The Rise of the Dragon

From the previous issue, I talked about the types of gift giving that exist in China.

The following are some basic gift giving guidelines:

• Similar to as in Western societies, occasions to give gifts include birthdays or wedding days, as well as for special holidays or parties. Often gifts are also given as a way of saying thank you. Just as anywhere else in the world, what you give depends on how well you know the recipient. And the ideal gift needn’t be big or expensive. It should, however, be something that the recipient would appreciate.
• Give gifts to people you visit, as a way to thank them for inviting you.
• When giving a “visiting” gift, find something the whole family can use. For example, give food or tea. Or, give something that is important in your home country or community. For example, you might give wild rice from Minnesota or a framed photo of your family.
• In China, tradition dictates that the recipient not appear greedy. Therefore, he or she will often decline a gift two or three times before accepting. If you’re the giver, offer again until it is accepted after the third time. At the same time, Gift-Wrapped Box, especially in business, your gift may be absolutely refused, so don’t press beyond several refusals.
• Don’t be offended if the person does not open the gift in front of you. Chinese people do not usually open a gift in front of the giver. It might embarrass them. They will open it later, then call or write to thank the person for the gift.
• Wrap the gift well. Do not leave the gift in the store’s bag. Use colored ribbons to wrap a gift using these colors: Red for general and happy occasions, black and white for funerals, gold and silver for wedding gifts

Business Gifts

• In business, show sensitivity to people’s status. Give the same type of gift to people at the same level. Or present a gift to a company or organization instead of one person. Giving a gift only to an individual is not acceptable unless it is being given in private as a gesture of friendship.
• Be sure the value of the gift is not extravagant.
• Unless it’s a symbolic event, don’t photograph the event of giving a gift.
• If negotiations are involved, gifts should be presented once they are finished.

Receiving Gifts

• Here are some general rules for receiving gifts in a Chinese way:
• Gifts should be received with both hands when presented to you.
• Chinese people who have had contact with Americans or other Westerners might expect you to follow the American custom of opening the gift in front of the giver. To avoid confusion, you can always ask, “Would you like me to open this now?”
• Call or send a thank-you note. And, if possible, offer a gift back on a suitable occasion.

Gifts to Avoid

• Scissors, knives, or other sharp objects can be interpreted as the severing of a friendship or other bond. As a gesture of friendship, if you do want to give these items as a gift, ask your friend to give you a very small amount of money, such as 10 cents or One RMB in return for this gift. By doing so, you would have ’sold’ it to him rather than given it to him.
• The following items are to be avoided as they are associated with funerals: Straw sandals, clocks, handkerchiefs, four of any item [the Cantonese word for “four” sounds similar, in the same language, to “death”], gifts or wrapping paper in white, black, or blue.