Learning about the culture and customs in China can be fun and interesting. There are a few things you should learn before you visit China or meet with people who have come from China. By respecting their customs and culture, you show them honor.

In China, there is a concept of "face." This can be roughly translated as "honor" or "reputation." You don't want to do anything that may unintentionally cause someone to "lose face." This may be something as small as how you receive a gift or business card from someone or something major that shows great disrespect. Learning the culture helps to avoid these kinds of situations.

Greetings should be formal. The eldest person in the room should be greeted first. It is not proper to greet someone with a hug or a kiss. It is much more appropriate to use a handshake.

When giving gifts, do not give sharp cutting utensils, as this symbolizes a severing of your relationship. Clocks, flowers, sandals and handkerchiefs are symbols of funerals. They do not make appropriate gifts. Never give four of anything as four is considered unlucky. Eight is the luckiest number in China, so a gift of eight items brings good luck. If you receive a gift from someone, do not open it until later.

When visiting a Chinese household, it is polite to remove your shoes before entering the dwelling. A hostess gift is appropriate. Eat whatever you are given; turning down the offer of hospitality is rude. Some Chinese consider it rude to show the inside of your mouth. This is why you will often see women cover their mouth when they are laughing, eating or yawning.

Many Chinese still follow the Chinese lunar calendar. It starts with the Chinese New Year, which may arrive anytime from late January to mid-February on our calendar. They may use this calendar when figuring their birthdays, so if they tell you their date of birth, it may not be when you expect it to be. For example, if they tell you they were born on April 7, this translates as the seventh day of the fourth month, which will be counted from the beginning of the Chinese lunar calendar. Their birthday will fall on a different day depending on when the New Year began, unlike in the calendar we use.

The Chinese New Year celebration can last for a couple of weeks. This is the time of year when families travel to be together and they celebrate with fireworks, banquets and family activities. Businesses close and everyone takes time off. It is traditional to make dumplings on New Year's Eve and eat them at midnight to symbolize good luck. Debts should be paid off by the year's end if possible to get a fresh start on the New Year.

Learn some of the common gestures used in China to better understand what is going on around you. Pointing with just the index finger is seldom done. Usually pointing is done with all four fingers. If someone wants you to come to them, they may extend their hand with the palm down and wiggle their fingers. Westerners may interpret this gesture as shooing away. It means the opposite. Use it to catch a cab or a rural bus, too.