Modern Chinese Cultural Encounters

Giving gifts in China can be a very challenging experience. A proper gift is expected and should be given if you wish to start or continue good “guanxi” (connections). Chinese people usually prefer practical, useful, or fancy items that are factory-produced instead of those that are hand-made or home-made. IPods and other hi-tech gadgets can be good gifts for younger people. Ginseng Candy or Ginseng tea is a popular gift from Americans for older people. The root of Ginseng is the basis of traditional Chinese herbal medicine and is believed to possess a wide variety of therapeutic properties. North American ginseng in particular has been rated top quality and is thus considered a valued gift in China. Meanwhile, local or international health products are always appreciated by Chinese, such as Pu'er tea, fish oil, or even multivitamins. If you know that your host drinks or smokes, famous-brand name cigarettes or liquor can be good gifts as well. Imported chocolates or toys are considered good gifts for any children of the host family. In addition, any brand name items with international, national, or local prestige can be good gifts as well. Do not give a bouquet of white flowers as a gift, because it is a symbol of mourning. Do not give a clock to Chinese, especially an older person, no matter how fancy or expensive it is. This is because the Chinese word for clock, “Zhong”, is a homonym of the words for termination and end. Therefore, for many Chinese, a clock is a symbol of termination of life. Another taboo gift is a green hat for a man. This is very insulting for a Chinese man because of its cultural connotation. “Gei ni dai lu maozi” is slang and can literally be translated into “give you a green hat” or “give you a green hat to wear”. The real message is “your woman is having an affair”. When you choose wrapping paper, red and gold are popular colors that symbolize happiness and fortune. They are best for wrapping a new year's gift or a wedding gift. As for gifts for other occasions, any wrapping paper can be fine except for black and white paper, because those colors symbolize mourning. When receiving a gift, Chinese normally do not open it until they get home, because they want to share it with their family. Although years ago, almost everyone would not open their gifts right away, nowadays it is not uncommon to see some young people open them immediately. Being eager to see the gift, being less conservative about their feelings, and the influence of Western culture, have all contributed to this change. Be aware that removing the price tag from a gift is not widely practiced in China. Many people keep the price tag with the gift to show the monetary value of the item, especially when the item is expensive. This is because Chinese people generally want to let the gift-receiver know how much they spent on the item. Many jewelry or arts and crafts have a very high price tag, but people can pay much less when purchasing them. This has something to do with the marketing and selling technique which makes customers believe that they are getting a good deal. In addition, customers might feel that such an item can be a decent and presentable gift. Chinese also tend to regift and do not consider the behavior inappropriate. Some people will even tell you this honestly. For example, a Chinese can give a very expensive international brand name tie to a friend, and tell the friend it is actually a gift from a business associate. The behavior stems from the belief that being willing to give the valuable away means that they value you and would like to share with you as they do with their family. You are expected to feel warm and treasured instead of being insulted.