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Just read a comment about Chinese mainlanders (Chinese from China) and their poor manners in another thread and it gave me an idea to start a thread to talk about this specific topic.
It it common to hear about the rude and bad manners of mainland Chinese. I do see it myself. Unlike their non-mainland Chinese brethren, e.g. Chinese in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Singapore and other overseas Chinese in other parts of Asia, they seem to have lost all their Confucius morals and guidance.
Was this a result of the Cultural Revolution? Did Mao and his Red Guards wiped out all their traditional beliefs and mannerism in just one generation? Is this also because of the one-child policy, where the only child was spoiled?
I look at it more like this:
China has undergone tremendous technological changes and prosperity in the last decade or so. You had a society and culture that has shifted almost overnight from riding bicycles and living in tin shacks and outdoor toilets and no money - to driving BMWs and living in modern high rises and having disposable income. China is a country of Beverly Hillbillies trying to adapt to life in modern L.A. They are the Clampetts, still struggling to adapt, that includes not understanding modern mannerisms - you mean my children shouldn't poop out in public on a sidewalk? You mean we are expected to stand in line waiting for the subway without pushing and shoving? It's all new to them.
I look at it more like this:
China has undergone tremendous technological changes and prosperity in the last decade or so. You had a society and culture that has shifted almost overnight from riding bicycles and living in tin shacks and outdoor toilets and no money - to driving BMWs and living in modern high rises and having disposable income. China is a country of Beverly Hillbillies trying to adapt to life in modern L.A. They are the Clampetts, still struggling to adapt, that includes not understanding modern mannerisms - you mean my children shouldn't poop out in public on a sidewalk? You mean we are expected to stand in line waiting for the subway without pushing and shoving? It's all new to them.
Lots of countries have modernized. The people didn’t change like the mainland Chinese. All you have to do is look at the huge differences between them and the Chinese that left before the Cultural Revolution. Like night and day.
Lots of countries have modernized. The people didn’t change like the mainland Chinese. All you have to do is look at the huge differences between them and the Chinese that left before the Cultural Revolution. Like night and day.
Bingo.
Fly to Beijing spend a week there.
Then fly to Taipei and spend a week there.
The difference is like night and day. The Taiwanese are light-years ahead of their mainland counterparts.
Wife's a Singaporean and this is always a big topic of conversation in her home country. Every once in a while there's a media story about immigrant Chinese mainlanders and their bad habits. Appears some of them have an affinity to relieve themselves when nature calls in public places.
Wife's a Singaporean and this is always a big topic of conversation in her home country. Every once in a while there's a media story about immigrant Chinese mainlanders and their bad habits. Appears some of them have an affinity to relieve themselves when nature calls in public places.
Lol. My first time I went to China about 6 years ago I got urinated on in a public street, that was day 2 of my life in China, or my first full day actually.
The cultural revolution obviously had some sort of effect on the minds and practices of the people. I hate to call a people group uncivilized, but Chinese over the age of 40 are about the most uncivilized people in the world I have ever met. I do see a major cultural change happening in China between the different generational groups and it’s all good progress. It’s fairly rare to see a young Chinese person urinate in public or have their kids urinate in public, or spitting in public( I’ve been nearly spitted on more times then I care to count) or for them to walk up to me (a foreigner) and say something absolutely ridiculous. But for every bad thing about the lost generation, there is a good thing. They are absolutely the most generous, appreciative, and kind people I have ever met, it just takes time getting used to their habits. China has some major hurdles to overcome, but I have an optimistic view on their future.
Most Chinese from Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore...are urban residents. In the 1980s when China started to open, 90% were peasants who had no idea how to behave.
Being poor certainly has an effect too.
That being said, overseas Chinese and some foreigners like to exaggerate the issue too. I have been to other "third world countries" and China is not worse, in fact better.
Not long ago, I saw this "social experiment" posted on Facebook. It showed a guy in the middle of the city in Taiwan (I believe it was in Taichung, Taiwan); China- I forget which city- but it was a large city, as I recall; Hong Kong; and Macau. In each of these cities, he would be carrying a bag of oranges/fruits and made it look like he accidentally dropped the bag and a bunch of oranges would roll down. Almost all the strangers by him in Taiwan, stopped to help him out; In Hong Kong and Macau, maybe 7-8 out of 10 people would help him out when he dropped the oranges. When he did the same thing in China, just about nobody helped him out-they all just walked around him and the oranges. I do not know if this experiment is a fair on or not- potentially some can poke holes at it. But, it appears they will illustrating the differences in people in these places on helping out a complete stranger.
or spitting in public( I’ve been nearly spitted on more times then I care to count)
Ahhhh yes the Chinese and spitting. Confucius say when taking taxi in China, never sit behind driver! Take the opposite seat. About once every few minutes a taxi driver will roll down the window and hawk up a loogie and let it go....he doesn't always make it out the window. I learned that quick during my travels.
ahhhh yes the chinese and spitting. Confucius say when taking taxi in china, never sit behind driver! Take the opposite seat. About once every few minutes a taxi driver will roll down the window and hawk up a loogie and let it go....he doesn't always make it out the window. I learned that quick during my travels.
:d
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