If you search a bit, a few weeks ago I asked about places to visit on my upcoming trip to Shanghai.
Now I’m considering what would be an appropriate American gift to bring to my Chinese hosts. I hesitate to bring alcohol, or anything liquid in a glass jar so I can avoid complications at security.
But what would be a good gift that is somewhat uniquely American that would be appreciated by my hosts? American Tobacco products? candies? BBQ sauce? Peanut butter? Cowboy hats?
Democracy and a good bottle of brandy.
I’m a fan of nice coffee-table books with glossy pictures of your home state. It’s something they can’t get over there, doesn’t take up at on of space, and the English writing makes it clear that it’s from abroad.
Special food products from your home state (hot sauce, maple candy, whatever) would also be appreciated- most Chinese cities have their own special foods that Chinese people are eager to share, so they appreciate learning about yours.
That said, many Chinese are not particularly fond of Western food (my students thought peanut butter was the grossest thing ever) and common Western food items are relatively easy to get in larger cities, so keep in mind that it’s the thought that counts and get something special with a story to it. Tee shirts from your hometown (but nothing too obnoxiously American…flags and stuff might not be appreciated) are another good option.
If you do go with liquor, Chinese people tend to be rather brand-conscious and use liquor to display status, so you have to get something good. Very high quality cigarettes are also a status product, and run-of-the-mill brands won’t be impressive.
For cultural reasons avoid clocks, knives or other cutting implements, white flowers and green hats. All of these have negative connotations when given as gifts.
Expensive cognac seems to be popular.
My Chinese doctor (in China) refused to let me pay him. He only asked that I bring him a carton of Marlboro lights in the soft pack from America.
Alcohol is no big deal at security if you put it into checked luggage.
As pointed out above, anything uniquely local would be appreciated. Make sure you tell a good story that xxx is only available or the “best” from your State. also if there is something your hosts are interested in and then bringing an American version
Not sure where you come from. For example, if you’re from Tennessee, then bringing a decent bottle of Tennessee Whiskey and explaining that it’s the best, really famous, you only get the good stuff from your home town (Jack Daniels is for gringos), etc. Booze is usually a good gift but needs to be “special” in some way as in really expensive cognac or has a great story. One of the best presents I ever did was a bottle of Jack Daniels 25 years ago to a group of Tibetan friends I had. Told 'em this was good booze from where I was from and we of course proceeded to drink the whole thing. Wine from your neck of the woods (although Chinese usually aren’t big wine drinkers. That said a $20 bottle probably costs 3-4 times more in China. Just make sure you have a story and a nice lable.
Costco is a good place to go get a big old honking box of something, preferrably with individual portions, that you could give out. Ghiradelli chocolate, n,uts dried fruits.
Jazz and blues CDs, the more instrumental the better. I was going to suggest iPods, but then I remembered where those are actually made.
Halloween is becoming more popular. I bet a big bag of supermarket Halloween candy would go over for those “small” presents. it would be good because it’s shareable. As in, get a big ol honking halloween bag of tootsie pops (which are hard to impossible to find) and recepients can eat themselves, share or give to their own kids as treats. Should be a crowd pleaser if you need to give something but want to go cheap.
Jazz and blues CD’s are not exactly special unless you have something very specific for a fan. There are legal free download music sites that have a very extensive range of music. Not to mention all of the file sharing sites that are out there. And I say this as a huge blues fan.
Tootsie rolls…or tootsie pops?
I was thinking candy…but I had heard our candy was considered too sweet
(or should that be tootsweet)
tootsie pops. At least it was a crowd pleaser with my kids and all their school buddies. They were also really hard to find in China.
You can never go wrong with giving a present, especially candy, to someone in China and say “I brought these for your kids.”
By a similar token - Great Firewall circumvention software. And a complete Wikipedia archive on DVD (I don’t believe it’s blocked at present, but these things change.)
Unless you’re visiting someone VERY well off, “kids” will not be correct. One kid. Period. Google “one child policy” and read up.
If you don’t want to carry liquor, buy it at the duty-free shop and they’ll deliver it to you just before you deplane.
As others have said, something famously from your area is always good. It’s not necessary that it be something your hosts will use. It’s a big status thing in China to have a gift from an American friend, so whatever you give may well be put on the mantle (or in a little shrine or some such) and never touched again. Having it there for visitors to see will be a long-time benefit to them.
Do not (as some people have done) give the pillow chocolate from your hotel as a gift. No, I’m not making this up.
While “Great Firewall circumvention software” is an amusing comment, possession of such could get you and/or your hosts in BIG trouble.
Whatever you choose, wrap it in red paper (or better, take along red paper and wrap when you get there, to avoid baggage-handling wear).
I don’t suppose China Guy knows what he’s talking about here, and must be very very glad for your instruction to go Google a topic he’s seen and experienced firsthand for two or three decades.
Maybe it’s time to do your own research. Shanghai is actually actively encouraging two-child households. There are a number of exceptions from the one-child policy, including ethnic minorities, some rural households, and marriages involving two only children. It’s also pretty common for a household to have a number of nieces, cousins, etc. hanging around.
I don’t know of any specific firewall-circumvention, but there are widely used subscription VPN services. The operate pretty openly and a private citizen (and especially a foreigner) is highly unlikely to get in trouble for using them unless they are doing something nefarious. That said, most people don’t feel any particular need to go around the firewall. Most blocked sites are as interesting to the average Chinese citizen as, say, the China Daily is to most Americans.
I understand opium is well received.
“kids” is generic and can mean a lot of things. For your single child, for children in your extended family, for your childs’ classmates/buddies, neighbor kids, and it might even be that you’ve got several kids of your own. BTW, spend some time in the countryside and then come back and tell me about the 1 child policy. Also tell me what socio economic class they happen to fall in.
The one child policy has plenty of exceptions even in Shanghai. Or at least Shanghai did for the past 12 years that I lived there. And in Chinese, one normally says 你的孩子for someone’s child/children. The plural 孩子们 is generally used as “kids” as in “get off my lawn you kids” rather than your own children.
I think your China experience might be fairly limited. It certainly reads like you have not spent time in Shanghai. Given the OP is visiting on business, the people he interacts with should be reasonably international and probably won’t make a shrine out of a bottle of maple syrup or bottle of local wine.
And the great firewall of China just ain’t that hard to circumvent if you want to.
My time in Shanghai was short and some time ago. I’m aware of (at least some of) the exceptions to the 1 child policy (ethnic minorities are 17% or so of the population) but a one-child family is AFAIK still the most common arrangement.
Plurals being uncommon in Chinese, even if you said “for your kids” in English it’s likely that no one would be offended. I was being excessively pedantic and not very accurate.
> won’t make a shrine out of a bottle of maple syrup or bottle of local wine.
Lots of variance in personal taste, both here and there. My point was that a gift that the OP’s hosts would use themselves was probably not necessary.
Once again I have posted incautiously. The irritation and offence were not intentionally I assure you.
The gifts that my wife usually brings are booze (e.g. Canadian ice wine or Canadian whiskey) and health food/vitamins (e.g. seal oil capsules and Canadian ginseng).