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Wherever You Need to Go

Toilet etiquette in China is much more public and visible than most Westerners are comfortable with.

Fortune Cookie

Fortune cookies are an essential part of Chinese food in America, but not so in China.

Tea Culture

Chinese people have been drinking and appreciating tea for thousands of years.

Egg Rolls

Egg rolls are so ubiquitous in Chinese in the West that people don’t often pause to ask where they come from.

Giving Cash Gifts

Money is a common gift in China, but one cannot simply fork over a few bills without thought to etiquette.

Back to School

As always, September brings the beginning of a new academic year. Millions of fresh faced teenagers across the world leave home for the first time to start university. The nerves and excitement at the dawn of this new life stage are remembered for a lifetime.

The Chinese Kite

A brief history of the Kite - from its ancient Chinese origins to the present day.

Fishing for Poets - The Dragon Boat Festival

An ancient, superstitious ritual to ward off evil spirits, or the search for a subaqueous poet?

Business

Guanxi Opens Doors

Online dictionaries define ‘Guanxi’ as the basic dynamic in personalized networks of influence. Somehow this Chinese pinyin Romanization is far more complicated than “networking” or “relationships”. Although many Westerners find themselves confused by Guanxi and the role it plays in Chinese business, it has been widely acknowledged that one can hardly get things easily done without understanding this unique feature of the nation who have lived here for over five thousand years.

The importance of adapting to the Chinese Market

Selling to Chinese consumers is very different from selling to consumers in any other country. Unique local traditions and cultural values have a strong influence on the behaviour, thoughts, and buying habits of local consumers.

Local Manufacturing or Outsourcing?

China is now a member nation of the World Trade Organization, and its regulatory standards have changed considerably in thirty years. These new regulations tend to favor, for the first time, Wholly Owned Foreign Enterprises over joint ventures.

How To Choose The Best Investment Location In China

China first opened its doors to foreign investment in the 1980s with the establishment of the first Special Economic Zones in Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Shantou and Xiamen. Since then many other SEZs have been opened, and a number of other designations have been created to encourage different types of investment.

When in China, Do as the Chinese Do

“Ru xiang sui su” (入乡随俗) is an ancient Chinese saying that means, “When in a village follow the locals.” More appropriately, the equivalent saying in English might be “When in China, do as the Chinese.” This is just generally good advice for travellers, but it is particularly important for business travellers and international businessmen.

Giving Gifts in Business Environment

No one can predict what will happen during the operation of a business, so crisis preparation is quite important. Chinese business professionals use many of the same techniques Westerners do...

Effective Ways To Cultivate Guanxi

Maintaining good guanxi is essential in China because successful business depends on it. The concept of guanxi can be loosely translated as connection or relationship.

Chinese Business Etiquette: More than Formalities

Navigating the world of business relations in China requires a nuanced understanding of Chinese values and history. In this article, we will explore how this understanding ...

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Latest Articles

Rugs

Juyongguan Pass

The Guangou Valley, 18 kilometers in length, lies more than 50 kilometers away from Beijing in Changping County.

Yungang Grottoes

The Yungang Grottoes, ancient Buddhist temples located near the city of Datong in the Shanxi province of China, are excellent examples of rock-cut architecture. They are also one of the three most famous cave clusters or ancient scriptural sites of China.

The Yi

The Yi call themselves the Panduo. They are also called a number of other names - Nosu, Misa, Lasu, Luoluo, Sani, Axi etc. - depending on where they are.

Yellow Emperor

Five thousand years ago there lived a man name Ji Xuan Yuan, son of Shao Dian. He was the leader of a large tribe of people who lived along the banks of the Ji River in South China.

Hou Yi Shoots the Suns

Di Jun, the God of the Eastern Heavens, had two wives, Chang Xi, the Goddess of the Moon, and Xi He, the Goddess of the sun. Chang Xi bore him twelve moon daughters and Xi He bore him ten sun sons.

The Bright Pearl

Long ago a beautiful snow-white Jade Dragon lived on the east bank of the Celestial River and a beautiful Golden Phoenix lived in the forest along the west bank. They met each day as they left their homes, one flying through the sky and the other swimming in the river.

Jiang Taigong Meets King Wen

One day King Wen of the kingdom of Zhou had a desire to go hunting. Before he left, he commanded his official historian Bian to foretell the result. So Bian burned a tortoise shell to read the cracks.