The rise of the ugly China tourist

[skylee]

It seems that this article of the Straits Times has led to some heated debates (at least on the internet) -> The rise of the ugly China tourist

A relevant report in Chinese -> 海峽時報列大陸客醜行

Views?

[Song You Shen]

It's very understandable, and I think that this line sums it up...

"It really depends on what strata of society they come from. As more Chinese get richer and become more exposed to other cultures, their social habits will improve just like Singaporeans did."

Yes, they will improve like the Singaporeans, then after they "improve" some more, their social habits will change just like Americans did... revertting to being loud and obnoxious and acting like they own everything! hehe ;)

Youshen.

[yorkie_bear]

oh, conflicting views on this

more and more chinese tour groups are coming here in Thailand. On the one hand, i cringe when I see a large group with their sunvisors, screaming their head off and smoking around a nice quiet temple.

on the other hand, it's great that some have the money and opportunity to actually exit the country these days.

in general, mainlanders are very confrontational and loud. It sounds like they are standing up for their consumer rights now - something which they did not have the liberty to do under a 'socialist' system of say 20 yrs ago. They probably paid a fair whack for the holiday and don't want to feel ripped off. Probably 'face' has a lot to do with it too, and groups of people egging each other on.

what i find even more interesting is how in somewhere like Hong Kong for example, HKers generally look down on the mainlanders, but have to suck up to them big time cos mainlanders are the ones keeping the tourist & service industry alive there. You don't see many HKers in the LV/prada/gucci/burberry shops there.

[skylee]

You don't see many HKers in the LV/prada/gucci/burberry shops there.

ha ha, they (or we) do this in France/Italy and get treated the same way as Mainland tourists in Singapore/Malaysia.

So classical Chinese for today - 相煎何太急

[chenpv]

i am feeling sorry for them and those bad habits like 'smoking, spitting,crazy shopping etc' are annoying. while i believe we are improving ourselves step by step in every aspect and its impossible to overcome all of those overnight, however they are still leaving a bad impression on others. i have no words to defense for them but behave myself then.

[马杰]

You can see them in the mainland, even on the newest sleeper cars, with no smoking and spitting signs, you can here village bosses tossing big wads and smell their nastly local cigarettes.

As the local bosses die off, then mainland society will truly evolve.

[aeon]

As the local bosses die off, then mainland society will truly evolve.

I hope you're right, but I'm not so hopeful. It's not just local bosses that spit, litter, chain-smoke in your face, barge, push in and use any means to ensure that they are first and damn everyone else. Crass and inconsiderate public behaviour seems so ingrained in China that my first thought on hearing that Mainland tour groups would be visiting the UK in larger numbers was "Nooo!!!"...

It's a shame for that proportion of the Mainland population that is as dismayed as us foreigners by the bad behaviour, as you are all going to be tarred with the same brush...

[xiaocai]

It's a stupid reply, I delete it.