{"id":8128,"date":"2020-11-03T20:14:15","date_gmt":"2020-11-03T20:14:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/?p=8128"},"modified":"2020-11-05T17:23:32","modified_gmt":"2020-11-05T17:23:32","slug":"from-the-outside-in-10-tips-to-help-you-adapt-to-chinese-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/from-the-outside-in-10-tips-to-help-you-adapt-to-chinese-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Outside In \u2013 10 Tips to Help You Adapt to Chinese Culture"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cultural\nintegration in China may be the Holy Grail for many expats who head over to\nteach, live, and experience the country for a while. Although not impossible,\nreaching for ultimate integration is a highly challenging task and, if\nanything, it may just happen after years (if not decades) in the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Adapting<\/em> to the local culture as a foreigner may be a more realistic aim, especially if you’re heading to China to teach for the very first time. Give yourself some time to adjust to the culture-shock, follow Western International School of Shanghai’s<\/a> ten tips to help you adapt to Chinese culture,<\/strong> and you’re guaranteed to be on the right path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Learn a little about Chinese culture and history before you even arrive<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alright, cram-studying China’s entire cultural history before you arrive might be impossible. After all, this is the longest-living culture in the world! Yet what you can<\/em> do and what helps expats better assimilate in China is getting a general overview of how the country has evolved over the last few centuries. Knowing how China got to where it’s at now<\/em> means you’ll understand the country’s sensitive subjects (leave the Free Tibet T-shirt at home, please), and that will help you behave in a more culturally appropriate way. Moreover, learning about China beforehand will help blunt that dreaded culture-shock!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Leave your preconceived notions about China at home and pack only an open mind<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s fair to\nsay that everything you think you know about China has been influenced by\nforeign media. To this end, the most important thing you shouldn’t forget to\npack is an open mind. Nothing about this beautiful country and its immensely hospitable\npeople has ever been rightly depicted abroad, so take that as the single most\ninvaluable tip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The very best way to integrate into Chinese culture, as an expat, is to know the real story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Learn (at least some) of the language<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking\nMandarin lessons is the most important “first step” to finding your\nplace in Chinese culture, and this is one thing you can start doing before you even\ntravel. Linguistic fluency takes many (many) years, yet even just getting a\ngrasp of the basics (like appropriate greetings) will go a long way to helping\nyou assimilate in your new home. Being able to chit-chat in Mandarin and the\nlocal dialect of wherever you happen to be (there are thousands!) will earn you\nrespect from colleagues and locals you meet, and this will, in turn, help you with\nthe next tip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re bringing children over, international Schools in China<\/a> will ensure that they learn Mandarin as part of their curriculum too, allowing them to really fit in and make friends across cultural lines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. Understand the Chinese culture of “saving face”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Showing up a colleague and even your boss in front of others may be acceptable in some countries, but it certainly isn’t in China. Saving face and protecting one’s reputation is critical in the local culture. Once you understand this, you’ll be able to navigate your way through social and work situations much better. For example, a teacher who wants to resign because they just don’t get along with their colleagues may simply cite ‘personal reasons’ for leaving. The fastest way to ruin any<\/em> relationship with local Chinese is to embarrass or criticize them in any way, especially in public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Find your voice: assertiveness and confidence are key<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

China is no\nplace for a wallflower, and if there’s ever a teaching destination that\ndownright demands assertiveness, this would have to be it. To outsiders,\nChinese locals may come off as blunt or rude, but in reality, they live in a\nfast-paced world that requires very little fluffing about. So get with the\nprogram, be ready to stand up for yourself when the need arises (with your\nemployer or landlord, for example), and don’t let anyone walk all over you or\nbe a pushover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respectful assertiveness (back to #4) is the name of the game and, if you can find that much-coveted balance, you’ll do just fine in China. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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6. Show respect to elders<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respecting your\nelders is immensely important in the local culture. You’ll soon discover that,\nin China, the polite form of you (n\u00edn<\/em>) is even used within the family\nunit \u2013 not only for older aunties and grandparents but also among siblings of\nvarying ages. Usually, titles are preferred to first names so, when in doubt, always\nask a local friend how you should refer to people before you’re even introduced\nto them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh! That brings us to our next point\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Make local friends and don’t get stuck in an expat bubble<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s far too easy to get stuck in an expat bubble in China, a country whose culture can be overwhelmingly foreign for so many expats. But fight that urge and immerse yourself in local social groups instead, and you’ll benefit from endless rewards. Your first local contacts will undoubtedly be work colleagues, and this is an amazing chance to make new friends immediately. Understand the ‘give and take’ of Chinese social etiquette (they invite you out for a restaurant meal, so why not cook them a dish from your country at home?), and you may just cement some of the most rewarding and valuable friendships of all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Hugs and kisses are frowned upon \u2013 keep your hands to yourself!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In local Chinese culture, public displays of affection aren’t often seen even among couples, let alone friends. Don’t embarrass your new local friends by giving them a hug or kiss on the cheek! Once friendships are cemented, of course, the Chinese can be just as affectionate as other cultures, but you do need to let them call the shots on this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Skip the Western restaurant chains and eat like a local instead<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only will this save you some pretty pennies, but it’ll also show you how outstanding real<\/em> Chinese cuisine is. Not sure how to choose a hole in the wall on your next lunch out in town? Ask that new local friend to show you their favorite haunt, enjoy what is bound to be an awesome meal and, to show your appreciation, pay for their meal. That’s a 3-in-1 win!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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10. Find your own local family!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marrying a Chinese\nlocal to better assimilate into the culture may be a bit drastic, we admit, yet\naccepting that invitation to visit a new friend’s family would be just perfect.\nMany big-city dwellers come from small rural villages, and they often return\nhome on special holidays, like Chinese New Year. It isn’t uncommon for a new\nforeign friend to be invited to come along, and this is one invite you’ll never\nwant to turn down. The unique experience will likely be an absolute highlight\nfor you and, who knows, you may gain a new local family of your own.\n\nMoving\nto China and trying to integrate into the local culture may seem like an impossible\ntask to foreigners. But it needn’t be! Simply follow some tried-and-true tips\nfrom those who’ve come before you, and you’ll soon feel right at home.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This article was submitted by Western International School in Shanghai. Check out more about this school by clicking on the following links: <\/em>https:\/\/www.wiss.cn\/welcome\/work-at-wiss\/<\/a> https:\/\/www.wiss.cn\/welcome\/our-team\/post=8128&action=edit<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cultural integration in China may be the Holy Grail for many expats who head over to teach, live, and experience the country for a while. Although not impossible, reaching for ultimate integration is a highly challenging task and, if anything, it may just happen after years (if not decades) in the country. Adapting to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8129,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[12],"tags":[37,2081,316,1256,92,262,2070,2066],"class_list":["post-8128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlighted-articles","tag-china","tag-chinese-culture","tag-culture","tag-language","tag-shanghai","tag-teaching-in-china","tag-teaching-in-shanghai","tag-working-in-shanghai"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/JIM_4668.jpg?fit=1280%2C853&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2flVT-276","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":543,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/great-resource-international-school-a-website-about-the-many-international-schools-in-china\/","url_meta":{"origin":8128,"position":0},"title":"Great Resource: International School – a website about the many international schools in China.","author":"ISCommunity","date":"March 23, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Are you interested in reading about the numerous international schools in China? Then you might want to check out the \u201cInternational School!\u201d website. China is one of the countries where the economy is booming.\u00a0 As a result, the number of international schools there is also booming.\u00a0 Many teachers are finding\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Great Resource"","block_context":{"text":"Great Resource","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/great-resource\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.files.wordpress.com\/2012\/03\/screen-shot-2012-03-23-at-4-25-06-pm.png?w=350&h=200&crop=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5428,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/top-cities-teach-english\/","url_meta":{"origin":8128,"position":1},"title":"Top Seven Cities to Teach English","author":"ISCommunity","date":"April 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Choosing a place to teach English can be an overwhelming feeling. With so many things to consider from salary ranges, local languages, social scene, and quality of the job; one will have to take a lot of time to filter their preferences down to a few choices. Fortunately, we took\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Highlighted Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Highlighted Articles","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/highlighted-articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Shanghai-JO-Zoho.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Shanghai-JO-Zoho.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Shanghai-JO-Zoho.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Shanghai-JO-Zoho.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/Shanghai-JO-Zoho.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6774,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/new-opportunities-to-teach-at-a-national-school-in-china\/","url_meta":{"origin":8128,"position":2},"title":"New Opportunities to Teach at a National School in China","author":"ISCommunity","date":"April 14, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"You may not have heard of Cixi \u2013 it\u2019s a city close to Ningbo and not far from Shanghai (about 1 \u00bd hours by fast train, 2 hours by car) - but it\u2019s a really interesting place. It is at the centre of the \u2018Golden Triangle\u2019, the area between Shanghai,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Overview of an Int\u2019l School"","block_context":{"text":"Overview of an Int\u2019l School","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/overview-of-an-int%e2%80%99l-school\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/jytdu.png?fit=671%2C422&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/jytdu.png?fit=671%2C422&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/jytdu.png?fit=671%2C422&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6171,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/five-lessons-learned-living-china\/","url_meta":{"origin":8128,"position":3},"title":"Five Lessons I Have Learned From Living in China","author":"ISCommunity","date":"June 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Lesson 1: Manage your frustration If you came from a place with an easier transition \u2013 any big expat city really \u2013 then China brings frustration to a whole new level. Other than Hong Kong, most Chinese citizens do not speak English, there are ever-changing bureaucratic regulations to stay up\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Lessons From Your Country"","block_context":{"text":"Lessons From Your Country","link":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/category\/lessons-from-your-country\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/20170430_182939.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/20170430_182939.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/20170430_182939.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/20170430_182939.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/20170430_182939.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6861,"url":"https:\/\/internationalschoolcommunity.com\/blog\/traveling-around-zhouzhuang-china-the-life-of-an-international-school-teacher-is-good\/","url_meta":{"origin":8128,"position":4},"title":"Traveling Around: Zhouzhuang, China (The life of an international school teacher is good!)","author":"ISCommunity","date":"June 11, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Traveling Around: Zhouzhuang, China Can you relate? If you visit Shanghai take a day or two side trip to an ancient water town, there are many. Take a canal cruise and have the boatswain sing to you. 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