Chinese Etiquette

The Chinese government, in preparation for the coming Olympic games, has been trying to improve the behavior of its population. During this past National Day holiday (the first week in October), some tourists visiting Tian'anmen Square during the holiday received a text message on their mobile phones from the administration committee of the Tian'anmen region to remind them to protect the environment of the square. However, on October 1 alone, around 600 sanitation workers collected 39.8 tons of garbage from the square." At the Old Summer Palace some tourists were found drawing on the relics. However the government is trying and we should give them credit for that. "Education in manners and etiquette has been strengthened in some kindergartens and primary schools in China. But experts believe it may take several generations to nurture civilized behavior and form a positive image of Chinese tourists."

I know from my experience in China that some places are worse than others. I found Dalian and Xiamen to be very clean and, in some areas, very Western. My worst experience was in the Inner Mongolia capital of Huhehaote (also known as Hu Shi). Perhaps I visited it on the wrong day (it was May 7, 2005), but it was extremely windy and trash and dirt were blowing everywhere. To be fair to China, I also encountered trash on the street in some areas of Detroit when I lived in Michigan. Of all my travels, the city with the most trash on the street was Gaya (India) near the tourist destination Bodhgaya. That was just awful.