1. How would you show hospitality to a foreign visitor to your home?
Having a foreigner over to your house can be a difficult task. It is hard to be sure that you will cook something they will enjoy eating. We usually cook many types of Chinese food and persuade them to try every dish. I have found that most foreigners like Sichuan food, such as Kongpao chicken and Mapo tofu. We drink beers with them, normally Qingdao beer, their favorite Chinese brand, and we may talk about our cultural differences.
2. In China, when people visit other people in their homes, do they usually bring a gift?
When people in China are invited to someone's home they do not usually bring a gift. They just offer to have the host over to their house next time，in order to return the favor. Sometimes a guest may bring Champaign or wine, but the host usually has everything prepared. You just need to bring manners and humbleness. If it is a special occasion，such as someone’s birthday, of course we would bring a gift. However, there is a unspoken rule that we should rather give money for weddings and wakes.
3. Would you say the new generation today is less formal than previous generations on the question of how to treat guests?
Younger people would rather treat guests out to a restaurant, because they do not have to go through the hassle of cooking and dish washing. Also, the new generation enjoys going out for drinks a lot more than the older generation. There are a lot of modern bars in China nowadays; and sometimes we like to go out, drink, and talk at a bar after dinner. Younger people would rather open their pocket than open their homes. My parents’ generation usually prefers to have guests over to their home, because it is more meaningful, and it is a more relaxing atmosphere.
4. How do Chinese people welcome guests?
Usually when Chinese people welcome guests into there home, they prepare large feasts. Chinese people like to have variations in the types of dishes they serve, so that they can be sure that there is something that the guests will like to eat. They also usually make more than enough to eat, so that they can be sure the guest will be full. There are usually a lot of leftovers after they have a guest over. Chinese people also like to have some beer or Chinese white liquor to drink with their guests. Chinese people are very hospitable, and treat their guests honorably.
5. Would you say Chinese people like to have visitors come to their home?
Yes, Chinese people like to have visitors if they are friends. Inviting someone to your home means that you are close to them, and that you trust them. I like to invite my friends over for dinner on special occasions, because it is more meaningful than taking them out to a restaurant. I do not like having a lot of people in my house. Another thing I hate, and I believe most other Chinese people dislike, are surprise visits or when people you run into on the street invite themselves over. It is rude on their part, and it puts you in an awkward situation.
