Saibal Dasgupta
The Times of India
October 3, 2013
China has come out with a code of conduct for Chinese travellers which includes advice about not picking their noses in public. The government has issued a 64-page handbook to stop Chinese tourists from damaging the country’s image abroad.
Chinese sightseers also been asked not to urinate in pools or steal life jackets from aircrafts, according to the National Tourism Administration , which issued the ‘Guidebook for Civilised Tourism’. The advisory was issued during the ongoing ‘Golden week’ of public holidays that started with the national day on October 1.
This advice-giving comes four months after vice premier Wang Yang reprimanded Chinese travellers for “uncivilized behaviour” that “damaged the image of the Chinese people” last May.
There have been complaints of rank bad manners of Chinese vacationers from travel destinations across the world. This includes a complaint that a Chinese boy defaced a centuries old relic in Egypt. Several countries have eased visa restrictions to attract affluent Chinese tourists, but reports have also emerged of complaints about lack of etiquette. There have been instances of Chinese parents allowing children to relieve themselves at airports and restaurants.
The guidebook advises Chinese abroad to not occupy public toilets for long periods or leave footprints on toilet seats — to sit and not squat. They’ve even been asked not drink soup straight from the bowl or make slurping sounds when eating noodles.
Some country specific advice includes a warning that they should not snap fingers to beckon another person, even a waiter, in Germany. Diners in Japan have been instructed not to play with their clothes or hair during a meal.
Dos & don’ts
Do not pick nose in public. Keep nose-hair trimmed Picking teeth with fingers is banned. Do not stay too long in public toilets. No footprints on the toilet seat, please Don’t pee in swimming pools. No slurping sounds when eating noodles Don’t steal life jackets from flights.
