China: 20 Things You Didn't Know

 Edited version on: The Daily Confidential--"China: 20 Things You Didn't Know"

Let’s face it—countries come with a set of stereotypes that are hard to break. As an American citizen, I know that Americans are often labeled as: “loud, rude, materialistic, geographically ignorant, and wearers of sneakers” like a BBC America article states. I would admit that there is some truth to these. I, myself, wear a lot of sneakers. At the same time, everyone knows that stereotypes, if anything, are over-generalizations.  

China is one of those countries that comes with its own set of stereotypes. Having grown up and attended school with a large population of Chinese people, I think I have heard about every stereotype out there. According to an article on eChinacities.com, five common stereotypes include: “Chinese people are quiet, Chinese employees are the hardest workers, Chinese women are submissive, Chinese people are unwelcome to foreigners, and Chinese people are the most polite.” I have taught English in Shanghai, China, for the past eight months now and have come to recognize a lot of stereotypes to be false. These are twenty things I have discovered about China that end up debunking a lot of the stereotypes.       

1.  Goods in China are NOT inexpensive and NOT fake (all the time).

Americans are often under the impression that shopping in China should be cheaper than the goods that are “Made in China” in the United States. Understandably, goods that are shipped from China should be cheaper when they don’t have to be shipped, but that is just not the case. According to People’s Daily Online, a Beijing-based newspaper, “The made-in-China iPhone sells in the United States for less than 200 U.S. dollars, but in China it goes for anywhere between 3,000 to 4,000 yuan, some 440 to 590 U.S. dollars. Also, there are plenty of fake markets where people have to haggle for cheaper prices, but there are a TON of malls in China that sell genuine name-brand clothes and accessories for even more than they would cost in America. Malls in China have fine dining, hair salons, arcades, grocery stores, and However, dining out in China is significantly cheaper than it is in America. 

2. Men grow out their fingernails.

There is a custom for men to grow out their fingernails to show that they do not work in the fields or jobs where they have to use their hands a lot. A lot of men take pride in their non-labor jobs.

3. People sell miniature dogs on the street.

Contrary to what a lot of people think, dogs are not eaten in all parts of China, mostly rural regions where wild dogs are actually breed for food. Dogs are highly cherished as pets in China. Miniature dogs are especially popular and dressed up often in kid clothes. A lot of dogs that are sold on the street are in-bred so they are born smaller.

4. Not too many people speak English in Shanghai.

Although most young people are being taught English in school, the majority of people living in Shanghai today do not know English even though Shanghai is the most populated city in China and the world, according to Wikipedia. Even if someone can speak English, their sentences are riddled with pronunciation and grammar mistakes. What’s more, people in China are taught British English so there are plenty of “mums,” “mobile phone,” and “WC” thrown about. 

5. It is common for people to ask your age and if you are married.

People are not shy about asking you questions here.

6.  Babies wear “split pants” so their bottoms show.

Sure there are toilets, and some bathrooms are like any bathroom you would find in most cities in America. That being said, more often than not, the toilets are what westerners like to call “squat toilets,” or holes in the ground you have to squat over to use. Most bathrooms do not have toilet paper either way. Traditional parents in China have their children wear “split pants” without diapers (even in the winter sometimes). I have seen children “going to the bathroom” on the street, being held over trash cans, and on the metro. 

7. Men and Women spit on the ground all the time in Shanghai.

It cannot be said that people in Shanghai, Beijing, and other cities in China, have the best manners. Certain people bump pass others all the time without saying a word, talk loudly on their phones on the metro, clip their nails on the metro, stare unashamedly at foreigners, and spit on the ground a lot. There is a lot of air pollution here which is why people feel the need to spit as much as they do.   

8. Cars have the right a-way. Scooters count as cars, and often drive on the sidewalks.

People definitely have to look both ways before crossing the street, not that people wait for the pedestrian crossing signal to cross. Cars rule the streets and can make left and right turns on red lights. In Hong Kong, cars drive on the opposite side of the street. Scooters often make their way to the sidewalk and will honk for people to get out of their way. A lot of people ride scooters.

9. Chinese food consists of a lot of soups, eggs, and meat. Rice is not consumed at every meal.

Chinese food is certainly nothing like American Chinese food. For one thing, it is much healthier. Chopsticks are used for everything and people don’t usually use spoons; they drink their soup and drink yogurt through straws. Also, fish is a big staple in the Chinese diet. It is usually served as the whole fish—eyes, fins, bones, and all.

10. In the summer time, men wear their shirts above their stomachs.

Why don’t they just take their shirts off? Curious. China’s temperature reached record heights this past summer.

11. The metro stops running at around 10:30pm at

night.

But most bars and clubs remain open until 3am or even 5am.

12.  A lot of people smoke.

A lot of people also do not pay attention to the “no smoking” signs.

13. Solid deodorant, tampons, and blonde hair-coloring are not sold in Shanghai stores.

This was surprising.

14. Mandarin is the official language of China.

Cantonese is often thought as the official language, but that’s not true. However, Cantonese is commonly spoken in Hong Kong.

15. China is not as traditional as people think.

Cities in China are quickly developing into powerhouse cities, boosting China’s economy. People are evolving their tastes and goals right along with them. Women are no longer as submissive as they have been in the past, although families would still rather have a boy over a girl. This has led to a fear for the elimination of a generation. There have been recent kidnappings of female children to insure a future wife for sons. Clearly, the family is still deemed just as important as it always has been, but there is a materialistic focus on everything that is new and improved.

16. People practice a variety of religions.

Not too many people actually practice a religion, but Buddhism is not the only one people practice. However, people are not allowed to preach their religion to others.

17. In most schools, teachers move around from

classroom to classroom, rather than the students. 

Remember how in middle school, high school, and college, students would have a few minutes to run to their next class? Well, not in China. Instead, teachers switch off classes (even in elementary, or primary school) and students remain in the classroom or close by between classes. I have come to find that elementary students in China are more attentive and participate more in class than their American counterparts. They also spend many more hours in class throughout their time in school. 

18. More people commute by metro, than by car.

There are still a lot of cars taking over the streets and polluting the air, but more people actually use the metro in cities like Shanghai. There are rush hours for the metro and people will squeeze into the cars even if they are full.

19. The Western world is very appealing to a lot of

people. 

In the malls, admiration of western culture can easily be seen. Advertisements and commercials mostly feature white-faced models, most stores are European or American brands, and fast-food restaurants like Burger King and Starbucks pop up everywhere. “Whitening cream” can be found in a lot of lotions and body washes. In addition, most students want to end up in a university in America or Canada.

20. The one-child policy is not always enforced.

Most people know about China’s one-child policy that was enacted in 1979, for   population control. However, rural families are allowed a second child if their first child is a girl or disabled, ethnic minorities are allowed to have as many children as they want, and parents that do not have siblings can have two children. Parents are also allowed to have twins, and have two children in big cities, but they must pay the government more money.