There are many ways that China is truly a different world for tourists who have never stepped foot in the country before. It is one of the few places left, especially in the rural areas, where westernization has not occurred to the extent that it has in many other areas of the world. To the casual tourist, there are many things about China that will be surprising, and sometimes outright offensive. After four years of living here, things that would have caused me to stop and stare at one time now barely get me to glance. Here are a few highlights of things that I have noticed that can drive foreigners around the bend.

Pollution

It is no secret that China is considered one of the most polluted places on earth. Look at any top ten list of polluted cities and you will usually find a couple from China. Linfen has topped most lists for several years. It makes Dickensian London look pristine, as Wikipedia says! Many tourists are aghast at just how bad it can be, especially in some of the larger cities. When you fly across the country, there is often a never-ending sea of grey smog below the plane. However, the latest World Health Organization statistics reveal that there are cities in several other countries that are now worse, notably Iran, India, and Pakistan.

But China is beginning to work at cleaning up the mess. The roads are bustling with electric scooters and bikes, and low-level lighting can be seen everywhere. Recycling is a matter of course since nothing goes to waste. Leave a piece of cardboard beside a trash can and it will disappear within the hour! Throughout the cities and smaller towns, there are weigh stations where money is paid out on the basis of weight for any recyclable materials.

I believe with time, the situation will improve. I tell all my students heading off to university that their generation is the one that will have the ability to fix the problem. I truly believe they will!

Personal space or lack thereof!

There are over 1 billion people in this country. There are currently 177 cities with a population of more than one million. No matter how you look at it, that is a lot of people. This results in masses of humanity at any major city or tourist site. With so many people, personal space has disappeared. Don’t be surprised to be pushed and shoved wherever you go. If there is one inch of space in a lineup, somebody will butt in. Little kids learn at a young age to push their way through crowds!

Getting on buses, hailing a taxi, boarding subways….these can all be a hectic experience for tourists. It is a dog eat dog world when it comes to transportation. If you don’t push your weight around, you won’t get anywhere. I’m no spring chicken and I have been known to push older people out of the way to get a cab. Some call it rudeness. We call it survival!

Spitting

This is definitely the bane of most foreigners in China. I can’t really say anything good about it! People of all ages and from all walks of life spit on a regular basis inside and outside. I have seen well-dressed business men and women spitting just as big a gob as rural lower income residents. I don’t know how this started but it has to end. Apparently, there are several policies in place that are meant to decrease this habit but it seems to be carrying on as usual as far as I can tell.

Smoking.

It wasn’t so long ago that you could smoke anywhere in North America. Other countries, including China, are just behind when it comes to attempting to eradicate this habit. You will still find taxis so full of smoke you can barely breathe. Don’t be afraid to ask taxi drivers to put out their cigarettes or just stay away from cab with smoking drivers. And don’t be surprised if you are offered a cigarette when you get in and sit down..it is pretty common. Restaurants and bars are the same as they used to be a few decades ago in Canada and the US. Don’t expect to find many non-smoking establishments. However, you will not see many, if any, Chinese women smoking in public. It is looked upon as unladylike by the rest of the population.

Split pants

Ok, tourists will wonder what’s with all the bare-assed babies and tots they will see around the country. Disposable diapers are a fairly new concept here. And regular diapers do not exist in a big way. Instead, all the babies and tots have pants that are split in the crotch and backside. This gives them the ability to poop and pee just about anywhere at anytime. And they do! When they have to go, they have to go. Parents lift them up and hold them over flower pots, cracks in the pavement, patches of grass and just about anything else that you can think of, both indoors and outdoors. For foreigners who have never seen this before, the reactions range from surprise to total disgust.

Squatty potties

It is always a surprise to discover that some tourists still don’t realize that the western toilet, as most of us know about, is pretty much non-existent here. Chinese, in general, think it is unhygienic to use a seat that someone else’s bum has sat on. Hence, the squat toilet, nowadays a modern porcelain fixture set into the floor. . You put one foot on each side, squat carefully and do your thing. It’s sort of like going in the woods, but doing it in a bathroom indoors.

In most Chinese hotel lobbies and good restaurants, these toilets are fairly clean. But check into one in the middle of the night at a nightclub or bar and it is a different picture. Most hotels have western toilets but many western restaurants in the cities don’t. Don’t expect to find regular toilets at places like MacDonald’s or KFC.. The one place that a good, clean western toilet is guaranteed is Starbucks or the lobbies of high-end international hotel chains.

Finally, on this subject, bring your own tissue. Most Chinese bathrooms do not have any toilet paper. Even our school washrooms don’t. I have never quite figured out the reason for this weird custom.

Food and restaurants

I did not include this because tourists hate the food. Most of the food here is some of the tastiest you will eat anywhere in the world. I included it in my list because there are many foreigners who are put off by some of the more exotic foods such as donkey, snake, dog meat, chicken feet, various insects, bull penis, rooster testicles and stinky tofu. Ok, the last one I cannot even bear to smell but the rest I have actually tried. This week I just heard about a new dish made from cats and snakes called Dragon and Tiger! And don’t be afraid to eat the street food, regardless of what you think. It is some of the cheapest and most delicious food in the country and the variety is endless

When it comes to alcohol, most of the beers are fine, even if they are a little lower on alcohol content than the average North American beer. Where you lose on alcohol, you win on price. Most beer and wine is very inexpensive and many restaurants allow you to bring your own bottles in. The wine is hit or miss and price does not seem to be a governing factor. I have had cheap bottles that are fine and more expensive ones that are not. Like anywhere, with a little taste testing here and there, you can find something that will suit your palette.

The national brew is Baijou, literally white wine. White lightning is more like it! It is made from sorghum, is about 55% proof, and tastes fouler than some of the worst “hooch” I have ever had. Chinese men drink it like water at business lunch gatherings and continually have one “bottoms up” after another. If you can get near the opening of the bottle, let alone drink it, you are a better person than me. It tastes just as bad as it smells. It is possible to purchase a small bottle for less than a dollar but you can spend hundreds. Apparently the expensive stuff is better; I personally haven’t seen any difference in the ones I have been unlucky enough to taste! Having said all that, friends of mine have been known to drink a lot of it on various occasions and survived until the next day.

Chinese characters

I continue to have nothing but respect for the Chinese language. I am still in awe as I watch my students or co-workers scribble messages on pieces of paper. It is an art compared to our simple little 26 letters of the alphabet. However, it’s not so beautiful when you are trying to find something to eat in a restaurant without pictures on their menu or looking for a specific type of store or product.

Most languages around the world are possible to understand a little bit. I can look at a French menu or German menu and sort of come to grips with what is there. However, looking at a Chinese menu is a whole different picture. There is no way to begin to know what is being offered. My only advice to tourists is either find a restaurant with lots of pictures on the wall or menu, or don’t be shy at pointing to what other people are eating and using lots of hand gestures to explain what you would like.

Staring

Once you leave the major tourist areas, it is still not unusual to be the object of attention. Westerners can still be pretty uncommon in many areas of the country. It is not unusual to be stared at openly or even have your picture taken for no apparent reason. If you have blonde or white hair, you may be inundated for photos as my sister was when she last visited. My tall, handsome, older son is also constantly accosted by the local females to have his picture taken with them whenever we are traveling around the country together. It comes to the point where you almost want to set up a booth and charge per photoshoot! But patience is a virtue and it is always fun to try to strike up a conversation with some of these curious gawkers. A friendly smile back will go a long ways in easing a sometimes uncomfortable situation.

Driving and traffic

Most tourists won’t be driving. In fact, if you don’t live here, don’t even think about it. I spent a few months in taxis before I finally felt like I had enough information to tackle the Chinese traffic. Most taxis don’t have seatbelts and the drivers will take you on a ride of your life every time you step inside one. For the most part, the cabbies are some of the best drivers you will ever see but, nonetheless, it can be a heart-stopping experience. All I can say is the chances are very good that you will arrive at your destination in one piece!

In conclusion, when traveling in this country, it’s better to leave any preconceived notions at home and go with the flow. Act like a local, eat like a local and watch where you step! You will have a great time. It is a fascinating place and one of the truly different countries that will provide you with enough wonderful memories for a lifetime. We love the place!