large sum of money before marrying. We’re talking tens of thousands of dollars, minimum.
How much the guy pays depends on things like where she’s from, her age, and even how beautiful she’s considered to be.
Even foreigners aren’t immune to paying a Chinese bride price – check out my friend Kim’s blog on getting married in China as a foreigner for an incredibly honest account.
12. People use squat toilets
A typical Chinese squat toilet. Image supplied by Mike Cairnduff.
Ahhh, the good old squatty potty.
No, your hotel room in China won’t have one. But yes, they’re everywhere else across the country.
The cleanliness of squat toilets ranges from “so clean you could eat off the floor” to “so dirty you’ll want to vomit”.
Some people argue that squatting is better on the bowels. I guess a billion people can’t be wrong?
If this topic piques your interest, there’s an entire article about Chinese toilets here.
13. Toddlers are allowed to poop on the street
A perfectly normal site in small towns and villages. Image by Jerome-goh-content on Shutterstock.
Many foreigners who come to China find this custom quite shocking, which is prevalent in small cities and rural areas.
Basically, babies and toddlers have pants with a big split down the back, known as kaidangku.
So, whenever they need to do their business, the parent simply places the bub in a roadside garden bed, in the gutter, or any outdoor public place they can find.
It often happens in crowded places, and it’s totally allowed. Outside the biggest cities, you’d be hard pressed to find a baby change room in China.
I’ve always wanted to take a photo of this custom, but I have chosen not to for obvious reasons!
14. Fingernails can denote class
One of the stranger Chinese customs. Image by NN_Non on Shutterstock.
I often see Chinese guys, such as drivers, with one long fingernail. It’s usually the pinky finger.
You can’t do manual labor with long fingernails, so some men have them on display to show they don’t work rough jobs.
This custom is a throwback to the class system in China. Some men with long fingernails may also be wealthy.
If you visit China, you might even see men using their long fingernail to clean out their ears!
15. Road rules aren’t often followed
Zebra crossings don’t mean much in China. Image by J. Lekavicius on Shutterstock.
Chinese roads are a free-for-all.
Vehicles generally won’t stop for pedestrians to cross the road, even in places where there’s a zebra crossing.
If you visit China, you just have to step out onto the road and hope for the best. I once saw a foreigner cross the road while holding his hand up to the cars, like he was directing traffic.
It was the funniest thing ever!
In major downtown areas, like Shanghai, cameras are on every street corner and drivers can be fined if they don’t stop.
16. Teacups are always refilled
A host should keep your teacup full. Image by lcb on Pixabay.
When you’re drinking tea with people in China, they should refill your cup before you finish.
It’s a way to honor other people and if you refill someone else’s cup, you’re showing them a great deal of respect.
Never refill your own cup first, instead start with the person with the highest status at the table and pour your own tea last.
If you do a tea ceremony as part of a package tour in China, look out for the server doing this.
17. Hot water is the beverage of choice
Chinese love hot water so much they carry it around. Hunter Bliss Images on Shutterstock.
While we’re on the topic of Chinese drinks, did you know that the locals simply love drinking warm water?
On my first trip to China, I remember being offered hot water everywhere I went, even during summer. It took me a while to understand how normal this was.
Chinese people believe drinking hot water is better for your health.
This is why you’ll see people carry around a flask all day – it keeps their water warm. And there are hot water filling stations everywhere.
Don’t worry if you’re not into drinking hot water. Cold bottled water is available for sale everywhere too.
18. Tetraphobia is a real thing
Unlucky number 4. Image by Tim Hüfner on Unsplash.
Tetraphobia is the fear or avoidance of number four.
In Mandarin, ‘four’ sounds like ‘death’, so people will do anything to steer clear of this ominous Chinese number.
In many apartment buildings and hotels in China, you’ll notice there is no button for a 4th floor, and in some cases there’s no button for a 14th floor, 24th floor, and so on. There are some good examples of this here and on this Reddit post.
Houses that have a four in the address often sell for much less than those without it.
One last thing: Your eSIM and VPN
If you’re visiting China soon, you will need an eSIM so you can:
- Pay electronically using Alipay or WeChat Pay
- Navigate using online maps
- Keep in touch when you’re out and about
I also recommend a standalone VPN for extra security, which you can use in your hotel room (via wi-fi) for things like:
- Online banking
- Private messaging
- Accessing websites the eSIM doesn’t allow
Visit this page for eSIM and this page for VPN – my recommendations are tried and tested in China.
Chinese customs all wrapped up
China is the most fascinating country I’ve ever visited, and its customs are a big part of what keeps me coming back.
Now that you know about some of the weirdest Chinese customs, why not talk about them at your next Chinese dinner party?
Just remember to fill everyone else’s teacup before your own!
Want to keep learning about Chinese customs?
Take a read of my epic guide to Chinese culture and traditions.
Also check out:
Main image credit: PeiQi Teh on Shutterstock.
FAQ about customs in China
What are the most unusual Chinese customs?
Chinese customs that surprise visitors the most include cutting in line, spitting, and making expressive noises when eating.
What should tourists avoid doing in China?
Just be respectful and remember you’re in a different country. If you are going to use chopsticks, don’t point with them or stick them upright in a bowl of rice.
Is it rude to tip in China?
Tipping is not customary in China and people can feel uneasy accepting tips. However, tipping practices are changing for foreigner-only tours where tips may be expected or built into the tour price.
Why do Chinese people give gifts with both hands?
Giving and receiving gifts with both hands is a sign of respect and politeness. It shows that the person values the exchange and the relationship behind it.
Are customs the same everywhere in China?
No. China is a huge country, and customs can vary between regions, generations and ethnic groups. A habit that is common in one area may be unusual somewhere else. The ones I've listed are mostly nationwide.
