When China Stares: 4 Ways to Stare Back

When China Stares: 4 Ways to Stare Back
Oct 13, 2011 By Alex Dwyer , eChinacities.com

China certainly isn’t the only country in the world where foreigners are stared at, but it has to be one of the most extreme. Whether you’ve just arrived and are experiencing life as an eyeball magnet for the first time, or if the Chinese stares have followed you for years, there are things you can do to maximize the potential of enjoyment for both parties in any staring situation.

Why it happens

It’s been called the “rockstar factor,” the “zoo factor” and the “sore-thumb factor.” Whatever you call it, being stared at as a foreigner in China is something that is to be expected. Of course, it’s not only because there are so few foreigners in many of the cities (outside of Shanghai and Beijing) but also because there are just so many Chinese people. It’s extremely disproportionate. To put things into perspective, there are over 100 cities in China that boast populations over 1 million inhabitants. There are only 10 in the U.S. That means, if you find yourself in one of these cities and the percentage of your ethnicity is less than 51%, you can’t exactly blend in – no matter how fluent your Mandarin is.

Whether it’s skin, hair, shape, or size, there are plenty of differences in appearance. Like any anomaly in an otherwise homogenous setting, you are bound to receive a variety of attention. That attention can sometimes be unwanted, while in other instances it will have you blessing your good fortune. The run-of-the-mill response from many bewildered Chinese will be the stare. As much of celebrity gawking (“Oh my Lady Gaga!”) as it is a rare animal sighting (“Quiet or it will run...”) or medical examination (“Fascinating nose curve on this specimen.”), many foreigners in rural or urban Chinese areas get at least few dozen stares per day. 

The stare could be preceded by a double-take, where a passerby figured they must have been seeing things, before realizing the opportunity at hand. Often times, the stare is quickly followed by a tapping of the shoulder, tugging of the arm, or nudging of the elbow to notify a friend or loved one about the nearby “show" on hand. Well, if it’s a show they want, I for one, recommend giving it to them. Not only because it’s the polite thing to do, but because with a little practice, you can get some enjoyment out of your audience’s reactions.

1) The Creepy, Slow Head Tilt
In an effort to strike momentary fear into your stare-ers, you may choose to aim your gaze their way while mechanically rotating your noggin into a more horizontal position. If you can keep a straight face, this one can earn you some confused or terrified onlookers. Of course, you can always give a little smile and wave afterwards to ease the tension – or you could just let them leave unsettled. Either way, you probably had a good inner-chuckle.

2) The Mega Gasp
Though it can probably be taken a tad offensively, the mimicry involved in this stare-back variation is a great choice to disarm your audience and get them moving along quickly. Particularly useful when you are just trying to get things done, if you can act more surprised to see them than they are to see you, you can out-wow them by metaphorically turning the camera around. As many Chinese don’t exactly like sticking out, they will generally putter away ASAP.

3) The Overjoyed Smile
If you’re looking to initiate contact with your audience this is a great decision. Your unadulterated happiness will usually be reciprocated almost immediately (unless it is a young child, in which case tears could be flowing twice as fast). Everybody likes being smiled at, but don’t be surprised if the more rural Chinese can’t process what exactly is going on.

4) The “Wile Out”
This one can only be performed if you have headphones at the ready when the staring starts. Play the type of music that gets your blood bubbling to muster up as much energy as possible. Using whatever props are available, dance, flail and lip-sync as hard as you can. Serious faces help. It’s not important whether you end up reciprocating the stare, but for your own enjoyment (or discouragement) it’s always great to glance over to make sure everything is going over well.

In a culture of subtleties, even the minuscule wink or lip-pucker can have massive consequences. Use these liberally but with caution. Reactions can always be mixed, but I’ve yet to receive any black eyes. Any stare-back choice can bring at least a little joy into your day-to-day life. You can probably provide a bit of excitement for your stare-ers while giving yourself something to laugh about too. After all, it beats any resentment that builds up from being constantly on display whenever you are out in the world. Who knows, you may even get a date, business contact or good neighborhood reputation if you play along. All of China is a stage, everyone is an actor but only foreigners can assume the lead so easily.
 

Related links
8 Bad Habits to Avoid Developing in China
Protect Yourself from ASF (Arrogant Foreigner Syndrome)
The 5 Stupid Questions Chinese Ask Foreigners

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Keywords: staring in China the China stare how to answer Chinese staring foreigners stared at in China

6 Comments

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moi lolita

im foreign asian in china, n im a chinese decendant, so basically i have a quite chinese look alike face.. when i was on the subway, the ppl didnt stare at me until i talked on the phone with my friend with my language n some ppl near me started to stare at me , n i just leave them with their curiousity.. *wicked smile*.. ;)

Oct 15, 2011 07:12 Report Abuse

pooh 888

Worse thing is when they shove a camera in your face without asking and start clicking i have knocked many a camera to the ground and pushed them away ask is fine especiallly if they want their kids to have a photo learn some manners because the biggest percetage are ignorant

Oct 14, 2011 19:10 Report Abuse

Wow

Wow. I always have this feeling when I'm crossing a busy street or walking fast on a wet, slippery road that I should be careful because Chinese people wouldn't help me if something happened. I thought it came from me being so jaded here. Turns out the whole time I was right.... sad.

Oct 14, 2011 06:04 Report Abuse

crimochina

thank you for bringing sense into this discussion. i used to think the stares were innocent also. i did not understand chinese so only had to rely on the lies the chinese people i was with told me "they are just curious" they wish they could talk to you" when i made some good trusted local friends, and talked to some foreigners who knew chinese they let me know the filth they were really saying.

Oct 14, 2011 21:31 Report Abuse

Anonymous

What about the "rape alarm"?

Oct 13, 2011 08:20 Report Abuse