China is a mysterious and charming country that attracts a huge number of tourists. Russians often have certain stereotypes regarding this state that are far from reality. Experienced travelers, who often visit different cities of China, dispel myths regarding the goods sold, the Chinese manners and other features of their lives. Therefore, in order not to make a serious mistake while visiting a Chinese city, it is recommended to abandon stupid stereotypes.
1. Lack of manners
Some people are convinced that the Chinese are poorly educated people who eat with their mouths open, constantly spit and push. In some ways, this stereotype is true, but this is due to the fact that completely different manners and rules of decency are common in China.
For example, for the Chinese, some of the acts committed by foreigners seem strange and indecent. These include blowing your nose on a handkerchief, contacting an elderly person by name, or paying for a common meal with one person. The Chinese will never tell the traveler that he violates the rules of etiquette. Therefore, the inhabitants of this state think about the comfort of even outsiders.
2. Chinese eat cats and dogs
On the Internet there are a huge number of photos depicting trucks with dogs that are allegedly used for cooking. This causes negative emotions among Europeans and Russian people. But this is due to the culture of the Chinese and Koreans.
For vegetarians, eating pork or beef is cruel, but for ordinary people there is nothing wrong with that.
In fact, few Chinese go to restaurants serving dog meat dishes. Most often, Chinese residents realize that dogs are human friends, so the number of such catering establishments is constantly decreasing.
3. All Chinese are alike
In fact, every Chinese has his own original appearance, and people are significantly different from Koreans and Japanese. There are even differences between the Chinese living in the southern or northern part of the mainland.
For Europeans who visit China for the first time, the differences are indeed insignificant, but if you constantly travel to Asia, you can appreciate all the differences in the appearance of the people.
4. The Chinese are short
The low growth of this nation is due to a specific diet, as people were forced to eat only seafood and plant foods. But over the past 20 years, people's living standards have improved significantly, so young people are quite high. This is especially noticeable among schoolchildren who grew up in rich cities and regions of the country.
The more protein the children consume, the higher they become. Sometimes even students and schoolchildren are much taller than older Chinese.
5. All Chinese products are low quality
Many products sold in China at a low price do not really have high quality, but in this country there are many factories that are engaged in the production of appliances, smartphones and even household appliances. This equipment has high reliability and excellent quality, so it is sold at high prices.
If you buy Chinese goods in company stores, you can be sure of their reliability and long service life. Therefore, if you do not save on the purchase, choosing goods at the best price, you will not have to put up with low quality.
6. Living in China is cheap
Some Russians are really sure that in China the standard of living is low, so food, clothing and even appliances are sold at low prices. In fact, traveling around China is considered expensive and difficult. The following points are taken into account:
- there is a big difference between the cost of living in large cities and in the provinces, so in a small city you can rent a house for $ 200 per month, but if you choose Shanghai for temporary residence, the cost of a similar apartment per month will exceed $ 500;
- the cost of well-known brands in China is much higher than in other countries, therefore it is in Russia that it is more profitable to buy an iPhone;
- if you buy high-quality food, it will be quite expensive, and visiting restaurants is not without big expenses.
You can save money only when visiting the province and buying products in local supermarkets offering good discounts. Additionally, clothing made at local factories is cheap, but well-known brands produced by popular European fashion houses will be very expensive.
7. The Chinese eat only rice
Some people believe that rice replaces almost all other food products for the people of China. They claim that in addition to rice, the Chinese do not eat any other dishes. In fact, this country offers a diverse, wholesome and incredibly tasty food. You can try it in restaurants, cafes or directly on the street, where products are sold through special open trays.
The Chinese constantly consume vegetables, which are the perfect complement to rice or other cereals. They use a large number of spices, giving the dishes spiciness and sophistication. Many methods can be used to prepare a single product. Rice is not a side dish, but a bread substitute. Usually in restaurants it is served already at the end of dinner, so people who have not eaten other dishes eat it.
The variety of dishes depends on the season and region of residence. Almost everywhere you can buy rice and noodles, but in addition there are many other products that are easy to prepare and have a pleasant taste.
8. China imposes severe penalties for drug offenses
Actually in this country really strict measures of responsibility are applied to criminals. Therefore, this item cannot be considered a stereotype.
If a person stores, uses or distributes drugs, he is assigned either a long prison term or the death penalty. Such cruelty is due to the fact that citizens care about their well-being and the development of the country. In the last century, many Chinese people suffered from drug addiction, so the government is trying in different ways to prevent a recurrence.
9. All Chinese are kung fu addicts
Such a stereotype is the most ridiculous and unusual. Although kung fu is an integral part of Chinese culture, only a small part of the population is engaged in martial arts.
In many films, the main actors demonstrate their skills in kung fu, but in fact, many residents of this state are interested in other sports. They spend a lot of time on street football and other hobbies.
10. There can only be one child in a family
Many people still believe in this belief, but in fact, serious amendments to the law were made in 2016, so now families can have two children. Until this year, 2 children were allowed if the family lived in a province.
The above stereotypes about China are the most common. Some residents of this state have a negative attitude towards foreigners who believe in various silly fables. Therefore, it is recommended to get rid of these prejudices before visiting China.