Chinese Culture and Superstitions as experienced by me or told by friends and family. Thus this list may be highly regional or family centric and will be irregularly updated.
1. Importance of Purse Colors
The woman’s purse can bring good or bad fortune upon her depending on its color:
- Black: Can help you make money
- White: Never loose or make money
- Red: Always loose money
- Pink: Good for saving money
- Blue: Good for making money
- Brown: Neutral – like White
2. Clocks as Gifts
NEVER. Never give a clock as a gift. It is like saying “Your time is running out”. However, giving a Watch OK. Go figure…
3. Shoes on the Table
Never put shoes on the table – even new in the box. It’s bad luck. It’s also kinda gross if they’ve been worn. Just don’t do it.
4. Potable Water
Faucet water is not considered drinkable. However you may see some workers drinking it. They grew up that way and their guts are stronger than yours. This seems to be pretty much universal around China. While the Shanghai Government declares that the water straight out of the purification plants is drinkable, they also admit that once it gets to your faucet, it’s not considered potable. There’s just too much old pipes and systems that contaminate it before it gets to you.
As a result, just about everyone drinks bottled water, or water from coolers (19 liter bottles on stands). Water served in restaurants is usually hot. If not, don’t drink it. Here are some general rules about safe drinking water:
- Tap water is not drinkable. Some malls, airports, railway stations have clearly marked drinking water taps. Only drink from those.
- Only drink water served in a glass if its hot (really hot), unless you see it being dispensed from a water cooler.
- Carry fresh bottled water with you all the time.
- When purchasing a bottle of water, ensure the seal is intact.
- Never drink from a tap/faucet unless it is clearly marked as potable (drinkable).
- It is OK to rinse your mouth out with tap water.
- If you must drink tap water, boil it first.
- There is no such thing as ice water in China. You don’t get ice in your water – anywhere. If you want cold water, buy it that way or put it in the refrigerator. Chinese, in general, think cold water is bad for you.
- If you are served free drinks in a restaurant, its usually Tea – which is basically boiled water with tea leaves. Its considered better for you anyway, if you can tolerate the caffeine.
5. Leave Your Shoes at the Door
When visiting someone’s home, you should always leave your shoes at the door. You will be given house slippers to wear while inside. Considering all the nasty, gross stuff you may step in/on or get splashed on, this really is a good idea. Why bring all that crap indoors? I believe this really should be a universal custom everywhere.
6. If You’re Fat, You Will Be Told That
It amazes me the number of morbidly obese (medical term – look it up) people in America, and even more incredulous is the fact that they get really upset/angry if you tell them that. It’s like full-on denial. Hell, they’re probably even threaten to sue you for saying it.
So if you’re fat and you don’t like being told that, don’t visit China. Everyone will tell you that to your face. And not as a matter of insult or superiority over you, just as a matter of fact: “Hey, Joe. The earth is round and you are fat.”
I’ve been told I’m fat by masseuses, my in-laws, friends, and strangers on the street. I’m not morbidly obese, but I could stand to loose 20-30 lbs. So, yeah, I’m fat, and people tell me that because it is a fact. Chinese tell other Chinese when they are fat too. And its not good to be fat, so get over yourself and either do something about it or learn to live with it. Getting all bent out of shape because someone tells you the earth is round is just as stupid.
7. Boneless Meat
There is no such thing in China. Even if its marked as boneless, you will probably find bone chips. Even the American fast-food places are not immune. Ground meat has some bone fragments in it too. Meat that will have bones in it, like chicken, pork, beef chunks are cut into bit-sized pieces without regard to bones or joints. You can see guys at the meat market with their huge cleavers just wacking away, cutting and fragmenting bone wherever the blade lands. As a result, just about everything that has meat in it will also have bone fragments. So chew carefully, don’t bite down hard (if you care for your teeth) and be prepared to spit out the offending bits.
8. Why Not Charmin?
I loved “The Crazy Ones” TV show with Robin Williams. There was an episode where a Charmin Toilet Paper representative went off the deep end due to his divorce and started recommending Charmin Toilet Paper for napkins, Kleenex, wet wipes, etc. Apparently the writers of that show had never been to China, otherwise they would have realized those ideas are not weird here at all.
Many homes and restaurants don’t have Kleenex or napkins, they use toilet paper instead. Stores even stock/sell special toilet paper table-top dispensers to match your decor. I’ve also see some restaurants that have toilet paper stall dispensers hanging on the wall by the tables so you can tear off what you need.
It’s quick, easy and cheap and decomposes quickly when you’re done.
Now, some high-end restaurants have cloth napkins in plastic bags that you can use, but it will cost you 1-2¥ but its yours to keep and take home when done.
9. Red v. Green
Traditionally the color Red is Good/Lucky and Green not so much. This is most apparent in the Chinese Stock Market. Stocks going up are in Red and those going down are in Green. So a leader board all in Red is a very good thing, and not a sign of disaster as you might think in the west.
Stop lights are, however, still Red for stopping and Green for going, while Yellow means “go faster”…
10. Four is the loneliest number…
Four (4) is a very unlucky number in China. It’s not good to give someone 4 of something, or to buy 4 of something or to have something with the number 4 on or in it (like a Telephone Number or Street Address).
Why? Because the word for 4, Sì (a lot like sir but no ‘r’ and a downward accent), sounds a lot like the word for death, Sï (down then up accent).
So, for is the loneliest number in China because nobody wants to die.
11. Did You Eat?
The common greeting in Mandarin is 你好 (Nǐ hǎo, or ‘Knee How’), which literally “You Good”. It’s especially common if you do not know the other person very well.
However, if they are friends or family, it is more polite to greet them with 你吃了没？(Nǐ chīle méi? or ‘Knee Chur La Muh?’), which literally means ‘Did you Eat’.
This is to check if they are OK. In recent history, the Chinese people didn’t always have enough to eat. In the 60’s millions starved to death (for reasons I won’t go into now). So to show genuine concern for your friend/family member, you would ask if they have eaten yet.