37 Common Chinese Habits

China is a brand-new world for a foreigner, especially for those from Western countries. I’m sure lots of people are very curious about the real Chinese lifestyle.

Today I’m going to present to you the most common 37 Chinese habits to help know more about Chinese people. Some of them might seem strange and some of them are worth to learn.

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1. No shoes in the house

Wooden floors are being widely used in most Chinese homes because they are used to be barefoot in the house. spending lots of time sweeping the floors. Even guests are expected to remove their shoes and the host will prepare a pair of clean slippers, which is why you can see multiple spare pairs of slippers in most Chinese families.

2. Seldom say good morning

Western people are always willing to say good morning to each other for kindness. But the Chinese don’t do that because, as we all know, Chinese don’t like to express themselves to others, especially to strangers, they seldom talk to people they don’t know well.

If people really have eye contact with each other, at most, they will just smile a bit and that’s it. So if you’re confused about why the Chinese don’t do the greeting, don’t worry, just another habitual stuff.

3. No shower in the morning

I know lots of Western people think showering in the morning is a good way to make them feel more energetic and kill the sleepy feeling. But the Chinese are used to having a shower at night, so they don’t think there is a necessity to have a shower again in the morning.

4. Practicing Taichi in the morning

Morning exercise has also been very popular for a long time in China. The younger generation might prefer to do some regular sports, but for the older generations, practicing Chinese Kungfu in the morning is considered one of the best ways to keep them healthy, and Taichi probably is the most common one.

Chinese believe practicing Taichi not only can help you improve your body physically, but also mentally, such as reducing stress, adjusting mood, getting better sleep, etc.

5. Drink soybean milk in the morning instead of milk and coffee

Soybean milk is a common drink in China for a very long time. It is China’s version of a protein shake, which is very natural and tasty. Chinese love drinking it at breakfast in the morning, just like Western people drink milk every morning. Soybean milk is also very easily made at home with a milk machine.

(Read more: Why Do Chinese Like Drinking Soy Milk?)

6. Beating eggs with chopsticks instead of the egg beater

Beating eggs with chopsticks is totally just a habit thing because Chinese don’t think that beating eggs is a very big deal. They just want to make it mixed as soon as possible and don’t think using a special tool like egg beater can make any difference from using chopsticks, so we are just using chopsticks to string eggs for convenience sake. 

7. Drink hot water

In China, it’s widely believed that things with cold temperatures are bad for your body, causing strengthless and stomach issues. Therefore, it’s generally advised by the Chinese that cold foods and cold drinks should not be consumed too much. (Why do Chinese like drinking hot water?)

Drinking hot water can help you keep your stomach warm, improving your digestion. Also, sweat is considered a good way to promote metabolism by Chinese and drinking hot water can help with that.

8. Drinking tea all day

Tea is deep-rooted in Chinese culture. Drinking tea is consider leisure in China, for relaxing. When you’re too tired to work, you can just go for a small cup of tea for resting because tea can also help people lift up their spirits. In a certain area of China, you can see people will just sit and drink tea all day long without doing anything.

9. Washing rice before cooking

Chinese think the rice is full of dirt and dust. Only after washing it with clean water can it be cooked, or it will be bad for your body’s health.

10. Eating noodles or rice every day

It’s a deep habit that originated from our previous generation. Chinese grew up eating rice (for southern people) and noodle (for northern people) as the main staple, just like western people love eating staples such as bread, potato, and pasta.

However, rice and noodle would never be served alone because of their plain taste. Chinese are always eating rice or noodle along with other dishes, enhancing the flavor.

11. Three dishes and one soup

The most traditional home-cooked dinner consists of three dishes and one soup in China. Those three dishes are including meat types and one vege type.

Not only because the quantity is proper, but also because it is, at least to Chinese, the most nutrient combination, which can well balance your basic nutrient needs.

I know the three-dishes-one-soup model is also very common in Japan, unlike Chinese, Japanese usually make it a personal portion, offering three-dishes-one-soup combo to each one.

12. Don’t flip fish

Dining etiquette is a complex thing in China, but no matter what, there is one point that you should deeply keep in mind when you’re dining with Chinese, which is never to flip the fish.

The steam-fish is an ordinary dish in China and I believe it is understandable in Western culture to flip the fish after finishing one side of it. However, the Chinese consider flipping fish is a very bad sign because it’s looked like flipping a boat, meaning your business going to be a failure.

13. Chopsticks are never placed upright in the rice bowl

Chinese will leave chopsticks upright in a bowl of rice to the dead, which is reminiscent of a ritual for paying respects to a dead person at his tomb. Therefore, it’s seriously forbidden to leave chopsticks upright in your rice bowl when you’re dining with Chinese.

I remember when I was a child, I unintentionally did this once during a dinner with my parents. My parents were strictly criticizing my behavior make explained to me the reason, ensuring I wouldn’t do it again in the future.

14. Watching smartphone while eating

You’ll see Chinese in restaurants who are sitting across the table from each other, and instead of chatting with each other, they’re playing with their phones.

It is a very bad habit but many Chinese are behaving this. Many Chinese just can resist the lure of their device, even during dining. This is a part of the reason that many foreigners think sometimes Chinese behave rudely at the table.

15. Eating fast food more often

Chinese don’t cook at home very often if they were single or alone. For one thing, cooking Chinese foods, unlike Western foods, is a bit complex. It’s requiring your cooking skills, buying various ingredients, and spending time on it. And it’s hard to measure the number of personal portions.

For another, there is a variety of fast-food restaurants in China. Whether you’re looking for western style, traditional Chinese, Japanese style, or Korean, you will find it and the price is affordable. So Chinese are more willing to dine outside instead of cooking at home.

16. Love late night snack

China is a country that never sleeps. Even if it’s 1:30 in the morning, you still can find nice cuisines on the street. Part of the reason is the lifestyle of the Chinese people.

Chinese is one of the most diligent mankind in the world. Even at night, you always can see people are still working in the offices.

As the night got late, the hard-working from office buildings generally transferred to the street as various food counters and restaurants start doing their business, bringing late-night snacks to those late-night workers. Enjoying a delicious late-night meal is one of the most joyful things for the Chinese.

17. No tipping for services

In China, tipping is uncommon and can be considered weird in certain circumstances. Leaving money on a table in a restaurant can confuse the waiters there and they might even think this is the money you forget to take away.

I’ve heard lots of Western people complaining about this behavior of the Chinese, but please don’t consider this “non-tipping “ behavior rude because it really just a cultural difference.

18. Don’t do the reservation for dining

I seldom see Chinese will do the reservation about dining and you always can see there are lots of people sitting outside of the restaurant and waiting for the table. Chinese don’t mind spending a long time waiting for the foods they like.

There is an exception when it comes to the Chinese New Year reunion dinner because if you don’t do a reservation that night, there is almost zero chance for you to find a proper restaurant.

19. Take a walk after dinner

Unlike the Chinese, most people from other countries might like to sit on the sofa and watch TV for a relaxing after dinner. But Chinese people have their own special way to relax, which takes a walk outside.

Chinese think taking a walk after a good dinner is helpful to your digestion and can enjoy a peaceful environment at night. Normally, people will choose to walk in the park, maybe with family or friends, for around 1 hour.  

20. Bring fruit when visiting someone’s house

It is very common to bring a little gift when visiting someone’s home, which is for showing a good manner. In Western culture, people typically bring wine or dessert, whereas the Chinese will prefer to bring fruit. There are good reasons for this.

For one thing, fruits are considered healthy foods by the Chinese, so bringing fruits to friends is one of the ways to wish their friends to keep a healthy body.

For another, there are lots of positive means for certain types of fruit in Chinese, for example, the apple is signifying peace and the pitaya is signifying blossoming.

21. Umbrellas on a sunny day

Western people love enjoying the sunshine and are willing to get tan for their skin color, which is widely considered a healthy skin color in western culture. However, the situation is utterly different in China.

Chinese people, women, in particular, are definitely fearing to get tan because of the aesthetic standard in nowadays China. To avoid getting tan, you can see Chinese are constantly carrying umbrellas on the street even though there is no raining but sunshine.

22. Leaving laundry out to dry in outdoor

Chinese always hang their clothes up to dry by the sun in their balcony and dryers are not commonly being used in China.

For one thing, Many Chinese consumers don’t know much about dyer-machines so they think dryers can’t take good care of their clothes. For another, the Chinese believe sunshine is the most natural way to dry clothes without making any damage.

23. Storing the plastic bag in case of need

In China, the trash bag is not commonly used. I think this is because, in China, there is really no concept of a “trash bag” in most people’s minds, they just use plastic bags for taking their daily trash.

24. Square dance as exercising

Square dance has been so popular in China in the past few years. People who are passionate about this exercise are basically the elderly. There will be an organizer bringing a loudspeaker for playing music and people are gathering in an open area, such as parks, or squares, and dancing some simple moves to the music, exercising every night for a couple of hours.

25. Playing table tennis in the park

Today there are said to be tabled in nearly every park as table tennis sport is extremely popular in China.

Since Chairman Mao declared it the national sport, China had been devoting tons of resources to the development of table tennis sport, letting Chinese people engage in it. It is reported 10 million Chinese play competitive table tennis regularly, with some 300 million playing on occasion.

Don’t brag about your table tennis skill in China, because maybe the old man quietly walking on the street is a former province team member.

26. Using lots of entertainment apps

The smartphone is becoming probably the most important device for the Chinese. Except for basic needs, most time, the Chinese use smartphones for killing time, such as watching short videos, viewing Weibo, chatting with WeChat, playing games, watching gossip news, etc.

After work, many people will just lie down on the bed and do nothing but watch those entertainment apps for 2 to 3 hours.

27. Can’t live without mobile payment

We all know China is possessing the most users of mobile payment, but the real situation is much more astonishing. If you think using mobile payment is just an option for the Chinese to do online shopping, you’re utterly wrong.

I feel it has become or will become soon, the very first priority payment method in China, surpassing the cash. I’ve met the situation multiple times in which the seller either is not willing to accept the cash or doesn’t have change for the cash.

28. E-commerce shopping 

In China, more than 20% of all revenues in the Chinese retail market are made online, which is around one trillion USD. The number of internet users in China has reached around 804.5 million, which drives the explosive growth of the Chinese e-commerce market.

Nowadays, the Chinese are generally considering e-commerce as their priority option when they want to buy something. Sometimes, people will just buy things on the Internet while they’re having coffee with friends.

29. Value brand name

Chinese value the brand name most when they’re buying stuff. Undeniably, the Chinese still find vanity appealing, but more important the Chinese consider the reputation of a brand name the guarantee for quality and design.

In the past few years, domestic brands were exposed to many quality issues and Chinese consumers had already lost lots of faith in those domestic brands, which makes me very frustrated.

On the other hand, as China’s economy has grown enormously and rapid industrialization has occurred in China, Chinese are getting more and more wealthy, which enables Chinese consumers to afford more world-famous brands.

30. Politely refuse the compliments

When being complimented by others, western people are used to showing their gratitude by replying “thank you”. But the situation is different in China. Chinese people won’t directly accept compliments from others but kindly refuse them.

The typical conversation would be like this:

Westerner: “You are so beautiful today!”

Chinese: “No, no, no, I’m not.”

If this conversation is in Chinese, it will be extremely regular. But it’s a bit weird in English. Being humble is not only the way that the Chinese show gratitude but also one of their most unique characteristics.

31. Think tattoo is bad

The tattoo has a long history in China. But for most of that history, they are associated with negative things like criminals, prisoners, vagrants, etc.

Nowadays there aren’t many tattoo shops, tattoo artists, and people with tattoos in China, and most Chinese people with tattoos are still considered the bad guys, the gangsters. Tattoo art seems a bit too much for the Chinese who normally are quite conservative and they don’t really understand the meaning of having a tattoo on the body.

32. The red color is good

In China, the red color symbolizes luck and happiness. You can see Chinese are blessing others with red color stuff such as the red packets for Chinese New Year, the red eggs for birthday events, etc.

In the Chinese stock market, rising stock prices are indicated in red because red is also associated with wealth and stock gains. Other connotations that the red color is representing are including enthusiasm, vitality, energy, activity, positivity, etc.

33. Men wearing keys on their belts.

This habit might seldom see by the younger generation, but I still have to mention it because there are still many people who are used to wearing their keys on their belts. It is a very old-school style in China.

Keys are so easy to scratch things, like your phone’s monitor, when you’re carrying them in your pocket. But because the Chinese aren’t used to carrying a small bag when they’re going outside, they just choose to put the keys on their belt, being convenient to take.

34. Celebrating birthdays lunar calendar

The inconsistency of the two calendars in China makes many Chinese the chance to celebrate their birthday twice. But for those traditional Chinese, consider the lunar calendar the more official one, which is a way to respect the Chinese traditional culture.

However, as time goes on, more and more younger generations are embracing the Gregorian calendar and generally forget about their lunar birthdays.

35. Drink “Bai Jiu”

Baijiu, which is an alcohol that encompasses all traditional Chinese grain spirits, is consumed the most by Chinese. Baijiu has been distilled in China since at least the Yuan Dynasty, becoming one of the most Chinese traditional diets.

In a culture that emphasizes social interconnectivity, the Chinese love to have Baijiu served at some large gatherings to promote the relationship with people.

36. Consider “4” is a bad number

The number 4 is considered very unlucky because it’s resembling the Chinese word for “death”. With this in mind, the Chinese will try their best to avoid the number 4 in their daily life. For example, many elevators in China will eliminate the number 4 from their floor levels entirely, people will never give red pockets to others with a “4” number, etc.

37. Love wearing Jade

Chinese people love jade not only because of its aesthetic beauty but also because of what it represents regarding social value, being beyond monetary worth and materiality. In China, it is also believed that jade is a living thing that protects and heals the body.