Translated by eChinacities from popular Chinese site gcpnews.com.

In the last ten years or so and with the fast developing economy nurturing better lifestyles and still richer spending powers, more and more Chinese people are making trips abroad for sightseeing and business purposes. As is expected, differences in culture do come as a shock sometimes. So, more often than not, they've found themselves asking these top 10 questions about cultural differences on their trips abroad.

1) “Do you provide boiled drinking water?”

The first thing that the Chinese like to ask after when they first get settled in a hotel room abroad is whether there is kettle to boil their drinking water. The Chinese people like their teas hot and never drink cold tap water, ever. Old customs and habit tell them that water from the tap is too cold and not drinkable and therefore unsettling for the stomach, so they're confounded about not being provided with kettles to start boiling water for tea.

2) “Do you have anything that's not made in China?”

When buying presents for relatives and friends in their worldly travels Chinese people are again confounded about what to choose, as most of the merchandise sold abroad – with the exception of fresh meat, eggs, milk and produce – are marked as “made in China”. How can they expect to convince their friends and relatives that they've traveled abroad when they bring back gifts labeled “made in China”?

3) “How come the hotels aren't better serviced?”

The Chinese usually perceive hotels to be luxury accommodations, and thus they are confounded about the lackluster furnishing and room service when it comes to hotels abroad: the rooms are always so small, elevators are always so crowded, and the breakfast provided is so terribly simple. And they had thought that the Westerners all knew how to enjoy and lavish on life!?

4) “Will they discriminate against us?”

The Chinese people know their society to be hierarchical and that you're treated according to your social class, so they're habitually on the lookout for any perceived acts of discrimination in their travels abroad: if there are double standards when it comes to breakfast meals provided by the hotel, or if preferences were given in arranging seating on trains and airplanes, etc.

5) “Is this real or a replica?”

To wonder if merchandise is real or a super look-alike replica is totally understandable, and street smart, too; in China, pirated copies dominate the market, and thus the Chinese people are equally concerned about asking for proof of authenticity when it comes to buying merchandises abroad.

6) “Can't we negotiate the asked price?”

The Chinese know that anything and everything is negotiable, and especially when it comes to doing business with the merchants and vendors, so they're often skeptical of the asked price and would try to haggle a bit. What's more, some of the shops abroad in sightseeing areas popular to Chinese tourists have even started to allow for a bit of negotiation in sales, so as to make accommodations for Chinese customers that love to haggle.

7) “Is there an entrance fee for the parks?”

Chinese people are used to having to pay to enjoy scenic spots (for the upkeep of the park and such), so they are often confounded but still nicely surprised when they find out that they don't have to pay to access and enjoy the great outdoors in the parks and national forests in countries abroad.

8) “If I should get sick on the trip, how am I going to afford treatment?”

Chinese people are used to paying for medical treatment upfront and with hard cash, so they are rightfully worried about paying for medical treatment in full if they should happen to fall ill on their trips abroad. One such Chinese citizen who had been treated in India had asked the hospital workers there about where to go to pay for his medical bills because he was a Chinese national, and he was surprised to be told that the treatment had been paid for, covered by the country's health insurance program.

9) “Do you need a deposit?”

Chinese are used to having to make a deposit along with paying for the rooms when checking in at the hotels, so they're often guilty of putting that question to the hotel receptionists – who will then in turn look at them quizzically.

10) “He/she's our boss, our VIP, can't you make an exception?”

Again, the Chinese know their society to be hierarchically structured, so they're confounded and confused when they're told that their boss and VIP is not entitled to any special treatment and will thus be treated the same as any commoner.

Source: gcpnews.com

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