Thursday, October 15, 2009

China: rude, dirty & annoying!

China may be growing to become the world's second largest economy, but living and working in this 'developing country' can be a nightmare. The country has many good things going for it. The food is delicious if you know where to eat, and it is a country steeped in history. But while a month long trip zipping from place to place may bring a little culture shock, and a few uncomfortable experiences, it is only after living here that one sees the real China.

The air

It's often said the grass isn't always greener on the other side, and with respect to China this is especially true. The first thing that hits you as you leave Beijing's modern international airport is the air. Today [15th October] the air is actually quite good. Blue skies hang over the city and the sun radiates a warm 22 degrees Celsius. Even the visibility is also excellent and the distant mountains can just be seen to the north of the capital.

But today is exceptional. Earlier this year the US Embassy set up its own air monitoring station atop its building in the east of Beijing and began to tweet its results via the micro-blogging site Twitter. The data disseminated by the US Embassy's twitterfeed @BeijingAir is in sharp contrast to that put out by China's official government body. According to the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, on 24th June 2009, the official air quality reading of the city measured "moderate". The Air Pollution Index (API) showed a reading of 69, the level of pollutants of 10 microns (PM10) from noon to noon. But on the same day, the US Embassy data showed the fine particles with a median diameter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) was at 184, sufficient to classify the air quality as "unhealthy" based on US Environmental Protection Agency standards.

On some days the air quality has been described as 'Hazardous'. And it is noticeable. Buildings even a few hundred metres away disappear into the smog and cars occasionally resort to using headlights in the middle of the day. However, Du Shaozhong, deputy director of Beijing's environment protection bureau, has dismissed the reading issued by the US Embassy. "Any attempts to question our figures with a single monitoring station are not authoritative enough," he said earlier this year.

China measures by a different standard than that used by the United States and set out by the World Health Organization. Readings of PM2.5 and PM10 particles give different results. In addition finer particles are more dangerous since they are less easily coughed up. Simon Hales of the Department of Public Health at University of Otago in Wellington, New Zealand, has warned that exposure to such concentrations could be very dangerous over the long term. "In healthy people, exposure to urban air pollution over a few hours or days is unlikely to have any noticeable health impact. However, the best indicator of health impacts is long term (annual average) exposure. Long term exposure causes increases in overall death rates which we can measure in epidemiological studies. Long term exposure to air pollution in many Asian cities, (with average levels of over 100 mcg/m3 PM10), probably causes health risks similar to those caused by smoking a pack of cigarettes a day."

Since June the air quality, as measured by the US Embassy has hit 'Hazardous' several times. Even in Los Angeles, well known for high pollution, the air quality only occasionally reaches a level considered to be 'Very Unhealthy'. Here in Beijing the air can be almost unbreathable! In fact according to the US government's website www.airnow.gov an AQI of between 301 & 500, or 'Hazardous', can cause significant aggravation of symptoms in susceptible persons as well as decreased exercise tolerance in healthy persons. Levels above 400 may even be life-threatening to ill and elderly persons.

The dirt

Despite armies of street cleaners China is incredibly dirty. Streets are often littered with discarded food, fruit, paper and other waste. Even in some supermarkets the grime seen on floors would shock most westerners. The most noticeable dirty habit of many Chinese people is spitting. Chinese men especially have the disgusting habit of making loud hawking sounds and spitting the contents of their actions on the road, pavement or wherever they happen to be. While it is mostly men, women too can be seen participating in this vulgar habit. Some people even spit on the bus, and onto the floors of restaurants and public toilets. Many Chinese people also seem to blow their noses in a most indiscreet and vulgar fashion. Handkerchiefs or tissues appear to be too much trouble. Instead people are often seen to use their thumb and forefinger to press their nose and loudly blow out the contents onto the street.

Restaurants also display a similar disregard to hygiene. It is not uncommon to see restaurant staff exit toilets without washing their hands. Food preparation surfaces as well as floors would shock any health inspector in the West. But here in China, cleanliness and hygiene, like common sense, are not all that common. The risks of eating out lessen if frequenting more expensive restaurants or outlets like the KFC or McDonalds, though the chance of food poisoning still exists. Even for those with a caste iron constitution it is advisable to take your own chopsticks.

In England, meat left unrefrigerated for 15 minutes is supposed to be thrown away as a food and safety measure. But in China it is not uncommon to see meat lying out on the counter and the vendor using bare hands to handle it. In summer, it often lies out in the sweltering heat all day. On streets people sell vegetables and fruit, sometimes just laid directly on the ground. They are seemingly oblivious to the fact these are the same streets upon which people spit and on which dogs defecate.

Littering is another apparently accepted habit. A recent visit to the Forbidden City in the heart of Beijing revealed how many were just unable to comprehend the use of a litter-bin. The vast courtyard leading up to the entrance of the Forbidden City was strewn with tissues, sunflower seed husks, apple cores, banana peel, orange peel, discarded corn cobs, plastic bottles and bags. My Chinese wife, who has lived in Britain many years, was also shocked at the scene which resembled not so much an ancient monument to China's past than a garbage dump.

Many Chinese get very defensive when their country is criticised. Patriotism is strong and there are often people seen wearing "I love China" T-shirts. But it appears they don't love their country enough to use a trash can or to refrain from painting the streets with their saliva.

If you've managed to survive the food prepared in unhygienic conditions and made it past crowds of spitting individuals, you will at some time need to use a public toilet. You will wish you never had. Chinese toilets are arguably the dirtiest and smelliest in the world. Even festival toilets are no match for what you'll meet in a Chinese lavatory. There are cultural differences that can and should be tolerated, and there are just plain disgusting habits that hark back to an era of primitiveness when mankind still walked on all fours. China has squat toilets and Western style toilets. The squat toilets are traditional and are a cultural difference. But the toilet habits of many Chinese are not. They are extraordinarily dirty. Sometimes one might think even a dog has cleaner toilet habits than many of them.

A toilet in the Chinese countryside is a harrowing experience and one you will unfortunately remember for the rest of your life. The smell from a Chinese toilet can permeate the air for some considerable distance. It is a stench that on entering may send one into retreat. What may greet you is a row of rectangular holes in the ground all strewn with lumps of stale faeces and used toilet paper. There are no doors on the stalls, sometimes, even no partitions between the holes. But it isn't just the toilets in the country that are filthy. Even toilets in big cities can be particularly unsavoury. It is not uncommon to enter a cubicle to find the previous occupant has not flushed. Perhaps such bad toilet habits are learnt whilst very young. Children can sometimes be seen urinating on the street. Many Chinese children have never worn a diaper or nappy. Instead, they have a big slit that, when they stoop down, opens and allows them to urinate or otherwise. In the last few months I have witnessed mothers allowing their young children to urinate on station platforms, streets in the heart of Qianmen and at tourist attractions, including the entrance to a Buddhist temple on the outskirts of Beijing.

Impoliteness

Rudeness and impoliteness are very common. No where is this better manifested than in the behaviour of many Chinese when it comes to queues. They either do not understand the concept of a queue, or they do understand but are too rude and selfish to respect queues. Whether at supermarket check-out counters, ATMs and train station ticket offices, there are always a few who will go straight to the front of the line and push you out of the way so they can be served first. At bus stops the crush seen as dozen of people attempt top force their way through the narrow door is like something seen at a cattle-market. Bag-straps snap, glasses are knocked from faces, mobile phones go flying and there is the occasional physical injury. Despite there being no room on the bus people still attempt to board sometimes becoming trapped in the powerful doors. Heads, arms and legs are often trapped in their vice-like jaws. On subway stations the sensible concept of allowing passengers to leave the train before attempting to board seems not to have crossed the minds of most Chinese.

The same display of disregard for others can be seen daily on the roads as cars and taxis manoeuvre for space. The blasting of horns is almost constant, even where it is obvious that no progress will be made from such actions. Greetings of "good day" and "good bye" are almost non-existent, unless one initiates. Even a "thank you" is rare.

Chinese people apparently care very much about losing their face. But such obsession in putting on a facade backfires. The government insists there is little or no promiscuity and actively bans websites it deems to be pornographic. Indeed its flawed Green Dam project was to weed out such sites. But while it talks about immoral western standards, its own streets are festooned with the same immorality. There are massage parlours with red lights, freely available pornographic magazines and a walk around the back-streets of Beijing will reveal countless adult shops openly displaying sex aids.

It can all be summed up as hypocrisy. The government claims its 'punishment' of Google was to stop the dissemination of pornographic images, yet its Chinese rival Baidu is left unaffected and sex shops remain untouched. The Chinese government, rather than acknowledging a problem, prefers to hide it so as "not to lose face". One could argue that the blocking of so many websites is about keeping down dissent and protests. But it is as much about not wanting to reveal the truth about what really exists in China.

Annoying

This all leads to how annoying it can be living in China. Chinese people may or may not know what really goes on in China, or elsewhere. Indeed they may not even care. Despite government worries over the Tiananmen Square massacre anniversary, few people look back with any real concern. Most are far more focused on making money. Even when it comes to the Internet, the restrictions affect very few Chinese. Most use the Internet for chatting to friends using Microsoft Messenger of the Chinese equivalent QQ. Online games are also popular with "Happy Farm" being one notable example [more about that in another post]. However, while they all happily play in their virtual worlds of stealing sheep and discussing how much they earn and when they're going to have a baby through Instant Messages, many expats are sat cursing at computer keyboards.

Using the Internet in China is at best slow, at worst a complete nightmare. If you're a newsjunky, journalist, or techhead it is intolerable. Virtually all the western social networks have been blocked for months, and it doesn't seem like it will get any better. Google services are particularly affected. Google Docs has been hit with outages and will not open in secure mode [https]. Google Sites, Picasa Web, Blogger and YouTube, all owned by Google, are completely inaccessible. Other blocked sites include Twitter, Facebook, Friendfeed and Scribd. Even news websites have been affected especially around National Day, as China celebrated 60 years since the founding of the Peoples' Republic.

Clicking a Google news link often leads to an error page and it all makes using the Internet extremely frustrating. As such one plays a continual game of cat and mouse trying to jump over or through the Great Firewall of China. Software that did work now no longer works and new versions fail after only a few days. For those just wishing to post messages or pictures on Facebook, Blogger and Twitter, there are email alternatives, but for most users it is the free use of the net that is required. Here, in the Peoples' Republic of China, that is not possible.

No country is perfect but China can, at times, be downright horrible. Soon after arriving another Brit told me that after a few weeks he just wanted to "go and punch somebody or something", such was his frustration. He's lasted nearly two years and says that while sometimes your days will be great at other times you'll wake up and end up crying in your cornflakes. It's not quite become that bad, but one year here will be more than enough.

There are some Chinese who are immaculately clean and who are very polite and honest. But sadly they appear to be a minority. For a country that is to become perhaps the second largest economy and with it bring greater influence to the world, this is indeed worrying. One hopes that the West might wake up and see what it is importing. The lead tainted toys, melamine adulterated milk and exploding tyres are only the half of it. If they export their dirty habits, double standards in business practice and tighter censorship controls we will all have something to worry about.

tvnewswatch, Beijing, China

102 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was shocked after reading this post and have come to the realization just how filthy these people are.

They are no better then animals.

WallaWallaHooHoo said...

You speak the truth and awesome rant by the way.

There are although some parts of China which isn't all shit.

Anonymous said...

But mainly what has been said is truth. You can see even in cities like Beijing and Shanghai how dirty people in China.. However, the Chinese nation is so proud of how developed they are. The question is where is the development?
Good article.

Anonymous said...

My parents have been living here in the US for more than 30 years, but they still don't understand what it means to be clean. After living on my own for four years in college, I can no longer tolerate the way my dad spits right onto our front porch. He also blows his nose and uses his fingers to pinch out the snot, shakes it off onto the front porch or the kitchen trashcan or the toilet, and proceeds to either wipe the residue on his pants or a used (but dried) napkin in his pocket. I told him that no one wants to see or hear him being both rude and unsanitary, and he gets crazy on me, as if I'm the one doing something wrong. Sadly, my brothers have adopted my dad's unsanitary ways. I just don't understand how they can be so inconsiderate of the people around them. I mean,seriously, can't they just take that extra step and at least try to be clean>

Anonymous said...

Awesome rant. After reading countless articles and blogs from ESL teachers in China, and hearing about how unclean and filthy China is from ethnically Chinese friends...I never EVER want to visit China. It's likely I would get an infectious disease or asthma just hanging around in the city. I much prefer teaching in South Korea.at least I never experienced a 9 DAY traffic jam over there. China's just way too overpopulated. Still, learning some simple hygiene rules and etiquette would go a long way to change some foreigners perspective of China.

Anonymous said...

Your blog is so true. A few years ago my wife and I (I'm British, my wife is Taiwanese) made the decision to move to China and work there. Everything you wrote above, we have experienced. Another hypocrisy is China claims it is welcoming and opening to foreigners. That's NOT what we experienced. We were frequently hurled abuse by Chinese people on the street. Apart from the stares and the "Chinese tut" people would frequently call us disgusting, call me white trash, my wife is a traitor, prostitute etc. One time in Shanghai, China's most "modern" city, we were on the subway. This one fellow in his 20s suddenly started shouting how disgusting we were, my wife is a hooker, get out of China etc. What shocked us the most was that not one person said anything to him or stuck up for us. Instead the whole carriage just stared at us like we had committed a crime. It reached a point where we were afraid to go outside together. We have been to many places and lived and worked in the US, Europe and the Middle East. Never have we experienced such disgusting and disrespectful behaviour. Not wishing to raise our child in such a place, we made the decision to leave China. It was the best decision we have ever made. All I can say now is that our view of mainland China has COMPLETELY changed.

Anonymous said...

Since the day Western introduced Communism to China, its original history and culture were destroyed. It is like a child being brought up in a mentally retarded family. Now, people around just despise and laugh at this pity child. China is pity! Always robbed to poverty, blamed, laughed, despised and attacked! China is the most pity country in the millenium!

Anonymous said...

I live in NYC's Chinatown and speak fluent Chinese. I can attest to how amazingly rude the Chinese residents are.This includes spitting, snotting,excessive littering, cutting in line, not responding to a simple hello, and general brusque and inconsiderate behavior.

At the same time, the Chinese are wonderfully warm and friendly.

But their disgusting ways often drives me crazy!!

Anonymous said...

Yeah is true. I am a Chinese and honestly, I very dislike my culture. They are too rude and impolite. They are selfish and don't care. Even you do something on them, they just dont care. While if you criticize them, they will show aggressiveness. This is my experience when observing chinese people.

Luckily, I am living in Malaysia, where others culture is much more bettter than Chinese. I use to hang out with others culture or races rather than my own. Because what I feel is impolite, rudeness, over-win you feeling.

Spence said...

This is so true. I'm working in a chinese company, and I have never been with so many rude, nasty and terrible people. I live in mexico, and all my mexicans partners agree chinese people are the worse to deal with. They smell terrible, and everyday is really hard to deal with them. From the moment I started working here I just stop buying chinese products. I don't think they have much standards and regulations, it doesn't makes me feel safe buying them anymore. They criticize mexicans, but seriously chinese are the worse I have even deal with!

Anonymous said...

I lived in Macao for two years. ALL of this is true. The Chinese are rude, filthy and arrogant people.

Anonymous said...

Definitely true. The most disgusting scene, I saw a Chinese urinated and "SHITting" without closing the toilet's door. I dont like this Mainland Chinese come to my place.

Anonymous said...

you insult feelings of chinese peoples!! apologize stupid foreigners! chinese is the best strong race and best high culture in world! strong and number 1 . you jealious and china master of world . you dirty foreigner you serve chinese peoples soon be slave!greater best race in world is chinese race and our culture is best and supirior in all world and we leaders!! you no lie and be freiend OK?? no angry, you live to china culture soon and speak chinese,because is better then you!!!CHINA GO! arogant foreigner must be beaten!

Anonymous said...

I myself am a Chinese but is born in Singapore. I do not understand why the culture & attitudes of the current Mainland Chinese who come to our country are so much different from our ancestors who decades ago came here during the British colonial rule era. Then majority of our ancestors who came to Singapore are mostly poor who worked humbly & even when treated unfairly by the Colonial Elite Whites then, just endured their hardship & be contented just to be able to make their ends meet & slowly build up their lives the slow hard & honest way.

However nowadays the majority of the Mainland Chinese who came to our country are the complete opposite. They are simply ruthless, proud & arrogant & out to make fast money. For example, China girls in Singapore are notorious for being flooding the many massage parlours & red-light district here. They are known to be ultra materialistic & will be anything nice to even men old enough to be their grandfathers but will completely mockingly ignore this men they once so fawn upon once they get the money. In short if anyone local has a China girlfriend or wife, there will always be the warning of her being nothing but a gold-digger by friends or relatives. Well though they are a few who are good honest & hardworking, they belong to the minority & above-mentioned is their notorious reputation here. Maybe it is indeed the communist culture that has destroyed what used to be the humble, inhibited character of the China people, which encourage to strongly voice out on their opinions & desires too much to the extent even that if doing so is at the expense of others' misfortune, it doesnt matter, as long as you are the winner thers no difference whether its the black cat or the white cat that catches the mouse as quoted by Chairman Mao Zedong.

Anonymous said...

stupid singapore!;aowai stupid infeior to our great poeple and best culture!you small and stupid. you hurt feelings of chinese people! . apologize and respect world power china .world belong to CHINA!! proud of our leader ,CHINA is rising !you liar you lost!love China we best !

Anonymous said...

singapur ren, you soon belong to China, we are power of asia and stronger. queistion: why you insulted China? China bring innovation to world and culture.allworld envy China for culture and power.China is light of world and give all to world, china invent bigh things and art all over world.also china race is strong and big in world,is leader and superior. you respect and no talk bad ok.friend ok?

Anonymous said...

I have never been to China. Never want to go. The impression I get of the Chinese I have observed or met in Europe and the USA is that they are filthy, arrogant, rude as hell and have serious "money-sickness". The risks of eating in "A" listed restaurants now outweigh the rewards. Made in China means no integrity and inferior. Sorry fellas you are headed for a fall.

Anonymous said...

Mainland Chinese have dirty attitude. I visited the goldsmith and bought a ring at the price of 350 yuan. When I came back to my hometown, when I tried to sell it, the goldsmith mentioned to me it was not gold but steel colored with gold color. What a bastard mainland chinese. Cheater!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

This is soooo true! Im staying here in Singapore for work in the last three years and i can generalize all chinese have such a stinking attitude! I have never ever met a chinese who's truely nice, they are always rude! And even if they smile and treat you nice, beware! They are very good backfighters and they will talk about you and curse you when you're gone. I know because I overheard several chinese doing just that! In shops, they will not be friendly asking "what do u want?" and shows face like u are disturbing them. My bf once forgot to take his change from buying food and the chinese lady pocketed it, never even reminded and gave my bf, if we never have remembered! They always look down on other foreigners like as if they are perfect. When u ask them directions, they will make u look stupid first like "why-dont-u-know" reaction before giving infos. Chinese in singapore are insensitive; I noticed they dont give their seats in the buses and trains for old folks and pregnant women especially if its not the same race as them.. At work, chinese supervisor obviously shows favoritism and grants favors ONLY of those his fellow chinese..my friend had a chinese bf and he always dont knock on our door, goes straight inside our living room, opens the tv, and sits on the sofa with his both legs up. He dont even show respect to any of our housemates and rarely greets us. They even broke up just because the guy wants to find a chinese girl he will marry! In the hospital, these chinese always wants to be attended first, and they talk to doctors and nurses like they are maids.. There are elderly chinese who farts in public and doesnt even give a damn to other people around. In fastfood chains, they dont know how to welcome customers and they will clear your table even if you are not done eating yet.. And most of them dont know how to say thank you! When u do something in their favor they act like its your job and they have nothing to thank about.. Chinese are the most rude people in the world that I have met!! Anybody who has experienced all these same impoliteness from them? These are all real-time experience! So far nobody has changed my impression of them. I would never ever want a chinese in my family!

Anonymous said...

Chinese people are amazingly annoying and rude for sure.

Unknown said...

When you post here, just know this:
If you are a foreigner like white person, Chinese will hate you. For very long time we have been mistreated by foreigners as filth. Now we have our own power and you still treat us like filth. And why some of you say we are animals? Maybe one person in China disgusting but not all of us. Plenty of my friends do not have the fictional habits you depict.
You can say you know Chinese people and think they are disgusting, but then you are using stereotypes. That is completely immature, I think some of you are little children now because of how you are.

First, above all else, think of every other country in the world before you criticize another. I could say "Only 1/600 people in India have toilets"

Anonymous said...

LMAO at the chinese idiot insanely getting all butthurt at the truth

Anonymous said...

Damn....This is so racist...I've been there and I didn't experience any of that!

Nature Lover said...

I don't think that those are racist but experience has taught them...bad experience. If we wanna be a developed country, we must change the attitude. Your government should realize this! Should treat your people to be nice with outsider so that they'll come again visiting China. So when u cheat them, that's why they hate u all Chinese Mainland. I don't blame all who condemn on you because they have experienced those tragic moments. Ok, understand.

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

China is filthy. As you can see from the comments on this article from a few Chinese people, they have too much pride and nothing to show for it. There are stray DOGS everywhere with diseases and starving. People just walk on by and treat them like rats. Even in the UK, Chinese people who have come over to study at our institutions don't seem to understand the concept of queueing. they stick in their little cliques and don't bother integrating.

Can't stand it.

Anonymous said...

As an Asian myself (Japanese), I avoid anything that's made in/ from China or dealing with mainland Chinese for that matter. But they somehow find their ways to get on my nerve with their annoying language and ill manners.
Just today, a bus load of Chinese tourists visiting a garden were so loud, you could hear them from miles away, so most non chinese visitors couldn't bear it and called it a day. Maybe we should learn how to say be quiet in Chinese. AUGH!

Anonymous said...

I'm french. Despite being only 25, I travelled in many places, on every continent. I've visited many Asian's countrys, Korea, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and Japan where I have been 3 times in 3 years.

Modern China is an horrible machine crushing body and souls. There's a full cosmical universe of shit graviting around the modern china flag. This was just astonishing for me to discover how mediocre chinese people are. I have no words. Except jews, I've never met anyone with such a mediocre mentality.

There's no clue of civilisation in modern China, no matter how much skyscrapers they can build. About what could chinese people be so proud ? Just take a mirror, god damn..

Chinese people are pigs, I'm sorry, but they are. I have been disgusted, by my chinese girlfriend, her friends, and virtually all chinese I've met, except maybe one (in 100), and that exception was a great woman living in Tokyo for 9 years. She escaped !

The most scary thing was, I could never formulate any critic against modern china, even slightly, my girlfriend used to turn hysterical, shouting, and finally cry.

Last thing, they carry an inherent, virulent hate against Japanese.

I know Japan, and despite not being perfect, japanese people are refined. There's no way to compare China and Japan, as no one would compare a pig with a racehorse. I developped a such repulsion to China, I seriously doubt about all the nankin events being pure invention.

Mao kiled 60.000.000. Proof of who are the human beasts.
Just look about the daily fate of cats, dogs, monkeys, bears, and all animals being tortured by brainless chinese fags.

If you chinese want to conqueer this world, I'm gonna bring you down, you cowards.

Anonymous said...

China smells horrendously foul and the food they serve is for dogs.
and FYI china is a freaking petri dish of a nation, the root of SARS,AH1N1,and Bird Flu.

Anonymous said...

I agree whole heartily and you sum up China perfectly!

Anonymous said...

I totally agree with the article - spot on. Chinese should not be allowed to leave china. If only they were refused entry to any country outside their hood, that would be perfect. leave the filth where it belongs.

Anonymous said...

me love you long time!

Anonymous said...

I'm Asian myself, and I can't stand how filthy are. I have two Chinese workers and they will spit and blow their snot anywhere. I used to remind them politely not to spit and blow their nose anywhere but these people just can't learn the basic concept. It's time the world ignore China, take back all the jobs. Just imagine China as a hegemon...truly a nightmare for everyone.

Anonymous said...

I am posting from China, staying just north of Shanghai. The post above is absolutely spot on. Never in my life have I come across such rancid, stinky, filthy rude, arrogant, self centred, selfish, thoughtless, loud, mindless, robotic, conditioned, dirty pigs.

I cannot wait to leave and am currently counting each second before I do.

Stay away from China, unless the above actually appeals to you.

Anonymous said...

LISTEN TO ME !! YOU CHINESE PEOPLE !

I just come back from one month in Shanghai and I can say you are the most rude, uncivilised, uneducated people I EVER SAW.. I just could have kill some of you if I wasn't in your country. My wife is chinese living in France and she was ashamed as well. Inhumans, full of hate, gold diggers, my god I cannot see any chinese anymore.

I have no solution for you folks, you country is condamned, I repeat there's no solution for China. You need more than a miracle to become what I call a country.

Modern China have no soul. It has been exctincted. The government is cruel to you, and so are you to each other. Cruelty is a part of the chinese life. Suffering is seen as normal. China is hell, populated by dead walking bodies.. I saw very few humans over there. I will never forget what you are, how you treated me. I had no anger against you untill now, I travelled a lot and saw a lot of shit, but sorry, you are the worst people I've met.

I will past the rest of my life speaking against you. The world is yet very naive and has to know you.

You can continue your shit, eating dog testicles and penis, even tiger penis for you rich wannashow, you can continue all this thinking you're the upcomming force. You're nothing.

I just could have slapped 100 of you. Your males are almost all cowards. I don't fear any of you..

I'm sorry but I just hate you.

http://www.chinasmack.com/2011/videos/beijing-couple-throw-around-drown-kitten-in-water-puddle.html

Anonymous said...

And again..

I retained myself to write while being in China, cause the yellow big brother make me so paranoid. No joke.

The last sunday morning, all our building was invested by local police for a global identity control ! They knocked to each door and we had to answer a lot of useless questions. Being waking up at 8pm by the police ! What the f.. Terrific

Anonymous said...

I am of Chinese descendant but not living in China. I have been to Beijing and to certain extent the people could a bit dirty but I gave them the benefit of doubts as most of them came from the rural area and was at all the touristry spot. If you want to talk about racism, the most racist people in the world would be the Brits! Annoyingly racist and pure hypocrites. Was there for a 2 year contract but I cut short my stay to 15 months as I can't stay abuse the blardy whites hurled at me at the street. Brits are the worst kind!

Anonymous said...

Chinese are filthy. Truly disgusting. They live like rats. Most disease and plagues are from China. H1N1, SARS, the black plague, Beijing A and countless other viruses originated in China.

Chinese are dirty, filthy rats that are disgusting to all civilized countries.

I do NOT eat their food (restaurants or made in china food at the supermarket) and I avoid made in china products. Everything in my kitchen is from Canada, Germany , France or US.

Anonymous said...

China is choking on it's own pollution and filth. Cancer will wipe out these rats. Dirty, filthy, disgusting, annoying, gross, ugly, rude, uncivilized peasants. Chinese are a plague on Earth. Africans are clean by comparison.

Anonymous said...

Interesting post. I'm currently writing an article about the newly cultural changes in China and was more surprised by the comments rather than the initial post... "Chinese are a plague on Earth. Africans are clean by comparison..." Really guys...? Sounds plain racist... Remember, by definition, culture and race are two VERY DIFFERENT things. Pretty sad that there are still people who can't tell these two definitions apart. Well...you have the right to free speech and all but I hope you will try to see cool side of things.

Anonymous said...

Pretty intense comments...I actually lived in China for about 2 years and I do admit that some of these statements made on the post are precisely true. Still, every nation has their unpleasing and at times just plain disturbing habits. If picking your nose is considered super "GROSS" than all nose-pickers in the world should simply die too... Come on guys...really..? you're bitching about nose picking and a gum wrapper here and there?How about the man-made famine in East Africa, the drug epidemic in Latin America, billions...or rather trillions of dollars the USA spent on producing deadly military weapons that has killed innocent civilians under the name of "DEMOCRACY". I mean if you think a banana peel or a spit or two on the floor is emotionally disturbing you...read more current news...I guarantee you that you will love to have a Chinese person as your neighbor any day than a Al Qaeda member or a drug gang member...I'm just saying, things are hell A LOT worse than a smelly toilet. Cheers to freedom of SPEECH!

Anonymous said...

Yet another reason why china needs to be wiped off the map. They are racist towards every other race, yet DEMAND to be tolerated. I live in Vancouver BC, and actually smile with surprise whenever I see a white baby, and practically Jump for Joy when I see a family with 2 or 3 white children. And then I vomit in my mouth a little as 2 seconds later, a dog faced chinese woman is seen dragging her filthy pack of 3 or 4 mongrel rat children behind her, Yell-Screaming in mandarin because she's too stupid to learn english. They breed like roaches, they smell like wet dogs, they sound like monkeys, and they contribute NOTHING to the world. Hope the pollution kills them off sooner than later. But of course, like roaches, they'll survive to continue their filthy habit, which for them, is just being alive.

FatBarstedClimbing said...

My time in China was a real eye opener, having worked with many in my home country, and experienced their overt patriotism and misdirected morals, I thought I was prepaired.

Not a chance.

But I think that many here have misunderstood the Chinese at home, by living and working in only a tier one city you never really meet the real Chinese, you only meet the grubbing rats that exist in any country.

China has 1.3 billion people, the worst gravitate to the main cities.

Old China is still dying, New China is still being Born, and like an infant they still don't know who they really are.

And unfortunately the Parents are either on drugs or prostitutes ... US/Europe Drugged up on Debt, and everyone else Drunk whores on Chinese money.

Read history ... What has happened, will happen again.

We are one Species, but many races, and even more cultures. Our capacity for inflicting pain on others, is a HUMAN condition.

The old must be destroyed for the new to be born ... that is the way of the world.

And yes, the experience of a walk in off the street public toilet in Baoding will haunt me till I die .....Trying to pee while dry reaching is never a good thing.

But I remember similar in England, France and Greece in the 80s, I have seen the same arrogance from Americans, and Parisians, I have seen scum in Italia that would kill for a few dollars.

I am of Celtic decent and proud ...... but I see things and understand things that others do not.

We are Human, we hate, we love, we destroy and we create, and Civilization is a very very thin, often stretched skin, easily broken.

Life is short.

Life is good.

Only the bureaucracy will live forever ..... they are the real slavers of our creation.

Anonymous said...

Not only is the country itself dirty, chinese themselves are one of the worst kinds of people to deal with. With their Sinocentrism, they hold all other races in disdain and contempt. They are such a hideous race.

Anonymous said...

CHINESE CULTURE IS OVER 4000 YEARS OLD!
Very True.
;-)

The problem is not Chinese as a Race, it is China as a Nation!
Racism is not what it is all about.
The "non-China" Chinese mostly despise and distance themselves from their Mainland cousins, and rightly so. Hong Kong people are great.
Mainland Chinese see the whole world through a yellow brainwashed fog!

Anonymous said...

I work for a Chinese airline but live in a western country. If the Chinese have been around for 5000 years and have such a cultured civillisation..then why do I ALWAYS find that they block the aircraft SINKS up with urine,crap, snot, vomit and feminine byproducts? Iv worked on aircraft from over 20 countries and NEVER seen this on any other countries aircraft! What a great culture!

James Chan said...

If you complain that quite a number of people in China are rude to one another or foreigners alike, wait till you sell Western-made products and services to China. In China, many "customers" feel that simply because they are about to give you money (that is, to buy your product), they have a tendency to treat you condescendingly, as if you were a servant. Psychologically, they feel that you have to "kow-tow" simply because you are the seller. I don't agree or condone such behavior but it is not easy to educate a whole people. Thousands of years of authoritarian rule have conditioned them to behave this way. There are exceptions; but they are in the minority. One time I was walking down the stairway of a department store and there were many people walking down as well. I young lady needled my back from my behind in order to get me to walk faster. It was very painful. When I looked back, she gave me an angry look as if I were blocking her way. Needless to say, she never thought she needed to apologize.

Anonymous said...

I have a collegue who has come directly from china and have to cooperate with him on a project. I used to think that he has a personality disorder. He is extremely egocentric, incosiderate of others interests, does not communicate is rude and over estimates himself completely. Also what shocks me is that he does not even show much respect for his boss . Reading this I understand it might not be a personality disorder but really his culture. However chinese people that I have met before were not like this and i would expect them to adjust to the foreign culture.

Anonymous said...

I hare to sond racist but I from Johanneburg and had to buy some goods from a China Mall. The traders in that mall were so rude. condescending. They totally ignore when you walk in store, and do not tolerate customers taking their time choosing products. I'm so sorry these people are allowed to operate in my country. They are poor ambassadors of their country and culture. They are extremely unfriendly and make no effort to integrate or even learn the language. I have never met such a rude people in my life. Yet they are so obssesed with honour and decency in their movies. Please!

india hater said...

dude u guys aint seen india.Its the dirtiest country in this world.And its got all the shit mentioned and much more

Anonymous said...

I live in a quaint city called Alameda outside of San Francisco, CA. This city is being overrun by the new rich of China who fit your description to a T. I have a couple of first generation Chinese friends and one directly from Hong Kong who are wonderful and agree with you. They are disgusting and I don't want them in my fair city. We have glorious Victorian architecture and they are destroying the beauty of our city by painting their houses horrible colors, tearing down architectual elements that are historical, pouring cement concrete over old gardens, cutting down historical trees, spitting in the streets without permiets, putting posion everywhere to kill raccoons, mice, squirrels and end up killing pets, and birds, driving like Mr. Magoo-how did they even get licensed?, eat cats and dogs, won't smile or say hello, they are just appalling as a group, although not all are that way. I wish they would go back to their country if they cannot assimilate. They are sooooooooooo dirty, too, smoke, spit, ugh.... I don't like to be bigoted, it is just they are gross for the way they act.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your calmly written post. It helps us understand the rude behaviour we have seen from Chinese tourists who treat us like dogs bodies.

Where we live in Australia we have many tourists, including more Chinese. We also have Australian-Born Chinese whose ancestors came to Australia many years ago; they are very nice people. We also have tourists from other Asian countries who are very nice, but sadly the tourists from mainland Chinese are really rude. When we go overseas we act politely so people will have a good impression of our country. Chinese tourists coming to Australia don't care. They push, shove, queue jump and are quite rude. The parents let their children push young local children out of the way. Anyone meeting them goes away thinking less of China. I was quite disgusted.

Anonymous said...

I am Chinese. I do admit that such problems exist. But the reasons for those problems are much more complicated than you thought. For example, talking in a louder voice is culture-related, a part of the national character. BTW, I've seen loads of British guys talking loadly in our liabrary. But I'm glad to see things are improving in China. It is a country with large population, shouldering the mission of economic development. It is still a developing country. You MUST know that those problems you mentioned are exactly what every responsible Chinese try hard to deal with. I hope the impression of China and Chinese people will become positive.

Anonymous said...

It’s a nightmare having Chinese bosses. Especially, if you are from another Asia country, he will treat you like a piece of shit; no respect your human dignity at all. Sometimes ago, I used to work with Chinese bosses. It was a real nightmare. He is so insecure, selfish, no moral interim of supporting when you need support. Playing game to prevent you to move close to him. OH, it was a real deep shit to work with these types of animal. Even tough, part of my ancestor from china, but I never proud of it since I had this kind of experiences.

Anonymous said...

Personality disorder and insecurity are the major roles in chinese behavior. However, sometimes I think the reigious too. They might not have enough freedom to practise what they believe in order to develop thier moral.

Anonymous said...

Testimony

“……………I come across such rancid, stinky, filthy rude, arrogant, self centred, selfish, thoughtless, loud, mindless, robotic, conditioned, dirty pigs.………………………...”
“................I just come back from one month in Shanghai and I can say you are the most rude, uncivilised, uneducated people I EVER SAW...............”
“...................are racist towards every other race,..........”
“.............chinese themselves are one of the worst kinds of people to deal with. With their Sinocentrism, they hold all other races in disdain and contempt.............................”
“...........................It’s a nightmare having Chinese bosses. ......., he will treat you like a piece of shit; no respect your human dignity at all..........”
“.........................Personality disorder and insecurity are the major roles in chinese behavior..............”

These Chinese responses are more confirmed that it is fit to you theory.....
“...........singapur ren, you soon belong to China, we are power of asia and stronger. queistion: why you insulted China? China bring innovation to world and culture.allworld envy China for culture and power.China is light of world and give all to world, china invent bigh things and art all over world.also china race is strong and big in world,is leader and superior. you respect and no talk bad ok.friend ok? ...” >>>this attitude is a real suck.

John said...

I'm glad I am Taiwanese. We don't do these kind of stuff but people say we are the same country. Disgrace

Anonymous said...

four thumbs up for this article.. i've been living in china for bout 4 years and I can say that every single thing you wrote is true. the hawking spitting thing, network stuffs, rudeness, loud ect. these people are, i dunno.. but they really are unsanitary.. behaviors are really shocking..


maybe you want to add-up the way they bump you in crowded streets and never looked back to you to say sorry.
and here's a tip for shopping. here in china, people are really 100000% dishonest specially in selling stuffs. you will get deaf hearing the phrases "this is original" "very high quality". you may want to bargain, and i advice you to be bloody in bargaining. coz this is true, you can purchase a 100yuan stuff for 20-25yuan.

JoeTu said...

woooooooooow.....reading all the comments on this blog almost blew my mind. Is all this information really true?

Rest in peace China....

Anonymous said...

the worst thing that happened in this world is when CHINA opened their doors and let them pigs out to forage in other countries, ALL the yellow female sows become prostitutes in other countries, breaking up families, slit eyed whores, ALL SAID ABOUT THEM IS 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 PER CENT TRUE

Anonymous said...

the world's oldest profession started in China, that is why you find Chinese whores all over the world, they are just carrying out their mothers' and grandmothers' profession

Anonymous said...

hmm

Anonymous said...

"Many Chinese get very defensive when their country is criticised. Patriotism is strong ................"

10000000000000000000000 % true.......... Chinese will be more agressive rude and yell right on your face.

Anonymous said...

Lets face it the Chinese are generally a race of dirty, dog eating freaks. I have recently jetted a drain at my local chinese and was shock to discover how filthy his premises were. No just a build up of weekly trash but oils and rotten food that had been obviously been there for months. We work for the local council and reported this shit pit and they are hopefully going close them down, please don,t rattle on about sympathy and chances, all food outlets know there responsibilities, it's just some can't be arsed to comply with them.

Anonymous said...

They're killing themselves and it's maybe a good thing.

Anonymous said...

China lost itself.

People living in China do not have goal, no lifestyle, noting... Just earning money, that's it.

There is few exception to those, but this doesn't make the rule.

Anonymous said...

I visited China a while ago.

A old man fall of his bike not far from me. Everyone go around him and just looking at him like stupid !

I do not speak Chinese but tried to ask them in English to call the police, no one was doing a thing !!!

What the fuck it is about ?

Who are those people are they animal to let an old men hurt on the ground this way ?

Tony said...

To whoever wrote this report. You leave no name, and hide under the tvnewwatch name. If you are going to write such a report, then you should be bold and brave enough to write your own name as the blogger.

All I can say to you, is if you don't like what you see in CHina, then **** off back to your own country.

This is China's culture, so either accept, of like before, **** off to your own country

Newsjunky said...

Tony, there are a number of reasons why a pseudonym is used. It is all very well to make the flippant argument to say that by writing a critical or contraversial report, one should reveal one's true identity, but by posting anonymously does not detract from the content nor the truth behind the report.

There are myriad reasons why individuals may wish to use a name other than the one they were born with. They may be concerned about threats to their lives or livelihoods, or they may risk political or economic retribution. They may wish to prevent discrimination or they may use a name that’s easier to pronounce or spell in a given culture.

Online, the reasons multiply. Internet culture has long encouraged the use of "handles" or "user names," pseudonyms that may or may not be tied to a person’s offline identity. Longtime online inhabitants may have handles that have spanned over twenty years. tvnewswatch has been blogging for 7 years and tweeting for around 4 years, but in reporting from China, Europe, Africa or the US, it has always been the aim to be truthful and presenting the facts as known.


Pseudonymous speech has played a critical role throughout history as well. From the literary efforts of George Eliot and Mark Twain to the explicitly political advocacy of Publius in the Federalist Papers or Junius' letters to the Public Advertiser in 18th century London, people have contributed strongly to public debate under pseudonyms and continue to do so to this day.

While there is an ongoing debate over the use of 'real names' with the advent of Facebook and Google+, in some societies there are issues not only of privacy but also very real threats to the safety of individuals. This is particularly true in places across the Middle East, and parts of Asia. In China, posting controversial material under a real name may lead to threats from the online community, but also unwarranted and unwanted attention from the authorities.

The cases of Ai Weiwei and Liu Xiaobo are cases which clearly illustrate this point. Also, your own use of expletives, even if blanked out with the use of stars, is indicative of the type of abuse one could receive.

Posts written and posted on tvnewswatch are thoroughly researched, and often based on first hand reporting. Living and working in China for two years, and having visited several times over the last 6 years, provided the material required to write this and other posts about China.

This post might be scathing, but was written from the view of a foreigner living in China and based on first hand experience. Nothing in the article is a distortion of the truth, and as clearly stated there are many Chinese people who are friendly and do not follow the stereotypes described. tvnewswatch does not sanction the more extreme views of those who have posted their reaction to the article, some of which border on almost racist beliefs. These views are certainly not the views of tvnewswatch, many of which have been posted anonymously and are not even signed with a pseudonym.

There is much that one might not like about many places, even one's home country. But everyone has the right to observe and make criticism, if warranted about anything. Nonetheless your input is appreciated.

Anonymous said...

Very nice response Newsjunky,

Reasoned, well thought and delivered, it is a shame that many on this topic are unable to set aside their emotions and take a clear and rational look at the subject.

I am currently dating a 40 year old Chinese lady, she is a surgeon, yet is not able to find a man in China who appreciates her, her views, knowledge, and passions.

Yes she is stubborn, strong and often demanding, but has a wonderful spirit, she wants a man who can on one hand stand and argue with her, but on the other can admit when he is wrong.

I have been so shocked at the abuse she has suffered for being seen with me in public in her home city, and it has only been on trips to Beijing that she has been comfortable to walk with me, not in front and not behind.

I am a Kiwi, and that was an incredible culture shock for me.

dallas_ said...

This reply is reposted from my reply to a thread on shanghaiexpat.com

Sorry for eavesdropping this thread which seems reserved only for expats. I have mixed feelings towards the article. As a Chinese growing up in rural China I think I am able to see the other part of the story. Let me try to explain.

Difference of living habits

I was born in a village in Henan where people used to live unhygienic lives that would be appalling to most of us today. On the other hand, it is amazing to realize such a life costs so little resource and energy and therefore are extremely “environmentally friendly”: A typical Chinese farmer at that time went to bed immediately when the sun was down. He spitted into the dirt road and blew their nose and then wiped on a tree so they didn’t consume paper at all. They were frugal so everything was meant to be reused and they were unwilling to throw anything away. They did not take bath or showers as they couldn’t bare water could be wasted like that.

I am an ultimate pessimist. I don’t believe the beautiful modern way of living started by westerners is sustainable for the human species. Cars, warm rooms, abundant food, paper handkerchiefs, throw-away diapers & pens , hygienic & refined living, and sleepless nights on computer games are results of one thing: human’s discovery of the earth’s hidden treasure: fossil fuels. It’s like a young man suddenly discovers all his parents savings and spend the money in one day. The earth saved up this treasure for billions of years and then bang, it was discovered by humans. This discovery will enable humans to live in absolute luxury for, say, 1000 years. Fortunately or unfortunately no one can live that long to see the disaster when fuels are used up and the hidden treasure can last humans in illusion for several generations.

I am not extremely proud of my origin. But I understand more than those who simply find the farmers new in cities just disgusting. My grandfather would refuse to take a modern shower. It would hurt him so much to see water could be used like this. I take showers as often as most modern city dwellers now but there is always a small environmentalist inside me that makes feel guilty.

The trouble arises when a Chinese farmer takes his deeply-rooted old habit into a crowded city. And it takes time for them to adjust and perhaps they never will. But I will never say they are inferior, disgusting, uncivilized … All Chinese, above all, used to be farmers one or two hundred years ago. All westerners, above all, used to be farmers, laborers, or hunters 500 years ago. Go back into history before the industrial revolution, westerners today will find their own ancestors as unhygienic and maybe disgusting. Industrial revolution and squandering mother nature’s savings began in the west: that’s why.

Anyway, here is how the hate game starts:

Westerners think all Chinese (with a few westernized exceptions) rude, dirty & annoying. Many Shanghai locals think people from all (with few exceptions) the rest part of China rude, dirty & annoying.

I have a friend who visited t¡bet. He then told me disgustedly that he saw t¡betan woman shits in the street (no offense) . You see non-shanghai Chinese may think t¡betans are rude, dirty & annoying!

It's simply just the one who joined the party earlier will laugh at those who came late.

Anonymous said...

A Chinese factory worker gets payed the same as a 17th century factory worker in Chicago. their enonomic boom is built on exploitation, repression, currency manipulation and wholesale thievery of other countrys intellectual property.

Anonymous said...

Chinese people are fucking animals. To call them monkeys is an insult to monkeys themselves. They do not wash, do not clean their teeth, pick their noses and fart while just leaving the lifts. This applies to Hong Kong where I live. I fucking hate them, the fucking stinking shitheads.

Anonymous said...

I live in Korea and won't say much. Chinese eat human meat.

http://110.45.173.105/www/news/special/2012/05/117_111663.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2143294/A-truly-monstrous-medicine-The-Mail-investigates-Chinas-gruesome-human-baby-flesh-pills.html

Anonymous said...

They eat like pigs. Mouths wide open with squelching noise while they eat, followed by burping. Disgusting people! And I agree with the above, a lot of the blokes have never had a bath. Go into a public toilet and you will see how many never wash their hands after a shit, let alone a piss.

Kate Pun said...

People from China makes me feel embarrassed about being Chinese. I wasn't born there (THANK GOD), but from where I'm from, they have an infamous reputation for being impolite, full of themselves and just horrible people in general. It seems as though only the people who were born and raised there think otherwise. If by being "superior" they mean being unhygienic and rude and despised, then fine. I, for one, would rather be considered "inferior" than to be anything like them. Of course, I'm just giving my opinion on the vast majority of them. I'm sure there are a few precious ones who deserve to have this shit reputation wiped away from them.

Anonymous said...

It's unfortunate, but this is true.

As an American-born Chinese, I encountered culture-shock when I went back. My own people were so rude to me! So I have my own gripes about Chinese mob mentality.

But it's just that, you know--mob mentality. When the crowd doesn't seem to care, you just go along with it. Such a shame, they are just regular people when you get to know them individually - nice ones, mean ones, just people. They are not just one big group of "Chinese".

I will attempt to explain. China is diverse and suffers from a large gap between poor and rich. There is hardly any middle class. And when I say poor, I mean POOOR. They are farmers who have no need for elegance, manners, or need of courtesy when they struggle everyday to make a living. When they come into the city into the path of the wealthy and the foreign, they keep acting that way. I hold them blameless in that - when it's hard to make a living, support your family, educate your family and nevermind educating yourself, you don't exactly understand common courtesy. You just want to make money and escape the hard life into the rich one that everyone else seems to be living.

China also suffered a loss of its culture during the cultural revolution - it was one of respect and tradition. China is still suffering from the damage that Mao did, in culture and government. The people (the educated ones) know exactly what's going on with the controlling Communist party - and you bet they're frustrated about the firewall, about the fact that they don't have the right to vote, and the fact that their government is always lying to keep face. They whisper about it amongst themselves, but fear that talking any louder will put their lives at great risk.

Unregulated capitalism (ironically) upheld by an oppressive Communist government, and the poor origins of many Chinese citizens contribute to this callous mob-mentality and lack of manners. I hope you understand, it's a hard life for many - but Chinese people are not inherently bad, rude, or unkind.

They are living in a tumultuous time, wishing to speed smashing into modernity, into comfortable, Western lives. But they are also rooted in conservative views of the past - a people greatly divided.

I am familiar with your descriptions - they are accurate from a foreigner's first hand perspective. But perhaps you can interview a Chinese instead of a Brit next time - I think they can convey to you the painful reasons of this discrepancy between Eastern and Western behavior.

Newsjunky said...

The rich/poor divide that you speak of is indeed one reason why there is such disparity between good and bad manners in China, though saying that I have encountered good manners even from some of the poorest in China, and bad manners from supposed richer members of society.

Much of the problem does stem from education, something which one well educated colleague at Xinhua News Agency explained during my working their a few years back.

The cultural revolution has certainly had and effect, and the lack of opening up and sometimes flagrant ramping up of nationalist fervour even now does not help matters even now.

The issues described in this article are not peculiar to China. Bad manners can be seen around the world. While spitting is less common in Britain, it is occasionally seen, and there are individuals who seem to have no understanding of the use of a litter bin.

The pushing and shoving experienced while trying to board a train or bus in China, especially in big cities, is not generally seen in western countries. However, there are some who still jump queues, much to the ire of others around them.

Western countries have many faults which can be improved. China, partly due to the large number of people and a huge division in terms of education and income gaps, has much further to go.

I have met some lovely people in China, with good manners and who are themselves disgusted at the bad behaviour often seen. Conversely I have also experienced and seen bad behaviour and rudeness in Britain.

Nowhere is perfect, but some places have more room for improvement.

DF said...

In terms of social development, China is still in a very early stage. You cant't compare them with the civilised world of say Europe or Japan. It takes several generations to achieve that, but they're not showing much progress either.

Ace said...

Why Chinese who just came to USA are so ruthless, nasty, rude, dirty, and have no remorse whatsoever? I have never ever experienced like with Chinese living in Queens NY for past 30 years with among different nationalities. They're the most barbaric, down right, sneakiest people I have never dealt with. This is not racist comment but it's the fact that myself and my neighbors, friends dealt every day living in Flushing NY. It's been like sunami recent past 10 years in Queens NY. Why these nasty, ruthless Chinese come to USA? behave like they are in China? Really bad impression to other Asian people who are totally opposite of their behavior and character.

Shelly said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
L said...

I am Canadian born Cantonese and i am ashamed these mainland chinese idiots even exist.

everything i've worked hard for all my life, social life, skateboard, snowboard style, etc just to be flushed down the drain because of a bunch of idiots.

i grew up big and tall, wear normal cloths, am basically a normal canadian, i speak proper english, i do typical things canadians do except i'm a Canadian with Cantonese Heritage.

I just can't stand these meek, yet annoying little scumbags. so many can't drive good, get in your way when walking. are ignorant, dont understand anything. just stupid as fuck.

I'm ashamed to share genetic heritage with these scumbags with no personality.

i apologize to all those who have to see and deal with these idiots as they are a disgrace to all of us. Even others like myself with chinese heritage

i know i'm generalizing but there are so many of these idiots out there and it is annoying and frustrating as fuck. i think i will slap one of them soon

Unknown said...

It's the mid autumn festival here in Hong Kong and I want to cry. I'm tired from 2 days of not being able to sleep amongst the festivities of families gathering and having a good time. Chinese have no problems making as much noise as possible, all night long, even with small children. I can appreciate this well enough, but there is NO accountability for other peoples space here at all. The only way anyones' personal space gets recognized in this culture is if you create call someone out or create confrontation. This in effect means the other person looses face and you become labeled as a troublesome foreigner (asshole). Hong Kong Chinese complain all the time of rude behavior from mainlanders' visiting or moving to Hong Kong, but from an outsider' looking in, I say HK people have just as many rude hangups' as mainlanders, if not more.

I've lived here 8 years (too long), so I think I'm entitled a little to voice my opinion. I have lived and worked in mainland China for years and need to venture a few issues in both camps.

Yes, mainland Chinese seem/are dirty, rude, loud, uneducated and seem to have no cosmopolitan class. Within the last 10 years the flood of them have poured into HK spending gobs of money on silly designer labels and enough baby formula to feed Africa. They do not understand that traveling is an experience of not only seeing other cultures but respecting them. Listen, I'm an American, as a nationality, we are terrible travelers in adjusting to other cultures. When I see American tourists complain about anything local, I want to curl up in a ball.

MAinland Chines can also be quite lovely. Nearly every single mainlander has been very nice to me and many of them have invited me to their homes in their provinces. They have a pretty good since of humor and they can even have something to say that really makes me think.

As I mentioned, I've lived in Hong Kong a while. Hong Kong people, in general, seem outwardly humble, generally quite (not in groups), fastidious in their work and enjoy gadgets, music and being with their families. I do not have one HK cantonese friend. They keep to their own, but thats ok... They are boring. I have never engaged in one conversation with HK local that taught me one thing. Outside of their families and friends, they are self serving cowards. They seem/ are generally interested in staying HK Chinese and if any of them break away from tradition and hook up w/ a foreigner, the motive is often $$. I'm sure I have this wrong in many cases, but from my experience, this is central to most Chinese motivation, mainland of HK.

Anonymous said...

NA YANG SHI DONG WU!!! This is what you will hear twenty four hours a day if you live in China and are not Chinese. It means "thats just an animal / that way animal" and almost ALL han chinese people will say it EVERY TIME they see you (not so much chinese minorities who have always been warm, kind and polite in my experience). When Europeans behave in this manner they are called fascist.
other things that have angered me during my stay in china are as follows:

calling me an anmal then flicking a lit cigarrette butt at me.

calling me an animal then shouting "you should have been an abortion!"

always shouting "we are the superior race!" (wo men gao ji)

saying "we still have one animal person that has not yet been murdered" (wo men hai you yi ge dong wu mei sha)

shooing me out of a restaurant with a broom.

whistling at me like a dog.

throwing stones at me whilst shouting "ANIMAL! GO HOME!!!"

when you ask them 'why do you call me an animal?' they always say "why is an animal an animal? (dong wu wei shen me shi dong wu), then they say "all people are animals but we are superior" (mei ge ren dou shi dong wu dan shi wo men gao ji)

giving me rotten meat in a restaurant

spitting at my shoes after calling me an animal

calling me an animal then beating me with wooden poles for no reason.

saying that it is offensive i am still alive (ta yi jing tau yan zai sheng huo)

phoning the police when they saw me and telling them "i have found an animal person, they are not allowed to be here" (wei, wo men zhao dao yi ge dong wu ren)

telling me i am not sentient (ta men mei zai)

always pushing, shouting, spitting, fighting, even killing. I witnessed murder while I was in china.

having said all this I was an english teacher in china and the kids I was teaching were some of the nicest, sweetest, smartest kids i have ever met and were a pleasure to teach. They always made me happy when i was down. Also minority people were completely different to the han people and almost never treated me badly in any way. In fact they were awesome and good people. I did meet some han people that I could call good friends, who were intelligent and polite (no offense but probably only 1% of han people i met). When I left China I left feeling terrible, with a broken hand. I was angry because I had been racially abused twenty four hours a day for two years and it wears you down. I also felt sad and worried for my friends in china and my students because i hope they can be happy but i think that their government is fascist and prevents chinese peoples happiness.

also they have concentration camps (lao gai) and ethnic cleansing (tibetans, uyghurs)

Unknown said...

It seems that the Taiwanese are not much better in their hygiene either. Check out this blog at http://ya-chang-lin.blogspot.com/ for an eyeful of how one half-Chinese and half-Taiwanese man conducts his life in the US.

Trend Star said...

I am really sad for so many people hate Chinese. I agree if you are in China, you may experience above sometimes. But not all Chinese are like that. I guess only a few people like that. And in our culture, they are not nice people, we also don’t respect them.

It is true some people may spit, they are people who our Chinese also despise of, and Chinese also look down on people who cut in line. Normal people don’t do that.

About disease, Sars, it is true, China has it first, but who created AIDS?

Another thing I need to mention is that China is still developing country, even though it is No.2 economic power, but you need to remember, China has 10 time population of Japan, so average person, the GDP is really very small, people are struggle to meet their ends. You can not expect every one buy diaper for their Children. They don’t have enough money. Especially, the old generatation(grandma) taking care of child, they will do things their way, which is the style of 50 years ago.

Also China is polluted, after moved to Beijing for 2 years, I got lung disease and throat disease, I have to spit. Even though I spit into paper privately, but sometime, if you forget paper, you will be embarrassed to find a place to spit. After I left Beijing, my infection is cured, because the air is clean, so I stopped. No one like to spit publicly, but if you live in Beijing for 10-20 years, you may get infected, and spit like those people you mentioned. Especially old people.

Also some one say, some Chinese bump into you without saying sorry, I agree, it is because china is so crowded. But on the flip side, if you bump into them and you didn’t say sorry, I don’t think anyone will complain. They don’t care, you have so many people bump each other every day, no time to say anything. Also, you say, Chinese don’t smile to strangers, if you met less than 10 person in your neighborhood everyday, you will be happy when you see them, sure you will smile and say hello. But if you met 1000 people in your neighbor hood and I am sure if you want to smile and say hello, people will think you are crazy.

Same as people in Toronto and New York, People in Tronto obey traffic rule, the car waits for pedestrian, pedestrian don’t cross street if it is not intersection. but people in New York, pedestrian will not obey rule, they cross street. Why, because if you obey traffic rule, the only result is that you can not go anywhere. You have to wait and wait.

Trend Star said...

Most of the thing you mentioned are because China is overpopulated, less resource, people are poor, China has birth control policy, we try to change the root cause.

You said china has poor, fake product, I agree, but if you want good product, you have to pay more money, if you want to pay less, sure , you can not get real gold, that is common sense. And think about it, many people are hungry, they don’t have enough money to support their daily bread. I remember the scarlet in ‘gone with wind’ says’,’I swear to God, I will lie, I will kill and I will never be hungry anymore’, that what an famous American said, I was really touched by that, Chinese people are nice if you know their heart, at least most of them, but things are not black and white, it is complicated than what you thought to be.

What I feel ashamed about Chinese is that people from HongKong, Taiwan, And some oversee Chinese(ABC,CBC), they also treat Chinese this way, they forget their grandma and grandpa, they don’t know how they sacrifice their generation, so that they can have today’s happy life.

I am a Chinese, immigrated to Canada 10 years ago, I know how it feels to live in foreign country. Canadian are nice on the surface, but in their heart, they are cold. I do most of the job in my work, and local people, they are really stupid, and have to ask me everything about their job, just because their English is better, and they like to talk, boss always let them to be leader, when laying off people, it is our Chinese who did the most of job and being quiet and humble get laid off first, in order to keep same level, I have do much more jobs than locals. The funny thing is that our company is founded by Chinese Canadian. Not to mention some other firms what it looks like. As an immigrant, and visible minority, sometimes I lived in fear, and never have any sense of security. I hate Canadian, I hate Canada, sometimes, I have lost my Chinese Citizenship and I can not go back to China. We Chinese Canadian immigrant just like the Jewish in Egypt, do the most tough jobs, and treated the lowest by Canadian local like all of you above. Aslo, We, Chinese Canadian, will become the modern new Jewsih people, due to this discrimination, we have to work harder to survive, that is why, our kids have much excellent score than local kids, and why there are lots of Chinese went to University. Because, otherwise, we can not survive. I want to play, I want to have fun, but when you feel not secure, to survive is the first priority. It shock me how Canadian boss laid off his people, he ask him do workovertime and finish all job, and smiling to him, say,hello,and joke with him, than fire(laying off) him, in our culture, this is animal behavior! That’s why some Chinese also say same thing to American/Canadian, they are animals. But I know they are not, every nation has their own weekness, this is American’s weekness.

My dream is that one day , I become a person like Gorge Soros, I will let all arrogant white people know, it is absolutely wrong to look down on any nation,color, I will let all minority be treated fairly, everyone has an equal life and opportunity, no second class citizen anymore!

Disillusioned said...

Unfortunately, this blog is accurate. I just returned from China and my opinion of that country and its people has changed 180 degrees. Disease-incubating filth is everywhere, the people are arrogant and rude, lying and cheating are cultural norms ... the list of negatives goes on. Before China becomes a superpower the people of China need to improve at least their personal and public hygiene standards and their business and personal ethics. I am at a loss to explain how such a proud and ancient civilization can still be so primitive.

Kinetic Taciturn said...

Unfortunately all true!

I saw a little girl step down from a bus last week in Beijing and defecate the street while a man smoked beside her. Passengers had to step over it to get on the bus..no one cared !

The strangest thing was that a toilet was directly in front of her as well as a handful of quieter alleys for an emergency. I just don't understand why they make their life so miserable for each other ! What about the person who has to clean it up ! We also saw two women going though rotton food waste with their bare hands outside a cartier shop ! WTF !!

It's the only country in the world were I found myself appalled at times. Despite my best will words like "pigs" and "animals" would slip from my mouth. I really hope this attitude and "culture" changes for their own sake and they foster a genuine spirit of nationhood and community. It's a real shame that one of the most interesting places in the world is tarnished by the lack of what most people in the world consider a basic human rights !

Kinetic Taciturn said...

To Trend Star

From your post it sounds like some of the issues are caused by the Chinese themselves ?

For example

 Why can't you claim back your citizenship ??
 If it's a part chinese owned company ; why don't they ensure fair treatment of Chinese workers as a basic requirement.
 Why are you ashamed of Chinese people abroad making negative comments about China ?

This face saving culture reminds me of Catholic Ireland. The pope described Ireland as a “perfect catholic country" in the 60's. Now we realize that the Vatican not only knew about the rape of tens of thousands of children but ignored and covered up all reported cases. China has a long way to go and this whole “ we are just a poor developing country” is a WHOLE LOAD OF CRAP !

I'm Irish and the way we treat immigrant workers is not admirable and I can relate to your post about Canada. However, I expect we treat Chinese workers much better than the way many Chinese factories are treating their own in China . Chinese people really need to focus on the serious amount of issues affecting their country. If you don’t like something about the world Trend Star try to understand it, change it, and improve it not but never cover it up !


Unknown said...

From the comments penned by everyone, one can only feel the raw hatred and division among mankind. This would be the fuel for spilling of blood, but the catalysis would not be from here. WW3 is imminent.

bobby tomorrow said...

I have come to hate the Chinese, they are self-centered, crude, dirty and ignorant. I no longer tolerate their disgusting behaviour and I treat them with the disdain they deserve and have earned.

Unknown said...

I have read most of these comments and have experienced much of them, but it all needs to be put in perspective, as some have tried. Try readind "The Man Who Loved China" book by ? The Chinese have contributed much to the world. Communism destroyed much---way too much---and the people are angry now, trying to regain their integrity with selfless abandome
and ignorance, I think.
I am married to a Chinese woman, have lived in China for some time and am in China now. The worse thing I have experienced is the lies my wife and others have done to me. After spendind all my money to get my wife to America, she left me when I lost it all in the recent real estate crash. Now she is making a lot of money in the states working in massase parlors and teaching, so she says, while I struggle to find an English teaching job here in Zhuhai.
On the other hand, I have met and been helped by many beautiful and caring Chinese here. I am living free in a church dorm and they give me food and help.
I think one of the main problems is so many are Godless. If we would treat each other as we would ourselves, the world would be a better place. Help others and you will help yourself. Easy to say, and you will get bitten, but better bitten then bite...just my opinion, but many others too.

Newsjunky said...

The book to which you refer is "The Man Who Loved China" by Simon Winchester, a Cambridge eccentric who became a leading China expert!

Sorry to hear about the bad experiences you've had. And good luck in Zhuhai.

Anonymous said...

I hate how delusional and arrogant Chinese mainlanders are. I don't know what they teach them in school, but I'm pretty sure they're all brainwashed to believe they're superior than others. That's why their patriotism are extreme. I really don't understand why any country would want to have any kinds of diplomatic relations with them.

Qwahchees said...

Jeez, it makes me feel ashamed to be Chinese. I live in Toronto and it's hard here when I see the same stupid behavior. I'd never visit China, maybe Hong Kong for the culture, but I wouldn't last long...

Unknown said...

This well written article hits so many points with me. I live in New York, very close to Flushing, a place adopted as one of New York's China towns. My wife is Chinese. This puts me in a position where I am forced to observe these kinds of behaviors.

It seems ingrained in their culture to be rude and entitled. From the lowly farm peasant to the "high class" Chinese they all have this attitude where they are more important than others.

The best example of this occurred on the subway train. On a semi busy car a seat opened up near flushing. Two Chinese women went right for the seat and started to push each other so they could sit down, the scene itself played out like they were killing each other as they laid into each other yelling at the top of their lungs. In the midst of their struggles a third Chinese woman sat in the seat and gave a stare at both women that could only be described as "I'm better than you because I'm sitting down and you're not." the whole 20 minute train ride I observed that same women giving the same glance at one of the other women over and over again.

I've witnessed young and older women picking their noses in public and flinging their gold or just plain wiping it on their shirts.

It seems most of those people that act like this are Chinese born and are immigrants in the US. My visit to China really sealed the deal on that thought and observed some of the most disgusting acts of rudeness, greed, and selfishness in the two weeks I was in Beijing.

Worst part is you are the wrong one for pointing any of that out to them. Like it's your fault they decided to shoot a snot rocket right into street vender's soup pot.

They truly are disgusting people.

Di Talasi said...

I have worked in China, and it is true. China is filthy and the people disgusting and .

Seawitch Artist said...

I've been to China in the days of the bicycle and Mao suit as a sailor. I got taken to a hospital as an emergency, it was dirty and horrible as a battlefield clinic! Don't worry...they are all gonna die of the SHARK FIN SOUP YELLOW PERIL!

strangelove said...

Eating loudly and with extreme preoccupation with eating, face down, as if in another world.

Blue said...

There are people in every country and demographic that are rude, filthy, and ignorant. Having been to many other countries, it's obvious some things are a matter of perspective. That means, people will behave in one way in one country and in another country they'd never act like that, all because of the perception of what is acceptable. Yet, keep in mind that being a foreigner visiting another country, you may not know what their "accepted" behavior is. When you're appalled by their behavior, who's to say that other people from their group (nationality, religion, etc.) aren't also appalled? When someone in my country does something rude, it's considered normal (unless they're endangering someone) to look at them with displeasure but say nothing. It's understood that they should know, from that, that what they did was unacceptable. So, if someone came to my country and observed someone spitting on the street, I'd look at them with disgust but then go about my business. That visitor to my country may think that it's normal to spit on the street because I didn't criticize or try to stop this other person, yet it's not the case that it's normal or acceptable. No matter what group people have made judgments about -- Chinese, Jews, African Americans, etc. -- there's always examples I can pick from my own memory of people who don't fit those stereotypes. That's because not all Chinese people are the same, not all Jews or African Americans, French, Malaysians, etc. are the same. There are rude people and that transcends culture, religion, and how much money they have. Rude people are rude people. To call any entire culture rude really discounts all those who are well-behaved, not to mention invalidating the fact that every culture has their own definition of "rude." If you don't want someone to say you're dirty, filthy, rude, or animal-like because some of the people in the group you're in are like that, then you shouldn't do that to others. If there's anything that can be defined as "well-mannered" it's treating others with the respect you'd want for yourself.

Unknown said...

" Unfortunately, this blog is accurate. I just returned from China and my opinion of that country and its people has changed 180 degrees. Disease-incubating filth is everywhere, the people are arrogant and rude, lying and cheating are cultural norms ... the list of negatives goes on. Before China becomes a superpower the people of China need to improve at least their personal and public hygiene standards and their business and personal ethics. I am at a loss to explain how such a proud and ancient civilization can still be so primitive."

China has proud and ancient civilization, the Chinese were civilized people in the ancient times and in the pre-communist period. But the main reason of why Mainland Chinese have primitive behavior is because what Mao Zedong did them, Mao Zedong made Mainland Chinese people become uncouth peasant like himself. When Mao Zedong established PRC, he gradually made people in China become backwards and primitive by introducing all the primitive habits into Chinese people. Mao ever told everyone in China not to brush their teeth or otherwise they would get toothache, Mao told everyone in China not to take shower/bath or otherwise they would get sick, and Mao even told everyone in China not to use toilet because he said that toilets are inconvenient.

Read up Mao Zedong's biography, all the bad habits of the Mainland Chinese are strongly related to him.