At first glance, China seems like home to bamboo forests, vibrant cities, and centuries of ancient history, but there’s more to the country than meets the eye. There are mountainous valleys, shimmering lakes, lively shopping streets, and tantalizing food markets. There is more than enough to do and see to ensure a memorable trip in China. But if you need more convincing, here are 6 reasons you should not miss out on a visit to China. 

1. Chinese Food is Incredible

From succulent steamed pork buns to mouth-numbing noodles, China is known for its spectacular cuisine. You’ll have a wide range of eateries to choose from, including five-star restaurants and cheap street food stalls. There are plenty of diverse dishes to try, each more delicious than the last.

The different provinces throughout the country all serve their own unique specialties. In Beijing, you can try Peking Duck with sweet plum jam and thin rice crepes. If you’re in Shanghai, you must spend the afternoon sampling different dumplings and sweet treats, otherwise known as Dim Sum. To kick it up a notch, try cooking your own meats and veggies in an unbelievably spicy hot pot broth in Sichuan.

2. Ancient Landmarks

As one of the oldest countries in the world, it’s no surprise that China is dotted with ancient landmarks and historical sites. Many of these landmarks have stood the test of time and shed a rare glimpse into what life was like thousands of years ago.

Beijing is one of the best cities for sightseeing. Not only is it home to the Great Wall of China, but it also has the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and the Temple of Heaven. Venture further south, and you’ll get to see the amazing Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an. Finally, head to the Yunnan province to see the majestic Three Pagodas that date back to the 9th century.

3. It’s Both Modern and Traditional

There are very few places in the world where you’ll see towering skyscrapers situated next to old temples and pagodas. However, China manages to seamlessly blend centuries of ancient tradition with fast-growing industrialization.

Spend your days among the visual art display of ancient beliefs, all the while not missing out on the luxuries of modern developments. In China, you have got the best of both worlds.

4. The Landscapes are Other-Worldly

Although many people travel to China to explore the big cities, it’s worth escaping to the countryside to soak in the country’s natural beauty. China’s landscape is extremely diverse and has everything from snow-capped mountains and limestone peaks to tropical rainforests and white sandy beaches.  

If you’re looking for outdoor adventure, head to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park to see the quartzite-sandstone rocks that inspired the blockbuster hit, Avatar. You can also visit the Gobi Desert, which is the fifth-largest desert in the world. For some peace and quiet, take a cruise down Asia’s longest river, the Yangtze River, for an unforgettable journey.

5. You Can Shop till You Drop

China is every shopaholic’s paradise. From souvenirs to gadgets, clothing and every product under the sun available for purchase, the country will not disappoint. Not to mention, it is a great place to score some fantastic deals on products you can’t find anywhere else.

Whether you’re looking for custom-tailored suits, hand-painted ceramics, or freshly picked tea leaves, China is guaranteed to have a shop or market that sparks your interest. China is also known for its knock-off markets, where you can purchase counterfeit handbags, designer luggage, and even fake iPhones and laptops! It’s truly a shopper’s paradise!

6. Friendly People and Locals

It is not difficult to meet local people in China. As one of the most populous countries in the world, you are bound to meet locals at every step of the way (literally!). The good thing is that they are very friendly, helpful and generous. From just chatting up with foreigners, helping figure out the metro lines and directions, to inviting foreigners for drinks and dinners is natural for the Chinese people. For this reason, you should feel comfortable exploring the country at length and asking the hospitable locals for help when in trouble. 

If the above list has inspired you to plan a trip to China, don’t be overwhelmed by the size of the country. Start off with a short visit, which is enough to leave a lasting impression for years to come. The rest of the trips to discover more of China is guaranteed to follow shortly. 

The post 6 Reasons to Visit China first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

China is a country with a diverse economy. For a long time, it has been a leader in businesses and global markets, creating employment opportunities for workers and employers alike. The boosting economy has led to higher income, and in a country with low cost of living, that translates to a great way of life. It also means time and money to travel China’s diverse regions, eat its delicious foods, and mingle with the locals. 

With all the benefits China has to offer, it’s still important to consider what goes into employing or working there before making the move. That’s because, just like any country, local regulations and laws, contract obligations, and payroll procedures must be followed. 

Before hiring a foreign workforce or taking the leap oversees, its best to get an understanding of China’s payroll laws; this is to ensure they are cohesive with the structure of your company or the employment standards you want. 

So, if you’ve ever thought about hiring or working overseas in China, here are 10 facts you need to know.

1. Minimum wage
   
   China’s minimum wages vary across the country’s regions, with the highest in Shanghai at 2,480 CNY. The lowest paid minimum wages can be almost half the rate.
   
   
2. Payroll cycle/pay date
   
   Payments are provided monthly though pay slips typically sent though a secure channel on WeChat (Chinese WhatsApp). This graphic explains a Chinese pay slip in more detail. Paydays happen between the 10^th and 20^th or are paid during statutory holiday, marriage leave or funeral leave.
   
   
3. Working hours/overtime pay
   
   A standard workweek in china is five days, and eight hours each of those days, amounting to 40-hour work weeks. Flexible hours are allowed, and some companies still have 6-day work weeks. Overtime should not exceed 3 extra hours a day or 36 extra hours a month. For overtime on normal workdays, workers are paid 150%, overtime on rest days is 200%, and overtime of holidays is 300% a worker’s regular wage.
   
   
4. Payroll taxes/SS
   
   Social insurance in China is comprised of pension, medical insurance, unemployment, maternity leave, workplace injury, and a housing fund. Employers and employees contribute to these funds, with contribution rate percentages dependent on city.
   
   
5. Pension
   
   Both employers and employees contribute to the pension system, with employees contributing up to 8% of their wages and employers up to 20%.  Pension for professional men and women begins at age 60 after at least 15 years of contributions.
   
   
6. Unemployment
   
   This contribution is also made by both the employer and employee with percentages ranging between Chinas regions; .2% up to 2%. To claim unemployment, contributions must be made for a period of at least one year. Benefits from unemployment are dependent on the length of time contributions have been made.
   
   
7. Housing funds
   
   The housing fund bureau collects contributions made by employers and employees with contribution percentages varying across the country. This fund is established to provide employees with savings to help with the purchasing of a house.
   
   
8. Termination/notice
   
   Terminating an employee can be quite difficult once the probation period has passed. That’s because even if an employee has shown incompetence, they are to be retrained or possibly even shifted roles before than can be fired. The easiest way for termination is by mutual agreement. It is highly advised that first time employees be on fixed term contracts and extend the contract once the employee has proven competent. The notice period should be at least 30 days from both the employer and employee. Employers may give a one moth wage in lieu of notice if they wish.
   
   
9. Severance pay
   
   Dismissed employers receive severance pay unless they have been terminated due to inaptitude, breach of company law, or were still on a probation period. Severance payments depend on the length of employment with the typical payout being one month’s pay for each year of employment. This is capped at 12 months.
   
   
10. Leave
    
    Annual leave in China can be quite limited, with a minimum of 5 annual leave days for 1–10 working years, 10 days annual leave for 10-20 working years, and 15 annual leave days for more than 20 years of employment. Employees with less than a year of service are not required leave.  Other paid leaves are, sick leave, work related injury leave, bereavement leave, and maternity leave. 
    
    

The post Starting Work in China: 10 Facts You Need to Know first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

The rapid adaptation of Chinese netizens has enabled e-commerce to grow significantly over the last fifteen years. This is also due to the appearance of mobile payment applications from Tencent’s “Wechat” and Alibaba’s “Alipay”.

This ability to adapt is also at the origin of the strong competition on the Chinese digital market. The core of the Web users is the native digital, which represents nearly 280 million people in China, which represents almost the total number of web users in the United States. These digital natives were born in the digital age and grew up with these developments, but are especially passionate about the digital world and contribute to its active evolution in China.

One of the characteristics of the Chinese Internet population is that one in five Internet users use the Internet only via their smartphone. In addition, 68% of Internet users use mobile payment. A unique figure when we see the difficulties faced by the US and European markets to set up this type of payment system.

In 2016, BAT represented a total of 42% of venture capital investments for China; while the US group Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google (FANG) represent only 5% of venture capital investments in the United States.

How has this digital ecosystem influenced China’s business environment? This is the question we will answer in this article.

WECHAT: the king of the digital ecosystem

WeChat or “Weixin” (micro message in Chinese) was first introduced to the Chinese market as an application offering messaging services (sending text messages and voice recording) and calling. Today, it has become the most used application in China. It has created its own ecosystem, Chinese users can do almost everything with WeChat: SMS, calls, video calls, surf the Internet, shop, buy clothes, book a plane or train ticket, book a hotel, order dinner, and many more! Companies need to leverage these features to gain visibility, have a good reputation, communicate with their users, and so on. WeChat is essential to a good digital strategy in China.

Companies can create a business account. This gives access to specific WeChat features that will communicate with Chinese users. Among these features: publish on Wechat Moments (which looks like Facebook newsfeed), use ads Wechat, use a QR code to share on other social networks to gain subscribers and visibility. Companies can also create a mini e-commerce platform (via WeChat html5 or via mini-programs), etc.

WeChat allows you to create an e-shop, but also an e-brochure, presentation of the services / products of the company, as well as its history, users learn more about the brand and are more likely to recognize it later or think about it when wanting to purchase this type of products. These pages are a boon for businesses because they are accessible without the Chinese users needing to download an independent application.

Thanks to all the functionalities that it offers to companies, WeChat is their ideal tool to communicate with their customers, but also within the teams of the company. Nowadays, WeChat has replaced emails, in Chinese companies or established in China, each employee uses WeChat to communicate with his colleague, client or manager.

BAIDU RANKING: The influence of the Chinese search engine on companies

Baidu is the second largest search engine in China with a market share of 82.2%.

It is an essential tool for companies in China since it is mainly via this search engine that the Chinese will look for products, services and information. And in a competitive market like China, companies had to start considering the notion of e-reputation.

Chinese users are very attentive to the image of the brand they use mainly because of the concept of “mianzi” which means the “face”, it is a very deep concept in Chinese culture, but in a word, it represents the image / reputation of a person. So, the concept of reputation is very important to the Chinese people. And because users value what their peers, friends and colleagues think about a product or brand, it can be very difficult for a brand to enter the Chinese market with a bad reputation. It is for this reason that companies must learn how to manage their e-reputation to succeed in this market.

To do so, creating relevant and creative content around the brand’s spirit and values ​​was a first step. Then the diffusion of this content on different social networks like Weibo, WeChat, in order to reach several targets. User engagement and customer potential was very important, companies learn to invite their followers to comment, give their opinion, like and share the content.

Online press publications are also a great way to have a good reputation online. Publish quality content on specialized press sites in its business, or on sites with more general content to gain more confidence with the Chinese.

SOCIAL MEDIA: The sinews of war

Chinese netizens are the most connected web users in the world. In 2018, they reached the threshold of 800 million users (of which 788 million use smartphones).

They have a particular approach to social media, they attach great importance to feedback from other users, they love new methods of communication (especially live streaming). They swear by WeChat, the main application to manage all aspects of their daily lives. The landscape of Chinese social networks is very different and complex compared to the Western ones. If companies want to succeed, they must benefit from the features offered by this platform to make the most of it.

WeChat remains an important social network with its “Moments”, but the platform is relatively closed compared to its competitors. Thus, if it is convenient for customer service and communication, however the app is less interesting in terms of implementation of marketing campaign.

Weibo, the microblogging social network similar to our Twitter (which actually offers many more services than Twitter) is one of the leading social networks in China. It is also full of opportunities for businesses. Like all Chinese social platforms, campaign opportunities on the site are very important. Among others:

-Weibo ads (however the ads are not effective in China)

-User engagement through marketing campaigns

-KOL Campaigns (Key Opinion Leader) which allow to put in place a marketing campaign, but also an e-reputation campaign since these personalities develop large communities who trust them.

Zhihu is not part of the leading social networks of the Chinese digital sphere, however it is a platform in full swing and promising many opportunities to companies. The site is similar to the Chinese version of the American site Quora (a forum Q & A). Thus, the intimate atmosphere of the platform is ideal for dialogue with potential customers. Besides, the educated community gives the company the opportunity to share its expertise on its industry / company and thus give users trust regarding the brand. This is a great way to give a good image of the company.

B2B: Forgetting Trade Shows, Say Hello to Alibaba and Tmall B2D

Nowaadays, trade shows remain the most common means of meeting other businesses to collaborate with, but in China, digital platforms have been developed to replace these salons which are very expensive, time consuming and requires a big organization.

Launched in 1998, Alibaba decided to launch its B2B platform to connect foreign business with Chinese wholesalers and vice versa.

Similarly, Tmall offers a slightly different service by launching the Tmall B2D platform (business to distributors) allowing international companies to find Chinese distributors for their product in the largest market in the world.

In a decade, China has gained a considerable advantage over other world economies by developing its own digital ecosystem. An environment that has pushed companies into a transition and digitization that is beneficial to them today and represents a significant number of opportunities for companies that will set up in the future in the Chinese market.

The post How has Digital Changed Business Environment in China? first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

That book, The Hotel on the Roof of the World, was published in 1998 and was praised for its humor and its vivid portrayal of Tibet just after opening to outside tourism. Foreign language editions have been published in Spanish, German, Dutch, Polish, and other languages. 

With tourism to Tibet breaking records—it met the goal of 30 million annual tourists last year, one year ahead of schedule, and now some officials hope they can hit 40 million this year—I took some time to review what Tibet was like in the late 1980s and early 90s. Le Sueur agreed to answer my questions.

Le Sueur was fascinated by the distinctive attributes of China and Tibet. He strolled through the market, where locals offered to sell him a Tibetan sword. He climbed mountains in the area, losing the path, but finding a better one. He struggled to find the best way to drink the least amount of rice wine and yak butter tea possible without without losing face in front of his too-hospitable hosts.

“It was certainly very exciting, seeing a nation on the brink of change. I still can’t believe the changes that have occurred in China in that time. If I think of my mother’s photograph of Chengdu – a sea of bicycles, Mao suits, all hair styles the same, no makeup, no individualism, to what it looks like today… that’s quite an incredible change,” Le Sueur wrote by email.

His mother had visited Chengdu and Mount Emei in 1980 when China first allowed foreign botanical tours after Reform and Opening.

Operating an international hotel in China was an endeavor that brought with it its own set of unique challenges. The Holiday Inn Lhasa was one of the first hotels operated by a foreign brand in post-reform China and only the second Holiday Inn. The hotel unit had been donated to Tibet by Gansu province as one of China’s interprovincial assistance projects. Holiday Inn was brought in for a limited period of joint management between a foreign team and a Chinese management team. Sometimes the two “parties” did not see eye-to-eye.

Writing a book was not Le Sueur’s original intention, but the idea came naturally. “I have always enjoyed writing and so many funny situations came up that I felt compelled to write them down,” he said. “I think the turning point, when I thought, ‘I must write this,’ was when we were informed in one of our daily morning management meetings that a uniformed guard would have to be posted outside the gents toilet opposite the Hard Yak Café as so many toilet rolls had gone missing.”

The foreign general manager was also a character. Ernesto Barba had been renowned as a marketing maverick for Hilton hotels, a master of attracting free publicity by staging grand openings and cultural shows, but his unconventional stubbornness caused a falling out. In Lhasa, he hosted a “Miss Tibet” show and built an outdoor pool at the hotel without approval from Holiday Inn’s central offices. Le Sueur nearly resigned in protest due to his imperious decision-making style, but they ended up working together until the end of Holiday Inn’s contract.

“He was brilliant in parts, charismatic, amusing, intriguing, clever, generous, an adventurer, a story teller, enigmatic, ‘a student of Buddhism’ as he once told me, a mentor, but also unorthodox, anti-establishment … and worse, he was manipulative, borderline psychotic and had some totally unacceptable beliefs (fascism for example),” Le Sueur said. In fact, Barba had a portrait of Benito Mussolini affixed to the wall of the restaurant when he managed the Sheraton Taipei. “People are complicated is what I learned.”

In 1997, Holiday Inn left, and with it, so did Le Sueur, Barba, and the rest of the foreign managers. The hotel still operates today as the Lhasa Hotel. Le Sueur moved to Belgium, with his wife, whom he met while both worked at the hotel, and wrote his second book, Bottoms Up in Belgium.

Tibet continued to develop and change, and Le Sueur has resisted going back. He doesn’t want to see it change so much that he doesn’t recognize it. 

“When I was there in the late 1980s there were still yaks being driven through the streets by the nomads who came into town in the winter,” he said. My full interview with Alec Le Sueur is posted at ChinaTravelWriter.com.

I visited Lhasa in 2016 with my younger brother and enjoyed observing temples with long lines of pilgrims from all over the province and country queuing for prayer and feeling the high alpine sun warm my skin. Sometime in the future, the Tibet I visited, too, will become just a memory.

The post An Old Hotelier Remembers 1980s Tibet first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

We love our smartphones, and they are steadily replacing more of our gadgets like digital cameras and alarm clocks, in fact, research has shown that making an actual phone call is way down on the list of what we use them for.

The average users are on his or her smartphone for more than two hours a day, with 25 minutes of that time used browsing the web, compared to almost 13 minutes making phone calls.

Unsurprisingly those that like to play online bingo at Swanky Bingo are not alone as game players generally use approximately 15 minutes on their smartphones. This really isn’t so surprising as many games like bingo have transferred over to the smaller screen exceptionally well, and this means you can enjoy a game with family and friends whilst taking part in your games whenever and wherever you choose for just a few minutes or a full session. Actually, the social side of bingo ticks a few boxes for many people as the social side of the game is as important as the games.

With most of us either aspiring to or owning a smartphone many are looking further afield from makers like Apple and Samsung and are turning our consumer heads towards China.

Currently the Honor 9 is the most powerful and compact device that Honor currently has on offer. With a 5.15-inch Full HD display (1920 x 1080) this great mobile comes with 4GB/6GB of RAM and 64GB/128GB of native storage.

Although the handset is no longer fuelled by the company’s flagship processor it does house the Kirin 960 SoC which is plenty of power.

Made of metal and glass, this great looking phone also has the feel of something rather special, plus it boasts a couple of excellent cameras on its back those being, a 20 megapixel and a 12 megapixel on the back of the Honor 9. The phone ships with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box and Huawei’s Emotions UI (EMUI) skin on top of it.  Priced at $399.99 on GearBest you can also purchase the Honor 9 for £469 on Amazon.

For a more expensive smartphone the Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 is to date, the most powerful smartphone Xiaomi has released so far. The phone has very thin bezels, and the main model is made out of ceramic and metal. The device comes with a good 5.99-inch full HD+ (2160×1080) display. Fuelled by the Snapdragon 835 64-bit octa-core processor, the pone also has a 3,400mAh non-removable battery. The Xiaomi Mi MIX 2 also has a 12-megapixel camera on the back, and comes with Android 7.1 Nougat and Xiaomi’s MUI 9 OS. Priced at $607.76 this is one investment you won’t regret.

The post Two Chinese Smartphones Worth Checking Out first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

Digital ads spending in China increased by 27% this year, reaching $50 billion and representing nearly 60% of paid media spending.

The new Advertising trend in China

In China, a country of 700 million mobile internet users, everybody is connected so, some new forms of mobile authentic content have emerged.

For example, last month a McDonald’s post spread among Wechat’s users, the most popular Chinese mobile app. The post didn’t talked about a classic fast-food ad, and people had to read all the post before finding out it had anything to do with McDonald’s.

In China , Brands have to be innovative if they want to get the attention of Chinese Middle Class consumers. For example: Get offers from Dealslands.

Now the new trend in China is a long-form social content, with the reveal of a brand name at the end. Typically the posts are created by online influencers, artists, writers who posted it on their own pages. Sometimes the stories don’t have a direct link to the brand but the most important thing is to deliver a story that is highly entertaining.

Storytelling in China made by KOL

Moreover, now, many influencers who are focused on art use it for promoting indirectly brands. For example, one Kol wrote a long post about “how women have been objectified by painters throughout history”; and in the end, he praised Procter & Gamble skincare brand SK-II. 

The growth in Mobile Ads

Mobile is becoming the leading ad spending channel in China. By 2021, almost 60% of total media ad expenditures and 82% of digital ad spending will be dedicated to mobile.

The growth in mobile ad spending in China has been encouraged by the companies such as Baidu, Alibaba, and Tencent which will take in nearly 72% of all mobile ad expenditures in China this year.

Digital ads spending in China increased by 27% this year, reaching $50 billion and representing nearly 60% of paid media spending.

China Advertising Market

Source : https://www.emarketer.com/Article/Mobile-Drives-Digital-Ad-Spending-China/1015367

Video Ads in China

“Video is the future of the Ads , because it is just more sexy for Chinese users” explained Philip the founder of GMA

Video ads spending is still a small percentage of total digital ad expenditures and it’s estimated 15.5% in 2017. This rapid growth rate is the result of better-quality video content and a larger supply of ad inventory.

By 2021, video ad spending will total $17.37 billion, representing 18% of digital media ad spending. In particular, mobile video will be a significant growth area, making up 72% of all video ad spending.

The post Top 5 Digital Advertising Trends in China first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

We all know there are more and more foreigners studying Chinese worldwide, and that there are increasing numbers of students heading for China to learn Mandarin Chinese.

For most who finally make it to China, it is very much part of growing up, achieving some form of independence—and, of course, a huge adventure to look forward to. However long the period of time students spend in China does not only involve language learning and there are a myriad of activities and things to do and see.

As part of getting a better understanding of what students most enjoyed about their time in China we caught up with Alan a young man form the UK who recently spent six months in Chengdu studying Chinese and hopes to return there in another couple of months once his next visa has been approved; but, this time, he will be job hunting as is keen on spending a couple of years at least working and further exploring China.

This is the basics of our conversation:

Hi Alan, how long did you study Mandarin Chinese in China?

I spent 6 months studying in a language school in Beijing then moved on to Guangzhou as for another 6, I felt I needed a change. The first few months were quite intense but then it all just clicked and I found myself able to converse quite comfortably about day to day matters

How many hours a week did you study?

I attended classes every day for 2-3 hours but did a lot of out of school work to really get to know the language, especially the memorising of characters part

Was it all study and no play?

No, we still seemed to have plenty of time to do other things, such as day trips (initially) around Beijing for sightseeing, then out of the city to see the Great Wall, of course; one time we even went skiing north of the city. The same with Guangzhou, plenty or recreational things to do—indeed, one time we went into Hong Kong for an overnight stay

Did you have much interaction with local Chinese people?

Yes it was great to be able to practice our burgeoning language skills in the markets and shops, enjoying new experiences and meeting all sorts of Asian women and men in the process. Some of the students got to know several Chinese girls and boys from a nearby school and they really liked to practice their English with us. In addition, there were some on our course who were keen to start dating Asian women; they got to know several Chinese women who have foreign boyfriends and they were able to introduce other Chinese girls to them. In fact, would you believe, one student from the US even ended up with an Asian bride as he married his girlfriend before he went back at the end of his course.

Sounds like you had a great time in China… what’s your next step with the language?

Well, I’m actively looking for a job in China where I hope my language skills will be useful, and where I can continue to develop and learn more to ultimately, attain fluency…

Wish you luck!

The post What else do students do in China apart from studying when they are learning Mandarin Chinese? first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

 

Much has been written and said about so-called leftover women in China; there have even been some documentaries made about the phenomenon.

It’s not a new subject, but one which seems to stir a variety of emotions—and one which can be looked at from two quite different perspectives: both the local view point and from a foreigner’s angle.

For those who don’t know, the term generally refers to Chinese women who attain the age of 27 and are still not married or don’t have a steady boyfriend in tow to whom they may become betrothed. It’s often a major issue for such women but, more particularly, for their parents who try all they can to have their daughter married off before they reach this magic age!

Many local men shy away from dating Chinese women once they reach 27, assuming that there is something amiss and that a normal women would have been married and possibly had at least one child by then.

Now, there are many reasons why some Chinese girls do not marry before they are 27, some elective and some a result of their own personal circumstances or preferences; yet, in any event, parental pressure to date or marry can be intense. Indeed, a micro industry has grown up on-line to cater for such women by supplying temporary or part-time boyfriends to show off and introduce to and appease the family, especially at certain times of year such as the Spring Festival/Chinese New Year.

Despite this deeply engrained tradition, with more and more foreign men looking to study Mandarin Chinese in the country, seeking employment or being posted to China, it may well be that the prospects for many of these leftover women is brighter than it has even been.

Why we would we say this?

Well, perhaps it’s due to a difference in cultures between that of many foreigners and local people in China; perhaps other factors come into play. Whatever the reason, we have observed differences between the way many foreign men, especially those looking forward to dating Asian women, will consider Chinese leftover women.

To most foreigners:

• age is not a key factor when they are first interested in or attracted to a woman; whether she is 21 , 27 or 35 is not always so important;
• this characteristic is very attractive: many leftover women have spent their early 20’s studying for and getting Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees, at the cost of missing out on getting married—in short, they are highly qualified women;
• it is appealing to have an Asian bride who is not only a highly qualified woman but who will also likely be very motivated and keen on pursuing an independent, successful career;
• it is not a negative to have a woman who is on par academically or even has a better career than himself;
• do not see 27 to as an impediment to dating Asian women but rather view it a plus, partly in view of the expectation that a lady around 30 is likely to be more mature; when many foreigners meet Asian women, certainly when they are in their teens and into their early twenties, they appear relatively immature in their likes (think about their love of Hello Kitty or other cartoon characters) and/or general behaviour

So, whilst leftover women may be forever disheartened by the lack of interest in them by local men, there is still the (growing) opportunity to find a foreign man to cherish and love them…

Do you know anybody in this sort of situation?

The post Leftover women: a different perspective first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

For many students going to China to study Mandarin Chinese, it can be an adventure of a lifetime; something new and very exciting…

No matter whether they head for a first tier city such as Beijing or Shanghai or maybe one of the smaller cities such as Changsha or Suzhou, most students find time to do more than just learn Chinese.

Sure, they work hard, and the lessons to learn a new language and a new set of characters to identify can be quite a challenge. However, the students get to meet new friends both from China and overseas, get a better understanding of Chinese culture, enjoy the local food and, certainly for many of the male students, get to know more about Chinese women.

No matter how long a student stays in China to learn Mandarin Chinese, whether it be just for a few months or for year or so if it is someone who is more serious about the language, there is always plenty of spare time to socialise and/or maybe travel to different cities, regions and provinces. Being in China also offers the chance for many young men, for the first time, to meet Asian women in their home environment, as it were.

On the other side of the coin, there are a number of Chinese girls who were born and grew up overseas who go back to China to learn how to speak and read Mandarin Chinese. They may have a rudimentary grasp of the language from their parents but, more than likely, the social and learning environment in the country they were born has probably had English as a first language.

For such women, as well as for any young men of Chinese ethnicity who were born overseas, going back to China to learn Mandarin offers them a chance to reconnect with their or their parents’ roots. It also allows them the opportunity to get a better understanding of indigenous Chinese culture, and maybe even get in touch with members of their extended families who still live in the country.

Most of those students who travel from all over the world and spend time in China feel enriched by the experience, with many of the men finding themselves dating Asian women whilst in the country. The women they date may have been classmates also learning Mandarin Chinese or possibly even a teacher from, say, one of the language schools. Many of these teachers may have only been qualified for 1 or 2 years and, therefore, are in the same age group as many of the students.

Again it works the other way too, and many of the overseas born Chinese females studying Chinese end up dating local Chinese men, with some even becoming the proverbial Asian bride. Such women may decide to stay on in the country after completing their studies, and seek a career and settle down with the man they may have met whilst attending a language course.

So, whilst most students head for China primarily to study the language and get a taste of living in the country, some end up in relationships with local Chinese women or men. As a result they end up staying, living and working in China for far longer than they had originally anticipated!

Know anyone this has happened to?

The post Learning Mandarin Chinese in China can lead to all sorts of things…. first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

Interestingly, more and more Chinese women seem to be dating or marrying foreigners these days.

There are, of course, a variety of reasons for this, with more and more foreigners living in China; better English communications skills of locals; and, of course, easier accessibility for Chinese women to be able to find and reach out to foreign partners via the internet or WeChat.

Yet, when most people in China talk about foreign men who date or marry Chinese women, they speak as if there is one single homogenous type of foreign man. Yet if you stop and think about it, you’ll quickly realize that this is quite an incorrect assumption—in fact, it’s almost like saying all Chinese women are the same.

In reality, no two foreign men are exactly the same: they may be from a wide variety of countries from around the world (USA, UK, Germany, Switzerland, France and so on), have been brought up in different cultures and have different ways of doing things; they will have differing viewpoints on issues of the day, not to mention speak all sorts of different languages.

So, why don’t we have a look at just some of the different types of foreign men who wish to meet Asian women:

• there is the younger foreign man who may be on holiday in China or doing a study course learning to speak Chinese and living in one of China’s main cities. He may only be in China for a relatively short period of time but, even after his first trip, has become seriously attracted to Chinese girls;
• then there is the young professional who may have been posted to China by his multi-national company as his first overseas posting in order to get some valuable work experience; he may have lived in the country for a year or so, has become familiar with the way of life and with some of the local customs and attitudes. Along the way he has also become totally enamoured with dating Asian women;
• moving on, we have the slightly older foreign man who has been in China for some time, and probably has reached a senior management position in his company or even started his own business; more often than not, his first marriage has failed and, having established himself in the region and not prepared to go back to his own country, may well be looking for a new Asian bride;
• and finally we have the older foreign man, maybe in his late 50’s or more likely 60+; someone who is either close to retirement or who is soon planning to stop working; he may be divorced from his former wife and now feels he needs someone to help take care of him in the twilight of his life. So, what does he do? That’s right, he actively looks for a Chinese woman as his next wife!

We’re sure you probably know some of these types of men from within the term foreign men. We’re also sure you can add a few more categories of men who fall for women from China… go on, have a bit of fun, see how many other types you can identify!

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The Key Opinion Leader (KOL) or called the influencers have the wind in stern in China. These public figures are mainly present on the digital platforms and represent for companies a real opportunity to develop their activities.

In this article, we will introduce you to these new digital personalities and the interest of touching them to develop your business. However, the tendency to use a KOL for brand communication campaigns has a certain price …

The Craze for KOL in China: A price to pay for brands

KOL tariffs vary enormously, ranging from a hundred dollars to several thousand. These new personalities have succeeded in understanding the strong interest that brands have towards them. Since the KOL hold a strong power in the negotiations, the prices for the publication of content can sometimes be incredible.

Indeed, celebrities like Xue Zhiqian ask for the publication of a post on Weibo more than one million yuan or 150 000 dollars or even the actress Fan Bingbing whose revenues rise this year to 74 million dollars becomes the best-paid actress in China.

These incredible sums that can be spent by brands to appeal to these personalities seems surprising but becomes a source of effective communication in a world where the Chinese consumer becomes tend to hate more and more advertising and spends most of his time on digital media.

The price charged by the influencers will also depend on several criteria:

• The extent and commitment of these subscribers
• The size of content to promote
• Social media used in the campaign
• The proximity and interest between the KOL and the brand

In China, you will find several types of influencers present throughout the Chinese digital ecosystem.

The first category concerns celebrities including actors, singers and television personalities. These influencers have a great influence on their communities and appealing to them as part of your promotional campaigns will require a substantial budget.

The price of a publication also varies from the media used. Indeed, in China, the most important media is WeChat, influencers therefore ask for a higher price for companies that want to reach their community through this network.

The first category concerns celebrities including actors, singers and television personalities. These influencers have a great influence on their communities and appealing to them as part of your promotional campaigns will require a substantial budget. Indeed, celebrities like Xue Zhiqian ask for the publication of a post on Weibo more than one million yuan or $ 150,000 or the actress Fan Bingbing whose income amount to 74 million dollars becomes the ” Best paid actress from China.

The second category is defined by digital personalities who are also called Wanghong. In China, two leaders are leading the way. Zhang Dayi, considered as the Kendall Jenner of China and Papi Jiang, a famous Chinese humorist, well known for her podcasts featuring the everyday life of Chinese people and ironically traces the news.

In 2016, she was voted number 1 celebrity in the Middle Empire and is often prized by brands who want to sponsor its content. They are, however, pay 20 to 40% less than our first category.

Bloggers, considered a real expert in their field, their community generally makes them trust blindly. Bloggers communicate through posts on their blog, conducting reviews or tests on the products they present. The general budget allocated for this type of influencer is between 100,000 and 300,000 yuan.

In fourth position, we have the Wemedia, these are small companies writing niche articles on the Weibo platform. The cost of a publication is around 1,500 to 60,000 yuan.

Finally, as a final category, we find leaders of opinion specialized in a particular field or industry. Let’s take the example of Wang Tao, a rally driver and editor at AutoHome. An expert in a particular industry will cost you between 1000 and 10 000 for a post.

Influence Marketing

The emergence of the digital sphere allows companies to integrate into their communication strategies, this new generation of influencers that will help directly or indirectly, brands to gain notoriety and visibility.

Influence marketing becomes an almost unavoidable technique for brands because of the ease of interacting more directly and easily with its target. The perpetual change of our environment allows the brands to adapt to it and to offer consumers more creative and interactive content to reach them.

We can see a general loss of interests of the individuals concerning the intrusive advertisements in the daily life of the consumers. They become more demanding towards brands. Engaging a KOL will allow you to credible your messages and position yourself as a more authentic brand.

However, as does the dissatisfaction of individuals from traditional advertising channels, Internet users are increasingly beginning to pay attention to those influencers who have many partnerships with brands, which they will judge to be less authentic and less truthful.

As we have seen, the prices charged by different influencers vary considerably depending on their reputation, the number of subscribers they own and the audience they can cover. It is obvious that for small companies, allocating a budget of $ 150,000 for a position on social networks is unfeasible. You need to analyze the influencers in the Chinese environment to target those that will match your expectations.

How to target the KOL and use their influence on digital media

At first, it will be interesting that you target the KOL that you feel relevant to contact for the development of your strategy.

Several ways are available to find the KOL you will need:

– Search engines on different digital platforms

– Databases and SEO databases such as Robin8, Newrank

– KOL agencies that will recommend the influencers they support.

When these two steps are completed, all you have to do is to provide the appropriate content to the influencer so that he can share and disseminate information to his community. Several means exist for conveying information.

The most common of these are social networks. As we mentioned earlier, WeChat is the largest social platform in the country, with no less than 800 million monthly users. The Chinese population is very active on the media as well as influencers. Products reviews are also a very popular tool, whether through a post on a blog or a video magazine, demonstrating a product has always had a positive effect on the purchasing behavior of the product. consumer.

These product reviews redirect influencers to another means of promotion that is social commerce. Indeed, each post made are accompanied by a link redirecting the user to your e-commerce site.

As a foreign brand, it is crucial for the good development of your activities on Chinese territory to understand and grasp at first the Chinese digital sphere, which is completely different from the one we generally known in the West. To successfully promote your products and services and gain visibility, you need to follow the trends of the digital ecosystem and what better way than targeting the KOL to attract your target.

In addition, developing a communication strategy for your Chinese audience generally requires partnering with a local partner.

The post KOL price are too high for most of Brands in China  first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

According to an announcement by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) of Russia on May 5, the country has placed the overseas version of the popular Chinese mobile app WeChat on a list of banned websites and apps, causing many WeChat users in Russia unable to access its normal functions. On May 11, the ban was released in an updated announcement on Roskomnadzor’s website, most likely as a result of Tencent’s efforts of communicating with Russian authorities to resolve the previous “different understandings of the regulations”. A Tencent company official wrote on a company microblog that they were “deeply sorry” for the block.

Some media commentators noted the irony with respect to China’s own restrictive regulations against foreign Internet content operators and internet censorship through the so-called “Great Firewall”. The ban has also been considered as a potential act made by Russia to add pressure to Beijing in economic negotiations.

WeChat is not the only communication & social networking app banned in Russia.  The mobile social messaging platform of BlackBerry Messenger, developed by Canada’s RIM, has also been prohibited, as well as the instant communication software application LINE, developed by the Japanese unit of the South Korean Internet firm NHN. The ban was said to be a result of violation of Russia’s relevant regulations in Internet security management and information protection. According to these regulations, software operators are required to register with relevant Russian government offices and store uploaded user data in Russia.

Developed by Tencent, the largest Internet company in China and now the largest company in all of Asia, WeChat is a social media mobile application offering features including instant messaging, audio and video chatting, content sharing, e-commerce, and e-payment, among many other optional services. First released in 2011, WeChat has reached over 889 million monthly active users in 2016, while WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger combined had about 1 billion users. Unlike its western equivalents, 90% of WeChat users are Chinese, though its usage has grown in neighboring Asian countries.

Since Facebook and Twitter are not accessible in China mainland due to internet censorship, WeChat has few competitors and dominates the Chinese social media app market, providing a combination of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp and Paypal functionality on mobile phones. It has deeply integrated itself into the everyday lifestyle of people in China in just a few scant years and has become a necessity for almost every Chinese smartphone or tablet owner. It is also the top mobile app among Chinese people travelling, studying and living abroad who use this app to stay in touch with family and friends at home, and for business communications and marketing. The blocking of WeChat in Russia, as reported by China State media, has “triggered wide complaints from the Chinese living in Russia, who said it has affected their daily life and work.” If the block continues, Chinese users in Russia may need to resort to using VPN (virtual private network) apps to access WeChat, much in the way foreigners are forced to use VPNs to access Facebook within China.

While Chinese users of WeChat in Russia may be frustrated by the ban, the relevant Russian internet regulations that prompted the ban are very similar to those already enforced in China. In fact, the Chinese implementation of internet regulation may have been the model of the recently imposed regulations in Russia. Last year, President Xi and President Putin signed a bilateral agreement that involved several internet regulation issues. It was reported that Moscow had begun to implement elements of China’s Great Firewall through the development of the “Red Web“.

Angela Lee writes at ChinaBuzz.co, an English-language blog that covers the hottest viral news in China.

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We at Learn Mandarin Now recently undertaken extensive research and put together a great article to help you decide if you wish to learn Chinese in China research—be sure to check it out.

The post Frequently asked questions about studying mandarin Chinese in China first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

Aliporn : Alipay New App is Turning into Hook-up Tool

Source Sixth Tone

Alipay handles the payment system of Alibaba but it also launches entertaining applications and service every once in a while. Recently Alipay launched an application which allows it users to post content including images and videos to 21 different circles. This app is called as “circles”. 18 of these 21 circles are public and everyone can post content in them and almost everyone can like and comment on the content in these circles. The remaining three circles are special because only women including teenage girls can post content in them and only rich men can like and comment on the content in these circles. Don’t know what was the purpose of Alipay to introduce these three circles but women have gone while and they are posting content with a lot of skin. Obviously, rich men are awarding them with their comments and likes. This features of Alipay’s new app “circles” has practically become the one of the best and most authentic hook-up apps in China. Obviously, this kind of reputation is not going to help Alipay so it decided to remove this feature and announced it publically. Some people may not like this decision of the company but most of them are in agreement and soon this feature will not be available in the app and people will go back to their usual hook-up apps and websites.

Treatment of girl with Leukemia sparked the controversy and raised questions on social media fundraising campaigns

Source Weibo

The next hottest news is about the post of 5 years old girl with Leukemia which got more than 150 million impressions in just two tags. This post also resulted in 55,000 discussions. Actually, the father of the girl asked help from Chinese people on WeChat. he explained his story in very heart touching manner and told how he lost his job just to treat his girls and facing serious financial crisis. His story touched many hearts and one financial company, Xiao Tong Ren, decided to raise funds for the girl. The company decided to pay 1 RMB for every re-post. Eventually, father ended up getting 2 million RMB which are equivalent to 400,000 US dollars.

This story took a whole new turn when some people started to investigate and found that the father owns three departments and not in financial crisis. Moreover, more than 80% of girl’s treatment expenses are provided by social security service which means father needed only 36,000 RMB to treat his girl and he can afford it. They also found that the father was also a friend with the authorities in the financial company which provided the funds. It was all PR stunt for them. So, the father came on social media and apologized. He also announced to give the funds to an already established Leukemia funds to help other kids with the same disease.  The end of the story may seem happy but it has certainly made people more suspicious about heart touching stories on the internet.

Chinese Legend Got social media Attention After Becoming Hollywood Manga

Every Chinese knows about Water Margin legend but this legend got the attention of the whole world after a genius stunt of Chinese photo editors. Actually, The Water Margin is a very famous legend from the Song Dynasty in China. At that time 108 people were outlawed to the mountains of Mount Li On. these 108 outlaws decided to make an army to fight the government but at the same time, some foreigners also attacked the country. The government decided to get help from these outlaws to fought those foreign enemies. Those outlaws showed character and fought bravely. They ended up becoming national heroes as they saved people from savagery. This was truly amazing because those outlaws got praise not only from people of China but also from the royal families. This kind of incidents is very rare therefore they become the legend because they are too good to be real.

The original images of these outlaws are still present and this legend got international attention when some young Chinese took those images and inserted the heads of popular Hollywood stars. The photoshopped images are very perfect and the choice of Hollywood celebrities is also very smart. It opened new gates to make old legends popular in international communities. People love to see their favorite actors in the unique style and they tend to learn about things which get associated with them.

The post 3 top Chinese social media news this week first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

The current political and economic situation in China motivates many foreign students to study Chinese and consider getting an education in China. Education is commonly cheaper in China than it is in Europe and the US. Moreover, the standard of living is high enough, and prices for essential goods are relatively low as well.

However, some students find it difficult to get used to living in China because they possess different mentalities than the Chinese mentality, and sometimes they also have language problems. To integrate into Chinese society at a faster pace, you can do the following:

Learn new characters

If you are not learning at least one new Chinese character (or hanzi) a day, then you are not learning fast enough. The best rate is three characters a day, as it pushes you just enough so can remember them later without too much trouble. Overloading your brain with new characters will be to your detriment.

Read a lot

How much do you read in Chinese? Do you try to at least read a paragraph or two from a story or news article each day? If not, your language proficiency will not improve swiftly. Reading also allows you to enter more into the cultural ideology of China and to understand life there to a greater extent.

Watch Chinese films

Though it sounds like lazy learning, watching Chinese films with English subtitles is a great way to use multiple senses for acquiring characters (hearing, reading, watching, listening) and to learn more about China’s history and culture. After watching many Chinese films, you might even start feeling Chinese yourself. You can even watch a reality show about foreigners who live in China: 《外国人在中国》.

Travel around the country

China is a huge country and offers many different regional cultures. To understand Chinese life in a comprehensive way, travel to different ends of the country. The worst thing to do is to stay in one place in China and assume you know what being Chinese is like.

Communicate with native speakers

Reading, listening, and writing in Chinese is great for practice, but unless and until you communicate with native speakers, your language proficiency will not grow fast. Plus, when you communicate with native speakers, you will gain a larger understanding of Chinese culture, of mistakes you are making in your speech and writing, and of many unexpected things about China.

Write in Chinese

Writing in Chinese is no easy task, however it can greatly improve your understanding of signs, restaurant menus, and even contribute to your speaking. A lot of people cannot remember characters properly until they have seen it written down.

Attend language courses

Studying by yourself can be a lonely endeavor. Learning in a social environment can give you added motivation, interaction, and help in the process of learning this often-noted most difficult language of the world.

Delve into Chinese culture

Chinese culture is ancient, as most know. Reading deeply into the history of China will supply you with a new perspective on China as a whole, past and present. The more you learn about China as a country, with its etiquette, rituals, ceremonies, and traditions, the more you will feel at home and motivated to be a part of this great country’s life.

As an ending note, cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou are the most popular for foreigners to live in. Major cities are more expensive to live in, but also more comfortable. But whatever city you choose in China to live in, do your best to understand its history, traditions, and peculiarities.

The post How to Integrate into Chinese Society as a Language Learner first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

Even though Chinese outbound tourism favorite destinations are other Asian regions like Hong-Kong, Japan, Taiwan, South-Korea, Thailand and Singapore, Chinese tourism in Europe remains strong and especially in France.

As of Q2 2015, France stands on the 6^th most visited destinations according to TravelChinaGuide figures. Italy comes 7^th, followed by Switzerland 8^th and Germany 10^th. Let us focus on the favorite Chinese tourists French destinations.

What are the favorite cities in France that Chinese like ?

According to the biggest travel forum in China, mafengwo and qyer, you will find the top 10 destination in France for Chinese travelers.

1-    Paris

Paris (Bali in Mandarin) obviously ranks 1^st. The romantic French capital and its rich historical heritage, its numerous museums, monuments seems to attract most of the attention.

2-    Nice & Cote d’Azur remain popular

South-Eastern France city Nice arrives second. Last year the city recorded an increase in tourist number of about 60% mainly explained by the Chinese millionaire boss that offered vacations in France for over 6,000 of its employees.

3-    Lyon is growing in fame

Lyon comes 3^rd, the central-eastern French city of Rhône-Alpes is getting more and more tourist attention over years. Lyon is known in China as the French capital of gastronomy and its football team. Football (soccer) is a growing interests for Chinese people on online platforms such as WeChat and Weibo. Lyon even has its own Weibo blog page. According to the Weibo page, Lyon’s places that receive the most review are as follows: Bellecour square,
Fourvière Cathedral, Saint-Jean Church, The Gallo-Roman amphitheater and the Tête D’or park According to the Chinese travelers, the old Lyon is very appreciated for its serenity and its numerous red roofs. The Lyon Bouchons[1] are really appreciated for their authentic and great taste. The universities and superior education schools are often talked about.

4 – Avignon & Provence

Avignon has gone up the ranks as it has attracted more Chinese tourists recently. The great romantic fields of lavender of the Provence region is one of the most known French places in China. A Chinese TV-show had a few episodes that took place in the Provence region, strongly increasing its fame. The episodes depicted the actors around French castles and huge flower fields.

5- Annecy shines,

Savoy city Annecy in the eastern-part of France is also increasing in popularity among Chinese tourists. The mountainous Savoy region and its numerous lakes sightseeing opportunities appeals to the Chinese tourists. In addition, local tourism authorities are making efforts to promote the region features abroad. Daniel Cavalli, Annecy tourist office director said “It is true that our general plans are to prepare the future and to assure good tourism figures.” “Annecy residents will have to get used to see more and more Chinese and Russians as we know the number of tourists will grow.”

6- Marseilles rises

Southern France city Marseilles recently appeared in the top. The France second largest city after Paris is also witnessing a growth in popularity. Much like Avignon, Marseilles streets have been used on the set of a Chinese TV-show called Family on the go which had over 145 million viewers. Marseilles has also a unique partnership with China, as Chinese retail giant Alibaba give small Marseilles businesses specialized in authentic local food and products some financial aid so that they can export their products in China.

7- Cannes

Yet another Southern France city is fairly well ranked among the top. Cannes comes 7^th. The city is making efforts to appeal to the Chinese rising outbound tourism. Most of Chinese tourists come in the city for its various luxury and cosmetic fashion stores. Several professionals in Cannes already have Weibo and WeChat account where they promote the city’s attractions. The Cannes tourist office is already providing a hybrid tour guide that combines AI and human interaction in order to answer their questions and help them booking hotels, restaurants, etc.). Furthermore, the tourist office developed two applications that provide Wi-Fi to the Chinese tourists so they feel reassured.

8- Bordeaux’ popularity is decreasing,

Many Chinese people know about the French wine, and especially about the Bordeaux region.  The city used to be on the third rank. According to Laurent Goulvestre, Asia specialist the number of Chinese tourists in France should rise from 900,000 to 4 million over the next five years. Thierry Charpentier, Chamber of Commerce declared “Most of the Chinese tourists go to Paris, we have to convince them to visit Bordeaux as well”. Bordeaux has been reported to be the 12^th most visited city in Europe by Chinese tourists, as much as Florence or Vienna.

9- Burgundy & Macon tourism are trendy

On the 9^th position, Dijon from the Burgundy region. The region is growing popular among Chinese tourists, Insee figures showed that the number of Chinese tourists went from 5,000 in Q4 2010 to over 35,000 in the same period in 2014. Burgundy hotels reservations are booming, especially thanks to the Chinese. Usually Chinese tourists land in Paris and travel down south and pass through Beaune and Dijon.

10- Eastern France & Alsace

Finally, Strasbourg in the Alsace region (eastern France) is closing the top 10. Yan Yu, tourism consultant in Strasbourg assured that Chinese tourists come into Alsace for the culture and the historical heritage. “In Alsace, there is a long history and a rich culture. In Strasbourg, there is a mix between the European district and the Petite France. Chinese tourists are looking for the difference, and they indeed find this in Alsace, something that they do not have back home.” According to Chinese tour guide Lili Jia “Chinese people do not know Alsace history and the changes that Europe went through”. She brings them to the common local tourist points of interests and then go with them on the wine road.

[1] Authentic restaurant where you can eat local food and Lyon special recipes

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Chinese tourists have been getting a bad rap overseas. China is the biggest outbound market and more than 120 million Chinese people went to travel abroad. The market is so prosperous that people want to attract more and more Chinese tourists. They are also high spenders and thus, a very lucrative market in the international scene. However, the volume makes it more difficult to not stumble upon some, let’s say, “Difficult” cases. China actually created a “black list” where each Chinese tourist who misbehaved are included. Even the government and the CTNA (Chinese Tourism National Association) want Chinese tourists to correct their behavior. It has gotten so bad that Japan wants to create specific zones only dedicated to Chinese tourists …

But let’s not get too serious and see the top 10 bad behavior in the Chinese Tourist “Done List”

1: Chinese tourists climb up a Sakura tree in Japan

Source: Net Ease

About a month ago, videos and pictures went viral in Japan when some Chinese tourists were caught climbing up Cherry Blossom Trees. The national Japanese TV even commented on this disrespectful behavior.

2: Singing the Chinese national anthem? Yes! Singing it to protest for a delayed flight? Less enjoyable …

In 2015, a flight from Orient Thai Airlines in Bangkok, Don Muang Airport was delayed due to bad weather conditions and other maintenance operations. The plane was mainly filled with Chinese passengers. When Orient Thai Airlines announced the unfortunate but necessary delay of 6 hours (3 am takeoff instead of 5.40 pm the previous day), the 260 Chinese passengers started to burst in anger and to sing (loudly) the national Chinese anthem. A video of that event can be found on Youku.  Obviously, these passengers are not part of the blacklist club.

3: Make a poo …

Source: NextShark

This one is one of my favorites, even though it’s quite disgusting. A grandmother was seen helping her grandchild to poo in the street in the UK at Bicester Village. Of course, to make it a bit classier, she decided that it should be done very close to the Burberry store, a luxury brand … One of the burberry’s visitors didn’t hesitate to take and post a picture which went viral on Twitter. The worst part is that toilets where just like 50m away from the Burberry store …

4: Opening security gates to get some air? Why not!

Source: CEN / Dailymail.co.uk

Really, Chinese tourists get stuffy sometimes and just decide out of the blue, to open the security gates before it’s, of course, allowed. According to last events, it was not the first time that this kind of thing happened last year in 2015, 2 Chinese customers opened 3 of the emergency exit is in Kunming.

5: PooPiPoo again but in another place …

Source: Shanghaiist

I don’t know why but there are some Chinese tourists have issues with toilets when traveling. Maybe they feel that it’s not a good environment for their child, they better be outside, in nature … Anyway, during a Chinese domestic flight from Nanjing to Guangzhou (South of China), a mum decided to help her child defecating on the floor, on the plane. Yes, you read me right … The woman said that the toilets were too small for her and her husband + the child who needs to defecate …
6: Huge argument in a plane, Cambodia

Source: Bloomberg

3 Chinese passengers starting a huge argument in a plane which was about to take-off. For what reason? (We know that legroom is an issue in planes, but still …) Because a woman was leaning her chair too backwards. The man behind her got pissed off and started to argue with her. Neither the flight attendants nor other passengers of the plane tried to ease the conflict. It went worse and worse until the French pilot decided to take action and through the 3 Chinese passengers out of the plane. Due to this unforeseen argument, the plane took off one hour later the initial scheduled time. China also decided to add them to the wonderful blacklist…

7: US customs are getting some strange offers …

Last month in 2016, at JFK Airport, in New York,  a Chinese woman who was in possession of US$160,000 worth of luxury products in her luggage was stopped and asked to pay a fine by a US customs official (which is normal according to US regulations). The Chinese women, apparently a mum, didn’t want to pay the fee so she offered a quite strange service to the US customs official. She asked him in exchange for letting her go with the undeclared products to sleep with her. The US customs official didn’t take that bet and decided to report her.

8: After defecation let’s talk about urination …

Source: Youtube – TOMOnews

Two Chinese tourists really wanted to pee so they decided to get some clothes on and start urinating in an unfortunate South California shopping mall store fitting room. After the event, women entered one of the fitting rooms to try on some clothes and saw a huge mess mix of clothes, tissues and …. some liquid … The managers didn’t catch the two women but decided to put a sign “don’t pee in the fitting room” sign …

9: Let’s start a small fire …

A man was arrested when he tried to set the plane on fire on a domestic flight of Shenzhen Airline (again) coming from Taizhou and with a destination to Guangzhou. There were 95 passengers on the plane and the man involved was sitting in the first class. Then he went on to the second class to threaten people with a knife. There were 2 slightly injured passengers.

10: Everything free looks good for a souvenir

Very recently again, a Chinese passenger of Cathay Pacific didn’t want to go free-handed off the plane without a little souvenir from Hong Kong. She got creative and snatched the live-jacket underneath her chair to give it surely to one of her relatives or friends. She was unfortunately caught by Hong Kong customs and had to pay a fine of HK$2,000 (roughly equivalent to US$257)

Do you want some more? If yes watch this video:
beh
Olivier from GMA

The post Top 10 Chinese tourists’ bad behaviors first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

The Oberoi Vanyavilas in Jaipur (INDIA)

The Oberoi Vanyavilas is India’s leading luxury jungle resort on the edge of the Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve. The luxury tents with finely embroidered canopies, luxurious bathrooms and private walled gardens are in perfect contrast to the ruggedness of the jungle.

The Upper House in Hong kong (CHINA)

Offering panoramic views of Victoria Harbor and the City, The Upper House offers a central location on Hong Kong Island, just above Pacific Place.

These rooms are stylish and modern and feature a luxurious bathroom.

Alaya Ubud Resort in Bali (INDONESIA)

Alaya Resort is located in the heart of Ubud, the cultural centre of Bali. The resort in the middle of rice fields, is offering tastefully-decorated rooms and an outdoor pool.

The contemporary Balinese-style rooms and private terraces overlooking the natural greenery.

This hotel has been highly recommended by Tour From Bali as one of the best

The Ritz Carlton in Shanghai, Pudong (CHINA)

Offering a luxurious atmosphere in the city center, the Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong is a 5-star hotel with a view of the Huangpu River and the Bund. It features an indoor pool and an exclusive spa.

The Raffles Hotel in Singapore

Raffles Hotel is a colonial-style luxury hotel named after British statesman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the founder of Singapore.

The hotel was declared a National Monument by the Singapore Government,

Read more about how to Promote your hotel in China

The post 5 luxury hotels in Asia first appeared on CHINAHUSH.

Over the last year, we at Learn Mandarin Now have been interviewing a wide variety of experts who are learning or have learnt to speak or write Mandarin. The questions we put to them were a selection of the top questions which we get asked by students of Chinese—and, today, we’re happy to share these questions and a summary of the top 5 answers with you:

1. How can I learn Mandarin Chinese quickly and without too much stress?

Obviously a key question, as who doesn’t want to fast-track their learning?

The most popular answer: go to a country where Mandarin Chinese is widely spoken, ensure you commit to speaking only in Chinese for the duration of your stay (say three months) and spend a high proportion of your time each day studying the basics of the language.

You can alleviate your stress levels by setting you own pace and get to a level where conversing in Chinese will be possible in a matter of months, instead of years.

An alternative if you can’t travel to China, and also way where you can set your own pace, is to get a tutor and schedule conversation practice every day.

Then there are some really great, informative and helpful daily Mandarin Chinese Podcasts available on-line to listen to.

2. What is the best way to memorise Chinese words and/or characters?

Another big challenge for almost all students!

Yet, a question with quite easy answers: the best way to memorise characters is to actually put yourself in a situation where you’re regularly using the words in context. That could mean going to live in China, it could mean going to a local market or, possibly, using different platforms to find conversation partners you can use certain words and phrases with.

Another very popular way is to use spaced repetition software such as the Mastering Chinese Characters series from Anki. A number of students have found success with this because it offers full sentences with audio, and helping learners understand the various components of speech.

Then there are really useful articles such as how to write Chinese characters offering 12 great tips and more…

3. What are the most common mistakes made by English speakers when learning Mandarin Chinese?

We all make mistakes when learning a new language, but how to identify and mitigate them is a key to success.

One of the most obvious mistakes is not learning the pinyin and tones properly and this warrants dedicated, regular practice from the very beginning. This is particularly important if you’re learning Mandarin through the immersion method because few Chinese speakers have standard pronunciation. Neglecting the standard pronunciation may be fine for native Chinese speakers, but it adds an extra layer of comprehension difficulty when you already have a foreign accent.

The second biggest mistake many students make is getting the word order wrong. Chinese grammar isn’t too difficult but, because there are fewer markers to indicate nouns, verbs, etc., it’s even more important to get the word order correct.

Perhaps the third biggest mistake is word usage as Chinese words rarely have a like-to-like translation from English. This can create difficulties since using the wrong word for the context often makes a sentence incomprehensible to native speakers, even though the word may have come straight from the dictionary. One solution is to often ask local people what word they would use and always remember that translations aren’t always like to like.

4. How long does it take to become fairly proficient conversationally in Chinese?

Sometimes called the million dollar question!

Fairly proficient is inherently quite subjective, so it is a hard question to answer in a way that will satisfy everyone. For some people, they can comfortably have in-depth conversations with locals, whilst others are happy to maybe just use some set phrases for ordering food at a restaurant or taking a taxi.

There are other differences too where some students can’t fully follow a group conversation even though they’re fine in one-on-one interactions so, in short, different people have different definitions of proficiency.

Proficiency is always evolving so reading articles such as how to speak Chinese which include top 10 tips from experts is sure to help!

5. Which Chinese learning App is the most recommended?

There are lots of Apps out there but many people keep coming back to one of them.

Pleco is by far the most important App that every Chinese language learner should have. It has so much functionality that it’s easy to recommend this as a single go-to App for everyone: it has flash cards, dictionaries, vocabulary lists, a clipboard reader, and so much more. Most people who use Pleco will never use all of its functionality but, for those who learn how to use it in-depth, it can offer everything you need.

For further tips on Apps and other useful aids on how to learn Chinese take a more detailed look at our site at http://www.learnmandarinnow.com

As you can appreciate, our students and followers had a lot more questions but we have limited them to the top 5 in this article, and hope that the answers help you get ahead in your own Mandarin studies!

Please feel free to contact us with any questions as we’ll do our best to try and help…

The post 5 top tips to help you learn Mandarin Chinese: great advice from a variety of experts first appeared on CHINAHUSH.