About China Rules 101

China Rules 101 helps foreigners avoid awkward (or genuinely offensive) moments in China — before they happen.

Our guides answer real questions: Can I give a clock as a gift? Where should I sit at a Chinese dinner? What should I bring when meeting my partner's parents? Every guide gives you a direct answer, the dos and don'ts, the cultural background, and safer alternatives.

How we write about culture. Chinese customs are not uniform rules. What offends a 70-year-old host in a traditional family may be completely unnoticed by a 25-year-old in Shanghai. That is why every rule on this site separates traditional beliefs from modern everyday practice, and notes how much a rule matters by region, generation, and context. We avoid claims like "Chinese people always…" — because they are almost never true.

Where our knowledge comes from. Our starting point is a compiled body of traditional Chinese etiquette material, and we are gradually verifying and extending it with published sources. Items we have not yet verified against an external source are clearly marked.

What we are building. Beyond guides, we are building structured tools — starting with the Gift Checker — so you can get a specific answer for your specific situation in seconds.