How to prepare your trip in China?

If you want to be prepared to your trip, start to find out about Chinese Food in China. Indeed, all chinese food you can eat in chinese self-serve buffets doesn't represent the traditional food in china.

Chinese Food in France VS Chinese Food in China

• For french people, traditional Chinese food is peking duck, sweet and sour sauce grilled pork, spice marinated beef... Actually, Chinese food in China is really simple, lots of people are eating on the go, in little stands in the street.

• You can eat fried rice, ravioli and soups because you can find it in restaurants. But these meals will be hidden between some offal meals and chicken legs! Be carefull, Chinese food can seem really disgusting for occidental people. Try to be guided by someone who know what you will be able to like as a Chinese foodie beginner 😉

• You can't find it in France but you may have heard about eating insects as cockroach and scorpions in the street. Actually it is kind of uncommon. Lots of Chinese Person can tell you that you are just going to find these dishes in Wangfujing road in Beijing because this is a tourist-trap ! It is approximatly the same for dogs. Indeed, it was a tradition before but now it is forbidden in many cities and we can not see dogs selled on market place anymore as if it is a common thing.

• Perhaps you think that chinese food doesn't deal with desserts. Actually, in Chinese self-serve buffets in France, you can eat litchis, ice cream and French pastry. In China, even if most of the time, tourists confirm this affirmation, and have the impression of eating watermelon everytime, Chinese food contains lots of desserts based on rice and sesame paste and coconut milk. The reason why occidental tourists can't find traditional desserts is because most of the time they are too slimy and not sweet enough to be liked by tourists so they don't propose them in restaurants!

• Finally, don't forget to chew and to swallow loudly to demonstrate how delicious this meal is ! Noise is a synonym of quality !

Traditions and manners differ from France to China. If you want to be integrated to this marvellous country, don't be shocked and keep your mind opened about these following habits:

• Chinese persons spit constantly and everywhere, even if it’s inside a building or next to your feet.
• Chinese people speak very loudly. Sometimes it seems like they are screaming when they are talking.
• Many toilets consist in a hole in the ground with walls on each side, but open at the front. Thus, there’s no privacy and it could be very annoying sometimes.
• When you get on a bus, train, at the ticket office, the concept of a queue does not exist, which means that there’s no rule and it’s often the law of the strongest. This explains that you will often be pushed when you join the queue for something.
• The Chinese government controls media. Some websites such as Facebook are banned in China. You won't have access to it unless you hack into the system.
• If your shoe size is 7 or more, finding a pair of shoes makes you very lucky. Chinese people have very small feet and you might have some difficulties to find shoes that suit you.
• Chinese people are very welcoming, and you will often receive smiles constantly on your way. Moreover, if you are European, they might take pictures with you. Even more if you have blond hair and if you are tall.
• Chinese people take lots of pictures of everything. It’s very funny to watch! 😀
• People feel really comfortable in public spaces. They dance, play mahjong, cards. There are a lot of entertainments in parks, streets. It’s very different from Europe.
• Unlike our culture in which our elders are left behind, in China being an elder is a synonym for knowledge and wisdom. That is why they are highly respected by younger generations.