If you’re curious or planning to visit China, you definitely should get to know those cultural taboos in China. Nowadays taboos are not just referring to superstition but also referring to those restricted social customs.
Today, I would like to present you 31 most common Chinese taboos, to help you avoid misunderstands and embarrassments when you’re getting along with Chinese.
- 1. Good things come in pairs
- 2. Number “4” should be avoided
- 3. “250” means stupid
- 4. Don’t flip the fish
- 5. Don’t leave chopsticks standing straight up in your bowl of rice
- 6. Never drink alcohol first without giving a toast
- 7. Try to avoid eating the last piece
- 8. Don’t shake your leg
- 9. Don’t wrap the gift in white
- 10. Don’t offer a friend an umbrella
- 11. Don’t give a clock to people
- 12. Don’t give shoes to your boy/girlfriend
- 13. Avoid green hats
- 14. Avoid sending white flower
- 15. Don’t send white chrysanthemum as a gift
- 16. Don’t share a pear with your loved ones
- 17. The use of broom should be careful
- 18. Don’t cut hair in the first month of the lunar year
- 19. Seeing black cat means unlucky
- 20. Showering with pomelo leaf can remove the bad luck
- 21. Don’t make your feet face toward the door when you’re sleeping
- 22. Don’t write people’s name using red ink
- 23. Don’t disrespect the customs of minority groups
- 24. Don’t make someone lose face
- 25. Don’t point people’s nose with your finger
- 26. Don’t kiss people to greet
- 27. Don’t show up with empty hands
- 28. Don’t call an older person by name
- 29. Don’t touch man’s head
- 30. Don’t spend the money you pick on the street
- 31. Don’t break the bowl, plate, glass, vase, or mirror
- The Reddit discussions center around the topic of Chinese taboos
1. Good things come in pairs
The number 2 is most often considered a good number in Chinese culture because the Chinese always think good things come in pairs. Also, the Chinese love using complementary phrases that include “double” to congrats people, such as “好事成双” (hope the good thing you got can be double), “才貌双全” (describe a person to be pretty and also talented), etc.
2. Number “4” should be avoided
Because the number “4” is a homophone of the Chinese character “死” (death), the Chinese don’t like this number and try their best to avoid it in their daily life. For example, many elevators in China will eliminate the number 4 from their floor levels entirely.
(Read more: Why is the Number 4 Considered Unlucky in Chinese Culture?)
3. “250” means stupid
Although “250” is referring stupidity in Chinese culture, it’s not a heavy word. The origin of this idiom is very funny. There was a famous politician in the Spring and Autumn Dynasties called SuQin. One day, he was killed in the Qi country.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/_hlKGj2R7bQ?feature=oembedAll about “250”
The king of Qi country was informed and felt very angry, so he decided to revenge on SuQin by sending a notice indicating that SuQin was a spy and would reward 1000 gold to the person who killed SuQin.
Not soon, four people come to claim the reward. The king knew SuQin was killed by only one so those four people must be lying, so he asked them, “Since you four people killed SuQin together, how can I distribute the 1000 gold to you guys?” The four looked at each other and answered without hesitation, “250 golds for each one should be fine.” Then, the king asked guards to drag those four “250” out and chop them off.
4. Don’t flip the fish
Steam-fish is an ordinary dish in China. I believe it is understandable, in western culture, to flip the fish after finishing one side of it. However, the Chinese consider flipping fish as a big, big “No” because it’s looked like flipping a boat, indicating your business is going to fail.
5. Don’t leave chopsticks standing straight up in your bowl of rice
Standing your chopsticks vertically in your bowl is considered a very bad table manners by Chinese people. The reason is that Chinese people usually 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/her tomb. So when you’re invited to have dinner with your Chinese friends, you should use the chopsticks carefully.
6. Never drink alcohol first without giving a toast
There always should be a toast for the first glass of alcohol when you’re drinking with Chinese. This is an important way to show your gratitude to others and to set a tone.
It will be so rude if you just drink the first glass of alcohol alone because the Chinese will think you’re reluctant to have fun with them. Unlike drinking with Western people, which is mainly for chatting, drinking with Chinese is more of an emotional thing.
7. Try to avoid eating the last piece
Passing the last piece when you’re dining with people is considered politeness in China, which means you’re thoughtful and not selfish. On most occasions, the last piece will be retained for the elder and the elder will decide if to have it or share it with others.
8. Don’t shake your leg
Many people will keep shaking their legs when they feel nervous, but it’s about kicking off prosperity in China. My parents always correct me when I’m doing this behavior, saying “You’re shaking money off a tree, so you’re not going to be rich in the future.” Also, this behavior is a big “No” when you’re having business-related events with Chinese because Chinese businessmen are so sensitive to it, thinking you will make them lose money.
9. Don’t wrap the gift in white
In some instances, white color is associated with death and is the color worn at funerals. Chinese often consider white the color of mourn, so they will wear white clothes and hats at the funerals for mourning the dead. I’m saying that the gift wrap in white will be 100% wrong but you should keep it in your mind and try to avoid talking about anything related to death in front of the Chinese.
10. Don’t offer a friend an umbrella
The term for giving an umbrella as a gift would be “送伞”, which also sounds identical to “送散“, meaning to separate or disperse. Therefore, you should try to avoid sharing the umbrella with your Chinese friends, especially on some quite formal occasions.
11. Don’t give a clock to people
The word “clock” (钟) in Chinese has the same pronunciation as “end” (终). To elaborate on their similarities, “sending a clock” in Chinese means “送钟”, which sounds exactly the as the “送终” that in English means “send you to the end of your life”. Therefore, you should be able to imagine the negative effect you’d be committing by sending a clock as a gift.
12. Don’t give shoes to your boy/girlfriend
In the traditional Chinese mind, giving your loved one shoes as a gift will cause a break up because it is thought to signify that the receiver will walk away from you. I think it’s not a very serious taboo to most young generations as I gave my girlfriend a pair of sneakers as a birthday gift and we are still good now. But you still need to be cautious when you’re selecting presents for your Chinese boy/girlfriend, especially for the first time.
13. Avoid green hats
There is an ancient China history where the wife of a merchant had an affair with a cloth seller. The wife made a green hat for her husband, so each time the husband wearing the green hat walks back home, the wife and her lover can see it from a far distance. (Why Chinese don’t wear green hats?)
Therefore, the green hat in China is considered a sign that your wife/husband is betraying you. If you’re a merchant selling hats with green color in China, I suggest you should reconsider your career comprehensively.
14. Avoid sending white flower
Not all Chinese mind receiving white flowers but I still think it’s necessary to mention. White flower in China also serves in funeral event. People will send white paper flowers for mourning because the white color is looked less fancy. You definitely can send white flowers to your Chinese friends because I know it’s also including many positive meanings like purity, cleanliness, faith, etc. But keeping this taboo in mind can be helpful.
15. Don’t send white chrysanthemum as a gift
Not all chrysanthemums can be sent to people as a gift in China, especially the white chrysanthemum. Because white chrysanthemum is used for mourning, usually being brought for the funeral occasion. Chinese people love chrysanthemums, not only because of their beauty but also because of the chrysanthemum tea.
16. Don’t share a pear with your loved ones
In Chinese, the phrase “sharing a pear (分离)” sounds very similar to “to separate”. You definitely wouldn’t want to be separated from your loved ones, right? So whenever it’s about eating pears with other people, don’t split it but either give each one a whole pear or just don’t eat it at all.
17. The use of broom should be careful
The broom should be used only for cleaning the house and the shop. Don’t use it to clean the worshipping house because it is believed to hover spirit on its own.
What’s more, Chinese people must never make use of the broom to brush outwards in front of the shop because the front of the house is the place with great luck enters and the back of the house is where poor luck leaves.
18. Don’t cut hair in the first month of the lunar year
The haircut should be received before the first month of the lunar year because if you cut your hair during that time, you will bring harm and bad luck to your maternal uncles. The funny thing is that because of this taboo, the price of a haircut normally is multiple times more expensive during the month before the first month of the lunar year.
19. Seeing black cat means unlucky
Chinese consider that if a black cat is showing in front of you and looking directly at you, it will bring you bad luck. The Chinese old generations who strongly value the balance between positive and negative energy think the black cat is carrying too much negative energy and it does not belong to the man’s world.
20. Showering with pomelo leaf can remove the bad luck
It is believed that pomelo leaf can help wash away the dirt, to cast away bad luck. Chinese hold pomelos in high esteem as they believe this fruit is a symbol of prosperity and good luck. Whenever people have suffered any unfortunate things, the Chinese always recommend taking a shower with pomelo leaf, washing away all the bad things.
21. Don’t make your feet face toward the door when you’re sleeping
It is believed by traditional Chinese medicine for a long time that “illness comes from the feet”, so Chinese protect their feet very carefully by always keeping their feet warm. The door is where the wind comes in so if you make your feet facing toward the door when you’re sleeping, your feet will be harmed, which is bad for your health.
22. Don’t write people’s name using red ink
In ancient times, a death row criminal’s name was written with chicken blood, later this routine evolved to being written in red ink and all official records, the names of death sentence criminals were written in red. For another, normally teachers and accountants are using a red pen to make corrections, so writing people’s names in red seems like correcting their names, which is rude.
23. Don’t disrespect the customs of minority groups
Chinese consists of 56 different groups and 55 of them are what we called the minority groups. All minority groups possess their own customs and beliefs so you should well understand how to respect those customs and avoid any disrespectful behavior because breaking some of the traditional customs means bringing bad luck which is very sensitive to Chinese people.
24. Don’t make someone lose face
“Face” plays one of the most important roles in Chinese common communication. The worst thing you can do to Chinese acquaintances probably is publicly humiliate or otherwise embarrass them.
For example, when you’re communicating with a Chinese, don’t directly point out his mistake even though it’s so obvious; In a public area, don’t loudly yell at someone, which will bring other people’s attention, creating an embarrassing atmosphere.
25. Don’t point people’s nose with your finger
Pointing people is rude behavior and Chinese people are more sensitive to it. I can’t say for sure why it’s rude to point but the pointing behavior comes across as aggressive, which I believe no one likes.
26. Don’t kiss people to greet
As we all know that Chinese people are conservative, so they’re seldom showing love to others in intimate ways. I can tell you that kissing is a very, very intimate behavior in Chinese culture.
I know kissing or hugging as a greeting is quite normal in the Western world, but Chinese people only do these things to their loved ones, such as their parents, their own kids, their boy/girlfriends, etc. Randomly kissing your Chinese friend as a greeting in public will not only make her/him very embarrassed but also sometimes will make them feel offended.
27. Don’t show up with empty hands
If you visit someone’s house to have some pre-arranged meeting, you definitely should not show up with empty hands. Gift exchange is so common nowadays in Chinese culture and people love to give little gifts to each other just for kindness. Even though people won’t mind if you don’t bring anything, you’ll still feel improper when you’re seeing other people holding little gifts in their hands.
28. Don’t call an older person by name
You better not call elders by their first name because the elder will feel a bit offended if you don’t address them with Sir/Ma’am before their name. In Chinese tradition, respecting the elderly is one of the most important moralities. Not only do the young people value this morality, but also the elders care about if the young people are respecting them.
29. Don’t touch man’s head
In ancient China, crowning is a very important etiquette for a man. Those refined men in ancient will wore crowns as a symbol of their reputation, representing a man’s authority and dignity. Therefore, since ancient times, the man’s head is considered an untouchable area.
30. Don’t spend the money you pick on the street
There is a Chinese old saying “不义之财不发”, which means ill-gotten gains never prosper because traditional Chinese think money should be gained in a proper way. If you spend the money found on the street, you will never get prosper. So you’d better turn in that kind of money.
31. Don’t break the bowl, plate, glass, vase, or mirror
Shattering those things may result in money loss and a family split in the future. If you, unfortunately, break one, you should collect the fragments right away and wrapped by red paper or cloth and then say some positive words, like “岁岁平安(sui sui ping an)”, which means safe and sound every year; “落地开花(luo di kai hua)，富贵荣华(fu gui rong hua)”, which means flowering with wealth and splendid; So people use the homophones to expel bad luck.
The Reddit discussions center around the topic of Chinese taboos
The Reddit discussions explore various taboos in China, covering cultural, dining, and gifting practices:
- General Cultural Taboos: Users discuss the main taboo in China, emphasizing the avoidance of direct disagreement and a conflict-avoidant culture.
- Chinese Food Customs and Taboos: A discussion on Chinese food customs, table etiquette, and superstitions. Users share their adherence to various customs, emphasizing the importance of certain practices.
- Chinese Gift Taboos: Users discuss gift-giving taboos in China, highlighting the avoidance of gifts in white or black. The conversation touches on cultural preferences and sensitivities regarding gifts.
- Language Taboos: A discussion on language taboos, where users mention the use of specific terms like “东西” in reference to people, indicating inferiority or admiration.
- Taboos in Taiwanese Culture: Users in r/taiwan discuss gift-giving taboos, with a mention of the symbolism of gifting shoes, suggesting sending someone away to other people.
- Breaking Chinese New Year Taboos: A user shares experiences of unintentionally breaking taboos during Chinese New Year, expressing a lack of adherence to superstitious rules associated with the festival.
- Taboos for Chinese New Year: A discussion in r/SimplifiedMandarin outlines six taboos for Chinese New Year, including avoiding breaking bowls or plates, passing on porridge, and refraining from washing hair.
- Taboo Monsters in Chinese Myth: Users seek information on taboo monsters in Chinese myths and stories, indicating an interest in cultural and mythical aspects.
- Cutting Contact in Asian Cultures: A discussion on cutting contact with family in Asian cultures, highlighting the cultural significance and the perceived taboo associated with such actions.
- Skeletons as Taboo in China: Users discuss the taboo surrounding skeletons in China, attributing it to the sacred nature of ancestors’ bones, with some individuals having special boxes to keep them.
In summary, these Reddit discussions provide insights into various aspects of Chinese taboos, including cultural interactions, dining practices, gift-giving, language usage, and mythical beliefs.
