What Tourists Complain About in China: The Country’s 8 Biggest Downsides

Sometimes tourists leave the country with mixed feelings: they see more drawbacks than advantages. So what exactly upsets and disappoints foreigners in China?

From the Great Wall of China to the skyscrapers of Shanghai — thousands of our compatriots set off every year to discover the unique culture of the Chinese. However, sometimes tourists leave the country with mixed feelings: they find more drawbacks than advantages. So what exactly upsets and disappoints foreigners in China?

1. Littering everywhere and eating constantly

Not long ago, a story made the rounds on the internet about a tenant in China who turned a rented apartment into a real garbage dump, not taking out the trash for 2 whole years. Those who have been to the Middle Kingdom won’t be too surprised by this fact: the Chinese are, to put it mildly, an untidy people. In public places, they are accustomed to throwing garbage at their feet. Typically, this is packaging and leftover food. And Chinese people eat everywhere; on the same trains, there is often nowhere to sit because of the large amount of garbage on the floor. And their snacks often disgust Europeans.

Chinese people eat tuna eyes, boiled chicken heads, or hairy pig skin. And at the end of the meal, they will invariably let out a loud belch for the whole area to hear.

2. A spit in the foreigner’s soul

In China, you can come across a sign reading “No Spitting”. In ancient times, it was believed in the country that swallowing saliva and phlegm was harmful. Even at official meetings of the state’s top officials, there was always a special receptacle for spitting. Over the long years, this habit has taken root. Today, the authorities are trying to combat it, but so far, it hasn’t been very successful. Tourists are very upset by this fact.

3. The toilet topic

Another pain point for travelers is the culture of the toilet, or rather, its absence. Some Chinese people, without any embarrassment, relieve themselves literally wherever the urge strikes. By the way, there is even special clothing for children with an opening at the crotch seam. In it, a child goes to the toilet when and where they want: for example, in a store or on a playground.

4. On the brink of ecological disaster

China’s rapid development is affecting the ecology. The harmful effects of polluted air are felt not only by the permanent residents of numerous “human nests” but also by tourists who have come for a short while. During their vacation, they often complain of coughing and runny noses.

In the Middle Kingdom, they even developed an app where anyone can monitor the ecological situation in real time. But it helps little: Chinese children already have nasopharyngeal problems from kindergarten, and some also have skin issues.

5. The metro in Middle Kingdom megacities

For thrill-seekers, a ride on the Chinese metro at rush hour is just what the doctor ordered. Passengers storm into the cars in droves, even though no one has exited yet. Due to the overload of the transport system, specialists work in the metro who literally cram passengers into overcrowded cars. If the doors don’t close, they simply yank the “extra” ones back onto the platform. And yes, finders keepers! No Chinese person will give up their seat to a pregnant woman or an elderly person.

6. Internet control

Since 2003, China has been using one of the most sophisticated internet content restriction systems. Abroad, it has been nicknamed the Great Firewall of China (by analogy with the Great Wall of China: the English words wall and firewall are consonant). It blocks many popular foreign resources. Even if you use a reliable VPN, the speed will be very slow. Not only “unauthorized channels” are filtered, but also search queries if the program suspects something seditious.

In the PRC, there is no access to foreign messengers. So the internet in China consists purely of local platforms: apps, news sites, and entertainment resources.

7. No complexes

Everywhere in China, the so-called “Beijing bikini” is widespread. This is a practice where men in hot weather bare their rounded bellies in public places by rolling their T-shirts up to their chests. This habit was named by English-speaking expats in the 2010s, although the phenomenon itself goes back many decades. The point of such a performance is this: by demonstrating their corpulence, Chinese people allow the body to “breathe” and be saturated with “qi” cosmic energy.

8. Men with long nails

Another not very pleasant sight is representatives of the stronger sex with an unusual manicure, a long pointed nail on the thumb or little finger. Previously, such an element of appearance meant that its owner was not engaged in hard physical labor and belonged to the upper strata of society. What this relic of the past is needed for today is unclear.

9. In the spotlight

It is simply impossible to visit China and not end up in the lens of local residents: Chinese people love taking pictures of Europeans, especially fair-haired and blue-eyed ones. Sometimes they do it from under the table. The impression is created that you are a superstar targeted by paparazzi cameras. While this phenomenon might entertain you at first, by the end of the trip, it will definitely be tiring and even annoying.