Lesson Notes

Unlock In-Depth Explanations & Exclusive Takeaways with Printable Lesson Notes

Unlock Lesson Notes and Transcripts for every single lesson. Sign Up for a Free Lifetime Account and Get 7 Days of Premium Access.

Or sign up using Facebook
Already a Member?

Lesson Transcript

Intro

Hi everybody! Yinru here. Welcome to Ask a Teacher, where I’ll answer some of your most common Chinese questions.
The Question
The question for this lesson is: What are some useful tips for someone visiting China for the first time?
Explanation
Visiting China is exciting and very beneficial for your Chinese learning as well. But before you go, there are some tips I would love to share with you.
Tip No.1: Take very good care of your valuables, especially at train stations, bus stops, airports, busy streets, and tourist attractions. Things get stolen within seconds. That’s why a lot of women carry their backpacks in front of them.
Tip No. 2: Always bring toilet paper to public restrooms! Most Chinese public restrooms don’t have toilet paper or paper towels. Some may not have hand soap either, so it’s good to be prepared.
Tip No. 3: Expect people to be rude. People may stare if you have a “non-asian face,” especially at places that don’t usually have foreign visitors. People may cut in line. People may spit and sneeze right in front you. People may talk loudly in public; and smokers may smoke in nonsmoking areas. Just remember that these behaviors are something that Chinese are not proud of, but are still pretty common in China.
Tip No. 4: Internet is censored in China. That means no Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, or Google, unless you use a VPN.
Tip No.5: Be aware of the cleanliness of some local restaurants and street food. The food may look very good, but it’s very likely you’ll get very sick from it. Bring some medications with you just to be safe.
Tip No. 6: Make an attempt to speak Mandarin to Chinese people. They’ll love it and make your stay more enjoyable.

Outro

China is definitely a wonderful place to visit. I didn’t give you these tips to scare you away; they’re just something you might want to know in order to make your trip more pleasant. If you’ve visited China before, please share your tips and experience with us. We’d love to hear your stories!
See you next time!
我们下期再见吧!Wǒmen xià qī zàijiàn ba!

Comments

Hide
7 Comments
Please to leave a comment.
ChineseClass101.com
2018-02-06 18:30:00

What Chinese learning question do you have?

ChineseClass101.com
2020-02-11 02:18:05

你好 Leslie J.!

谢谢 for your lovely comment! 😇

Let's hope this virus goes away fast. 😉

Let us know if you have any questions!

Kind regards,

雷文特 (Levente)

Team ChineseClass101.com

Leslie J.
2020-02-10 17:56:15

Tip #6 is so true. Just by me saying nihao and zaoshanghao, I've gotten free clothes, food, and facials. Living here has been a great experience until the quarantine due to the Coronavirus. Besides the outbreak and pollution, the hospitality of Chinese people is quite impressive.

ChineseClass101.com
2019-12-16 07:07:41

你好 robert groulx,

谢谢 for posting and studying with us. If you have any questions, please let us know.😄

Kind regards,

雷文特 (Levente)

Team ChineseClass101.com

robert groulx
2019-12-15 23:57:48

thank you for the lesson transcript

favorite phrase is Tip No. 2: Always bring toilet paper to public restrooms! Most Chinese public restrooms

robert

ChineseClass101.com
2019-06-25 21:43:40

Hello Calvin S,

Thank you for your comment. There are a lot of places to see in China, and I would say they're all worth visiting. 😉 Beijing is a big and international city, there are a lot of tourists. If you go to some smaller cities, towns, or rural areas, it's likely that locals may not have seen or interacted with foreigners, so they may stare at you, they may want to take pictures with you, or some may even be touchy, out of curiosity. My advice is to keep an open mind, and to learn more Chinese before you go! 👍

Enjoy your trip! Let us know if you have any questions.

Ngai Lam

Team ChineseClass101.com

Calvin S
2019-06-24 09:52:49

Any advice you would give for visiting China as a Black person? Best cities to go to or stay away from? (I get a lot of weird looks just at the mere mention that I am learning mandarin but I can't imagine what walking the streets of Beijing would be like). 非常感谢

Top