Face
“I’m sorry” the local person may reply if you comment on the poor weather or air quality. Every good guidebook will tell you about this famous Chinese trait.
To loose or save face is the ‘be and end all’ in Chinese culture. Loosing face can arise from being late, being excessively drunk one night (unless with a leader, then that's maybe OK) or simply an inability to drink as much alcohol as your Chinese counterparts. Everyone can loose face and no one is immune.
Loosing face doesn’t mean people will suddenly sever contact with you, indeed not (for to be rude in such a way is also to loose face) but they may look down upon you, think lesser of you – even though they won’t mention it directly. Gossip is certainly the fuel of ‘face’ in China and it is impressive how quickly news about someone’s private life can get around families, communities and workplaces.
Usually foreigners are not included in this frenzy of talk but should you stay a while and get acquainted with locals or colleagues this could be something to watch out for. Better avoid being critical of China and its institutions, be wary before passing judgment on food and so on, and don’t if at all possible, put down a work colleague or leader of any organisation with others who work there. This doesn't mean at all that Chinese cannot be trusted. They are helpful, kind, honest and very diligent in their work ethic but 'face' does play a part of how people communicate. If you plan to stay a while, be sure to check out our living in China section.
It should be noted here that foreigners are not permitted to teach or talk about sensitive issues while staying in China (these mainly comprise of political and religious matters or just stating your opinions on these topics – foreign teachers should never refer to these topics in any of their classes, which includes references to ‘Christmas’ for example). Best to play safe, we think.
It’s best to stay friendly, positive and chat (not disagree) about matters such as sport, fashion, culture or other relatively simple matters of daily life and pleasure. Oh and don't forget to stay humble. Allowing someone through the door before you is common and very much saves someone's face! There are many more small acts which constitute saving, winning face.
