The Art of Gifting in Chinese Culture
There are many aspects to Chinese culture. Chinese culture ranges from being humble, having manners, greetings, virtue, teachings, respect and much more. There are so many aspects involved in Chinese culture that we could write a book on it, but today we will discuss an important part of Chinese culture for businesses, gifting. For traditional Americans, gifting usually only happens during Christmas, Thanksgiving (when they give back), or during special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries. In China and in Chinese culture especially in business, you will see gifting happen quite a lot. Below we will go over a few main types of gifting in Chinese culture.
Visiting Gift
In Chinese culture and traditions, respect and virtue is extremely crucial. When you visit somebody, whether you are visiting their house or anywhere else you must bring a gift. It is a way to express politeness and respect for the other person you are visiting. In most cases, people will bring a fruit basket or crackers and cookies. In Chinese culture, this doesn't just show your respect for them, it also makes yourself seem like a more respectful and polite person. So remember, whether you are visiting a Chinese friend from a different country or just meeting up, bring a gift!
Post Business Meeting Gifts
Most of us have heard about the long business meetings in China. Some people find the long meetings tedious and useless, but it is apart of Chinese traditions. China has more than 5000 years of history and Chinese culture and traditions have always been apart of the history. Regardless if you find the meetings tedious or not, it is very necessary to be there at every single meeting if you want to close the deal. In traditional Chinese culture, people like to gather up, have dinner and enjoy their time. That's why it is hard for people to try and close a deal or get a contract signed the first time they meet for dinner. This is where the Chinese tradition of gifting comes in. For example, before the dinner you will take time to talk to the people, then have a photo taken with them. Afterwards, the long meeting you can have your assistant send the photo back to them as an excuse to set up another meeting. Your hoping to develop a strong relationship with them so you can gain their trust for future deals. Chinese believes heavily in sincerity. Being sincere and gifting a lot is a great way for them to remember your brand as well as build a strong relationship.
Gifting to Child
You might have noticed a lot of Chinese parents tend to gift to their friend's child instead of their friend themselves. The reason behind this is because, in Chinese tradition, in a way the child represents their parents. That is why you always hear Chinese parents telling their child to not make them look bad. According to Chinese tradition, when you get married you're supposed to give out red envelopes, but you will never give out red envelopes to people older than you or same generation as you. So, when you are really trying to gift a friend, you can do so by gifting to their child. This is indeed a confusing topic so if you have questions please contact us. One way to understand these Chinese traditions is by actually traveling to China or hanging out with Chinese friends and family members to see these Chinese culture in action.
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