Miss Manners Takes on Shanghai

March 21, 2006- Tiffany

After living in China for 6+ months, the first words that come to my mind when describing a typical Shanghainese person's manners do not include courteous or refined. As China prepares for it's international debuts (Olympics and World Exhibition), the government is taking steps to correct the country's bad behavior, as highlighted in the following article. What Zach and I were most surprised about was the fact that the 'spitting' habit was not addressed.......

Shanghai Gets a Manners Makeover
Shanghai Daily, February 22, 2006

TEACHING local residents not to stare at foreigners and scream out laowai (translates to outsider/foreigner in Mandarin) will be one of the main focuses of an etiquette program that begins on Saturday. The program is also aimed at teaching people how to act in society, with family, in the office, and on campus. One million local families are expected to take etiquette classes as part of the program over the next five years so that they can politely welcome visitors from around the globe when Shanghai hosts the 2010 World Expo. "Shanghai is developing into an international metropolis. Accordingly, Shanghai people should also master international etiquette. It is an emergent and important task," said Qu Meng, an etiquette expert. The city is currently recruiting 400 volunteers to teach etiquette classes in neighborhood communities. A survey conducted by the Shanghai Women's Federation suggests most local women are eager to learn more about etiquette. The survey suggested some current faux pas include walking along the street in pajamas, and using vulgar language.