Don’t Worry, Columnist Says Chinese Will Soon Become “Model Tourists” Like the Japanese
Because Chinese are just like Japanese. No, really
Charles Liu, September 30, 2015 12:22pm
With the National Day holiday arriving soon and millions of Chinese looking to travel abroad, it’s likely that we’ll again see more examples of Chinese tourists misbehaving. And yet, an op-ed from China Daily tells us that these days are almost over.
In an article called “Chinese could soon become model tourists”, Zhang Zhouxiang tells us that not only is the bad reputation of Chinese tourists unfair, but that it won’t matter in the long run since Chinese tourists won’t be associated with this much longer.
To explain, Zhang brings up the bad rap that Japanese tourists were given back in the 60s and 70s when they “rushed into shops to buy luxuries”, saying “When people from populous countries start traveling abroad in large numbers, it is likely that their behavior, rooted in their cultures, will be criticized.” Zhang writes:
Today, Japanese tourists, accustomed to the nuances of Western customs and social norms, are among the most polite tourists in the world. As such, it should not take a long time for Chinese tourists to become one of the best behaved in the world.
No further explanation was provided as to how China will achieve this feat. In fact, this was the last line in his op-ed.
The rest of the article goes more into detail on cultural differences between East and West that act to escalate tensions. To give an example, Zhang writes about Chinese dining etiquette that may be unfamiliar to foreigners, commonly referred to by the Chinese public and media as laowai, or “venerable outsider”:
Chinese tourists have earned a bad name also for dining in large groups. Even in restaurants where tables are arranged separately, they sometimes put tables together to make a bigger one so that they can dine together in a large group. This is not surprising, because Asians, Chinese in particular, consider dining in large groups to be auspicious. Do not isolate anyone — that’s part of Chinese social philosophy.
Zhang further explains that cultural differences give rise to frictions over differences of what individual cultures determine to be “rude”. However, the way that Zhang describes Chinese culture seems to imply a society for which nothing is “rude” save that which contradicts Chinese customs. Although some Chinese may take offence to queue jumping, talking loudly and spitting in public, Zhang refuses to condemn such behavior. “Some media outlets have even termed their behaviors… as rude,” Zhang writes.
In whichever way Chinese tourists soon become the model tourists that Zhang suggest, it will be done selflessly for the good of the world:
But when reminded of Western customs, most Chinese tourists are ready to temporarily sacrifice their traditional beliefs to suit the environment.
One case that made the news recently happened late last Saturday night, when Chinese tourists Rong Jiaxin and wife Zhao Xinyu were enjoying their honeymoon in Sapporo, Japan. They decided to treat themselves by going to a downtown convenience store. But when Zhao opened an ice cream while inside the store without first paying for it, the convenience store clerk took offense. Knowing no Chinese, the clerk used hand gestures to tell the newlyweds to leave the premises immediately.
Well, that was the beyond the pale for Rong. As he told police afterwards, Rong felt his wife had been insulted and needed to protect her. That’s why he pulled the clerk’s hair and assaulting him with kicks, injuring his face and nose.
The newlyweds have since been arrested by Sapporo police.
As Zhang wrote at the beginning of her article, “the media have been reporting one incident after another of the uncivil behaviors of some Chinese tourists overseas.” And while this may be just one more such example, “it is unfair to condemn Chinese tourists as a whole for the bad behaviors of just a few.”
To uphold his traditional beliefs of honor and loyalty, Rong was willing to go to any lengths to protect his new bride. While other Chinese are willing to sacrifice their long-held beliefs when traveling abroad, it seems that those unwilling to comply are going to do so at any cost.
In the meantime, we’ll await the quick change for Chinese to become the model tourists that Zhang speaks of.
Source: Global Times, China Daily,People's Daily Online
Photos: Japan Times
Tags: China Daily, chinese tourists,Japan, op-ed, south korean, tourists behaving badly
Charles Liu
The Nanfang's Senior Editor
https://thenanfang.com/china-daily-chinese-soon-become-model-tourists/
