5 Tips for Being Friends with Chinese

When I first came to China I was amazed by how easy it was to connect with Chinese people, but
becoming close friends with them was another story. I knew that different cultural norms and
language posed a challenge, and it took me a while to figure out how to approach this kind of
friendship in the right way.

“Isn’t it a great pleasure to have friends coming from afar!”

Chinese personality and character are greatly influenced by their history and culture, especially by
Confucian ideology. The quote above is a famous Confucius thought which shows the Chinese
attitude towards foreigners – they are very friendly and welcoming to newcomers. Nevertheless,
having Chinese friends can sometimes be challenging due to the language barrier and cultural
differences. In this article, we bring you five tips on how to overcome these obstacles and become
good friends with Chinese:

1) Keep in Touch with Your Friends Using WeChat

WeChat is one of the biggest social networks in China. It is a must-have app for handling everyday
life in China because it offers a wide range of services, but it’s primarily a social platform that helps
you to easily connect with people. Messages in WeChat can be translated from Chinese to English
and vice-versa, which is a great way to stay in touch even with the non-English speaking friends.
WeChat groups allow you to connect with a circle of friends who have similar interests and hobbies
as you. Adding contacts on WeChat is a very common thing, so I encourage you to add all people
that you find interesting, no matter if you’ve just met them!

2) Food Sharing During the Dinner

Sharing food and chatting has always been a part of Chinese tradition. Dinners are as much
important for making friends as for meeting with business partners and making business deals. The
most common way is to have dinner at a restaurant while sitting at the round table which rotates. In
this way, everyone can share the food that is served. Making a toast is done by saying “ganbei”
while slightly tapping your glass on the table before taking a shot. Chinese dinners are a great
opportunity to taste delicious food and share funny stories with your friends.

3) Become a Karaoke Star at KTV

A common misconception is that Chinese people don’t party. This is so far from the truth! KTV
stands for karaoke television and it is a place where the party starts! You and your friends will get a
private room with a karaoke machine, order some snacks and drinks and the fun can begin. Each of
you will choose some songs and wait for your turn to perform. KTV is a place where even people
with stern faces let down their guard and show others their singing and dancing moves. Having fun
at KTV will help you and your friends to get past shyness and language barriers.
4) Master Your Poker Face

You are at the bar or a club and suddenly you hear a loud noise of rolling dice – don’t be surprised,
someone is playing the Liar’s dice! Liar’s Dice is a very popular drinking game in China and
playing it in a foreign language is a unique experience. This game is usually played with five dice
for each player and shaking cups. The goal of the game is to accurately predict how many dice with
the same number are there at the table or to correctly guess that one of the opponents’ predictions
was incorrect. Apart from imbibing the alcohol, you get to perfect your poker face while calling
others’ bluff. This game is a great way to bond with Chinese as well as other foreign friends.

5) Learn More About Chinese Culture

When I first came to China, I had so many questions. I was curious about the trend of drinking the
hot water, dancing at the squares, the meaning of “saving the face”. Also, I couldn’t understand why
some people burn joss paper at the crossroads and why my friends don’t let me pay the bill at the
restaurant. Answer to most of these questions lies in the Chinese culture and in order to understand
the behavior and opinion of your Chinese friends, you will need to know more about it. From
personal experience, the best way to do it is to ask your friends. They will be impressed with your
interest in their culture and this will strengthen your friendship even more.

Cross-cultural friendships teach us that we all have distinct ways of handling life situations, from
dealing with hardships to celebrating successes. They may take more work, sometimes even
throwing our believes and convictions into question, but they will make us more open to making
changes and embracing different ways of thinking. Immersing yourself in Chinese culture will be an
experience of stepping outside of your comfort zone, but at the same time coming closer to getting
to know yourself better.