Decoding China: A Handbook for Traveling, Studying, and Working in Today's China

Matthew B. Christensen

veebr 2013 · Tuttle Publishing

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Embrace the culture and get the most out of your time in China.

Going to China for the first time can be an intimidating experience, even for those who have studied the language. In fact, traveling to China for the second, third, or fourth time can also be a challenging experience, especially if you intend to be fully immersed in daily life, get off the beaten path, and experience the "real" China.

This China etiquette and culture guide is about how to get things done in China. Decoding China gives you down-to-earth information on how to deal with everyday situations--like eating at a restaurant or shopping at an outdoor market--that present unique and unexpected challenges for foreign visitors.

• Why being polite when you board a bus is a big mistake
• Finding a toilet (and what to bring along!)
• How to bargain for anything in a Chinese market
• Which train ticket to buy--hard seat? Soft seat?
• How the Chinese view privacy, and why it may make you seem suspicious
• Working in a Chinese office, and the politics of lunch

As the Academic Director at the Chinese Flagship Center of Brigham Young University, Dr. Matthew B. Christensen has seen countless foreigners arrive in China…and fail to accomplish simple tasks like ordering food, boarding a bus, or making friends with a Chinese colleague. Why? Because they didn't understand China's basic cultural codes. This travel book will help you crack these codes. And with it, you'll soon be able to navigate your way in any situation.

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Dr. Matthew B. Christensen is the Academic Director of the Chinese Flagship Center at Brigham Young University, where he is also a Professor of Chinese in the Department of Asian & Near Eastern Languages. The Flagship program is a partnership among the federal government, education, and business which helps graduates take their place among the next generation of global professionals. His focus on the usefulness of cultural codes results from his frequent observations in China of students' difficulties when they try--and fail!--to use U.S. cultural codes there.