Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

As reported by Der Spiegel, a hotel in Bavaria recently issued a notice regarding its Chinese tourists, reminding non-Chinese guests to be aware of “special Chinese table manners,” including making loud sounds and burping, as it is part of Chinese culture. 

The hotel responded to questions by saying that the notice could free the hotel from liability of tourists from other countries complaining.

The behavior of Chinese tourists has become a constant source of concern as the number of Chinese travelers going abroad soars. Speaking loudly, paying no heed to instructions and little appreciation of local customs have seemingly become a label attached to them. Tour sites reminding Chinese visitors to observe proper manners are not something unheard of.

What is unusual in this case is that the Bavaria hotel asked other tourists to understand the special nature of Chinese culture instead of asking Chinese tourists to change their behavior.

Is this understanding appreciated? A lot of Chinese netizens were quite offended by Der Spiegel projecting a few people’s bad manners onto an entire nation’s character.

They cited the ancient proverb of “no sounds while eating, no words while sleeping” to prove that Chinese custom also frowns on noisy eaters.

Table manners are nothing more than a trained habit, but it could become an issue of discrimination or cultural chauvinism when it happens between two countries.

One netizen commented: “Chinese were looked down upon when they were poor, and also when they get rich. Why is this?” Another sneered that “an old capitalist country acts arrogantly.”

Eating loudly is unpleasant. But to be honest, noisy eaters are not exclusive to China. The Japanese, for instance, are said to have the habit of intentionally making noise while eating noodles. On Facebook, there are groups dedicated to the eradication of the bad habit of eating noisily.

Are Chinese tourists unfairly stigmatized or do they indeed have a problem with etiquette? Chen Tong, editor-in-chief of sina.com, commented on the Der Spiegel article on his Weibo: “Obviously, the author hasn’t been abroad many times. Many other countries are no less noisy than China.” But he also gently advises Chinese tourists to watch their behavior when they are in other countries.

Size could make a big difference. China has become the world’s leading tourism market. When Chinese people travel abroad in large groups, minor details can be more easily noticed and amplified.

Also, as many Chinese tourists take overseas tours in groups, the companionship of several countrymen creates an atmosphere of familiarity that puts them more at ease.

In contrast, people who travel in small groups are usually better-off and more educated, and tend to follow local habits more closely.

There is also the element of cultural difference. Due to the lack of a clear division of social functions, such as cocktail parties, formal dinners and bar meetings, group dinners in China often serve the function of a party, where liquor is indispensable. In this sense, loudness is inevitable. Traveling abroad is an occasion worthy of celebration for ordinary Chinese.

Equally, cold-dish parties are difficult to accept for Chinese with no overseas experience. A Chinese friend told me that his father, who is from Shandong Province, insisted on sitting on a staircase to eat at a party with his son in the US.

Eating loudly is seen by more people in China as an impolite and uncivilized habit. On douban.com, a Chinese website focusing on culture, there are numerous threads discussing how to promote proper table manners.

A post about how to signal to people who make annoying sounds at the table is followed by active responses.

Government-initiated campaigns aimed at “civilizing” people have also put table manners on the radar. Cities such as Harbin and Baoji have been trying to promote “table civilization,” encouraging the public to keep the sound low at table and not wasting food.

Sooner or later, bad table manners will be a thing of the past in China. But giving a friendly reminder might work better than issuing a notice.

The author is a commentator with the Global Times. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn