I live in China and I’m going to tell you about some things that are normal for Chinese people, but tourists are always confused.

Hi! My name is Júlia and I have been living in China for almost three years. A country so particular and, in part, so incomprehensible to the West, but which won me over from the first visit, when I came to work. Living on this side of the world has shown me many things that don’t appear in travel guides, especially with regard to the local culture: the people, traditions and customs.

I want to invite the readers of awesome.club for a tour of this country of millenary culture, full of mysteries and peculiarities, that you probably don’t know.

When I was offered to spend a year working in China, I didn’t think twice. At that time, I was already learning Chinese and watching videos about the country on YouTube, so I was sure I would be prepared for a new adventure.

The first surprise awaited me on arrival. At some international airports, there are drinking fountains for the public. China, however, went a little further: in all public places there are also free boiling water fountains. That is, you can not only drink water, but also prepare instant noodles if you want.

The next shock was at the train station: they didn’t accept my ticket bought over the internet. I couldn’t even get into the station. I found out later that they only let pass those who have a document in hand and a ticket in their own name. No accompanying family or friends to the trails. On the other hand, this is good, as it prevents people from entering just looking for a place to sleep.

I then arrived in a small town in the middle of the country and soon found that people of Slavic appearance, like myself, have an effect on the Chinese as charmers have on snakes. Once, for example, I was walking down the street wearing a pencil skirt when I heard a noise: a Chinese man fell off his bicycle, because he wasn’t looking at the path, but at me — who was in front of him. Yes, very similar to a moment in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha🇧🇷 I had only recently arrived, so I wasn’t used to the expectations of local dress. And I also had to accept that people would constantly take pictures of me, often without my permission.

After the first year, I had the opportunity to renew my contract and I realized that I would like to continue exploring this amazing and multifaceted country. Still, I thought that when the next year ended, I would leave.

But every time I tell God I made plans, I make him laugh. There were many changes in my personal life in my second year in China. The main one: I met a guy I ended up getting married to, and that’s why I started to call this place home.

Even now, after three years, I still have to deal with many unexpected and surprising things. The learning process is continuous.

This dish is called “Malatan”.

I’ve heard a lot of stereotypes about Chinese cuisine: bugs, monkey brains and who knows what else. These clichés are only partially true, as the country is very large and each region has its gastronomic peculiarities. I live in the central region, in the province of Honã, where “strange” foods are not served, so I couldn’t talk about the dishes that, for many, are bizarre. But it is true that, in some remote areas of the country, monkeys, dogs, turtles and so on are eaten.

However, turtles with insects have eaten even in my province. Turtle soup is a traditional dish at weddings: it symbolizes longevity for the newlyweds, as it is an animal that lives for a long time.

In the province of Honã, the most common insects are the cicadas: they are fried in oil, which makes them crunchy like biscuits. The most surprising thing is that they taste pleasant as dry snacks to accompany drinks.

It is important to clarify that these “wild” products are delicacies, but in everyday life, the Chinese eat the same vegetables, fish and meat that most of us are used to.

There is a very popular practice in local restaurants. It consists of providing a kind of electric stove burner on the table for large groups. That is, customers order the raw ingredients, as well as liquids and seasonings, and cook them themselves. It would be difficult to call the preparations “dishes”, as no specific recipe is followed, only classic components of Chinese cuisine are consumed, such as sliced ​​lamb, ham, vegetables, seafood, tofu and noodles. Even after three years, I still can’t understand why the Chinese are so fond of paying for food they have to prepare themselves.

Everyone knows that the Chinese use the famous chopsticks. But if you have to use your hands to eat pizza or crab, for example, don’t forget disposable gloves. Tourists who choose to use bare hands will be seen as savages.

In restaurants, garbage is often thrown under the table on the floor, especially in provincial areas.

If you’re with friends, don’t expect to split the bill — the Chinese even fight over who pays for everything.

In most restaurants, utensils are delivered wrapped in paper (as a guarantee that they are clean). Opening them, that is, using them, is considered a paid service, but it costs only a few cents. The chopsticks are given separately and free of charge and, if you wish, you can eat from the very pot or plate the food came in. But the tradition is not to order individual portions, but plates “for everyone”, which are placed in the middle of the table: each person takes as much as they want. But for this you will need individual plates, cups and bowls for soups or rice. These are the utensils sold in packages, as I mentioned. The funny thing is that even the Chinese don’t trust their own restaurants, so they use the kettle with boiling water to clean the plates and glasses before use.

In almost all restaurants there are VIP rooms, which provide a round table for 8 to 15 people: when the Chinese go out in groups to relax, many prefer to maintain privacy. For the same reason, there are soundproof karaoke booths — one of the most popular entertainment in the country — for small groups of people.

The wedding photo shoot starts long before the ceremony. These are the images that will be used for future wedding invitations (traditionally in digital format). Here there is no superstition that the groom cannot see the bride in a dress before the altar.

Ceremonies are usually held in hotels.

The ceremonialist is the one who will announce the couple’s union (the documents are signed well in advance).

The newlyweds always invite a lot of people, but there are no dances, contests or anything like that.

The actual party takes place in the afternoon and lasts no more than two hours. Guests show up to eat and give money (as a gift) in red envelopes. The Chinese themselves never know exactly how much to put in them: there is no convention on this issue. If you are a close friend, the equivalent of around R$150-200 is believed to be an acceptable amount.

Guests usually wear normal everyday clothes. The bride changes her dress three times, and the bridesmaids wear the same outfit, as in the tradition of some Western countries. You can see everything: sneakers, shorts, jeans, jackets. By the way, it is not a habit to remove your winter coat when entering the establishment. The lovebirds do not have their own table, as they play a different role: they walk among the guests, receive congratulations, drink and take pictures with everyone present.

Mao is on the money and wall of several clubs.

On all banknotes there is a photo of Mao Zedong. In any case, cash is almost extinct and even card payments are a bit dated. Now just scan the QR code with your cell phone and that’s it!

Do you think paying with your phone is a thing of the future? Well, in some places this payment method has evolved and you can pay with… your face. There is usually a camera next to the cashier which makes recognition easy. Transaction completed!

At the same time, cash will survive only for the famous and traditional red envelopes, presented at weddings, New Years and the birth of a child, for example. The Chinese love to hand over money in red envelopes.

Customers test payment for goods through the facial recognition system.

When there are promotions, you don’t see the usual warnings like “70% off”. First, for me, the most common thing is to see the discount represented as a percentage. For the Chinese, it would be an integer value. Secondly, the percentage for us would be the part of the value of the goods that we will not pay (70% discount, that is, we pay 30%). Here, however, they write the part of the price that customers have to pay. So, if there is a message in the store indicating 7折 (they don’t write the percentage symbol, just the corresponding ideogram), then it means that you will pay 70%, that is, you will get a 30% discount. 70% discounts are indicated as 3折.

On all fruits and vegetables, the price indicated is not per 1 kg, but per jin (500 g). If the value of products suddenly doubles at the checkout, don’t despair. No one is trying to trick you, they just convert to the 1kg standard.

A cup of coffee — R$8.50; bread (European standard) — R$0.05; bread (Chinese) — R$1.40.

Prices in cafes and restaurants vary greatly. A lunch for one person at a budget establishment costs around R$15. A combo of a “Big Mac”, Coke and fries at a fast food chain costs around R$30. in a European restaurant for two, without alcoholic beverages: R$200. These prices are found in Zhengzhou. In Beijing or Shanghai, it will be much more expensive.

A movie ticket costs around R$20. A liter of regular gasoline — R$3.65.

Shoes, from R$35 (not very good quality and for online purchase). Average quality for everyday use — R$150-220. The prices of the clothes are very variable: from R$ 35 to infinity. Pieces with very low values, like on AliExpress, also exist (for example, boots for R$ 35), but…