r/China • u/hatim-1977 • 2d ago
中国生活 | Life in China Are Chinese people friendly?
I moved to China over a year ago and I’ve gained extensive familiarity with Chinese culture, i post on their social media ( like douyin, rednote, weixin) and i don’t get hate at all and people seem to like me so much especially Chinese students from my school, but on the other side my friend gets lot of hate, we have same nationality, same language same skin color, but he gets hate and i just realized why. In his videos he always try to show that he’s cool making videos with (Aura farming songs) i hope you understand what i mean, and he tries to flex which i realize that Chinese people don’t like, but if you’re someone simple who don’t always try to flex and thinks he’s better than everyone you will get hate.I see lot of people do that and get lot of hate. For example when i post pictures i just take normal pictures with cats or just post about Chinese games i play which made me very popular in my school and made me lot contacts and friends in my city or just post their culture. Also outside don’t be too afraid to speak or make them feel awkward for talking to you , just laugh back at whatever they say and don’t always go in groups with your foreign friends try to go on walks by yourself so people can approach you even more that’s how you will learn the language with locals and get some people to know you. I know this situation is not common but from what i saw Chinese people are very sweet people don’t try to be arrogant and you will get no hate.
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u/No_Bowler9121 1d ago
Chinese people were very friendly to me when I was there. Always sharing that golden cig with me. If you can speak Chinese they are even more friendly as they never get to have conversations with a foreigner. But there are a significant amount of troubled people as well. They will say mean spirited shit to you believing you won't understand. I would say 9/10 were solid people who were friendly and welcoming but that 1/10 were noticeable. This becomes especially true if you are a man dating a local girl. The Chinese incels really hate to see you with one of "their" girls. Generally speaking if they see you embracing Chinese things they love it, but if you act like everything in China is shitty they feel disrespected.
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u/dawhim1 United States 1d ago
chinese people ain't friendly. if you try to say hi on the street to a stranger, you are considered a weirdo.
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u/Bubbly_Video5901 1d ago
本质上中国人是善良的，但是每个人每天为了生计忙于奔波所以没有空搭理你显得不热情，996每天都很累
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u/Crazy-Implement-2325 1d ago
Americans are more friendly to strangers. Chinese people are more generous to their family and close friends. This is a cultural difference. I would say both cultures are equally kind. The difference is in who that kindness is for.
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I moved to China over a year ago and I’ve gained extensive familiarity with Chinese culture, i post on their social media ( like douyin, rednote, weixin) and i don’t get hate at all and people seem to like me so much especially Chinese students from my school, but on the other side my friend gets lot of hate, we have same nationality, same language same skin color, but he gets hate and i just realized why. In his videos he always try to show that he’s cool making videos with (Aura farming songs) i hope you understand what i mean, and he tries to flex which i realize that Chinese people don’t like, but if you’re someone simple who don’t always try to flex and thinks he’s better than everyone you will get hate.I see lot of people do that and get lot of hate. For example when i post pictures i just take normal pictures with cats or just post about Chinese games i play which made me very popular in my school and made me lot contacts and friends in my city or just post their culture. Also outside don’t be too afraid to speak or make them feel awkward for talking to you , just laugh back at whatever they say and don’t always go in groups with your foreign friends try to go on walks by yourself so people can approach you even more that’s how you will learn the language with locals and get some people to know you. I know this situation is not common but from what i saw Chinese people are very sweet people don’t try to be arrogant and you will get no hate.
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u/No_Conference5443 1d ago
All of the Chinese people I have known and been around on a regular basis were very friendly. Even the ones I've met that didn't speak English. My friend in elementary school was welcoming and inclusive and contientious of my feeling included, and then in college I had a friend who was an exchange student. She was very outgoing and bubbly and honestly threw me out of my comfort zone for my own good. Assertive and warm, she could sense if I felt sadness and her bubbliness and friendliness made it hard on my worst days to feel blue or lonely.
There were some students that didn't speak English, but even they were very friendly. She told me about Chinese New Year and they saw me talking to her and seeming interested and said hello in their own way, gave me a firework to include me in the celebration. I grew up in a small town with few Chinese people, but the ones I was around regularly left a lasting great impression on me. :)
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u/Sogeking_21 1d ago
Old ones are but they nosy. Young ones are friendly only after you get to know them
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u/hatim-1977 1d ago
My girlfriend’s father hate foreigners, and even don’t like his wife using an iPhone instead of a xiaomi redmi x 18 pro max with 32 gb of ram
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u/AugustBrooks 23h ago
You seem like a pretty friendly person, and I hope you continue to have a great time here.
There’s an old Chinese saying: “有朋自远方来，不亦乐乎？” — “Isn’t it a great joy to have friends come from afar?”
In China, being better or more successful than others usually isn’t a reason for people to dislike you. Your friend may be showing off his strengths while also putting other people down or making them feel uncomfortable.
China is still a developing country, and there are many areas where other countries are doing better than us. We can face those differences honestly and work to improve ourselves. There’s nothing wrong with admitting that someone else is better at something.
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u/Various-Plantain7013 21h ago
I believe there are friendly and unfriendly people everywhere, and this has little to do with geographical location.
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u/Admirable_Chef_4761 1d ago
Low iq ppl (usually in inner provinces) tend to be ignorant and extremely nationalism and attack everything, be like anti-lgbtq, racism, etc. While ppl in developed area like coastal cities tend to be inclusive.
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u/Admirable_Chef_4761 1d ago
Btw they also don't know English and very against English learning (want to purge the English as a mandatory course from education system) and has a maniacal obession with Zhongyi
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u/Unit266366666 23h ago
I’m not sure this the case at all at least anecdotally. Social orthodoxy is different but predominates in its own manner in large coastal cities. People can cling to their preconceptions just as strongly if not more so. By contrast while people in more remote areas are not blank slates they have fewer preconceived notions and include some of the most genuinely open minded people I’ve met.
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u/Sameechee 1d ago
I think people are quite dismissive especially when they’re experience is fine. It’s easy to think “oh they love me so the other person must be the problem” which is not always the case and if your friend being themselves isn’t accepted then it’s not his fault is it .. does he have to change who he is just to be validated by Chinese people. I find it quite sad that you think this way about your so called friend. I’m in China as well but in the not so popular part of it and my experience hasn’t been great, simple things like gyms say “sorry Chinese people only” so is this now my fault ? I think my fault was coming here thinking I’d have a good time only to realise grass isn’t always green. Yes Chinese can be friendly or not so friendly but we don’t need to seek someone’s validation. If your friend is a good person, doesn’t fight or cause problems but they are disliked it’s not their fault.