Activity 2.5 – Comparing physical greetings: China vs. England
Greeting a person in both the UK and China is sometimes like taking a leap of faith. As a result of huge cultural difference, our English ways of saying hello are somewhat useless in China. I, personally, wouldn’t hesitate to greet someone I know with a hug, and may even go as far as a kiss, regardless of gender. Doing this in China would undoubtedly attract some odd looks, from both the ‘hugee’ and any surrounding audience. In China, a subtle bow to an acquaintance, or a more formal handshake would be expected. Even ‘ni hao’ may be shrugged off depending on the situation in which you find yourself. Shopkeepers may not even look at you. It’s true: in England, we welcome a vast array of cultures, and so this creates a degree of confusion and uncertainty.
Unlike fifty years ago, when a mere British handshake would be omnipotent, the 21st Century presents us with a challenge.