Hospitality

One of the traditions of the Chinese is formalities and hospitality. We were really treated as important guests in the places we went to in Guangzhou. The first stop was at The Chinese Primary School (Hua Qiao Xiao Xue), where we were greeted by the friendly principal himself. We were led around the school campus, going around classrooms (and wondering why they are still teaching English in Mandarin), to the school courts where we saw the streams of small school kids running about (pretty much like those found in Singapore, or anywhere else in the world I suppose)... At night, when we visited the Language University, we also experienced the traditional Chinese way of welcome - food. We were treated to a dinner by the directors, one which would probably be considered lavish by their standards. Perhaps not for many of us though. There starts the formalities... First was a pre-dinner welcome speech by the faculty director, where he gave a short introduction of the school and his colleagues, followed by thanks to our professors, before inviting them up to say a few words as well. Of course, toasts were exchanged around the tables too. All done in a rather formal setting, as if there were social rules governing them... That anything less would be considered disrespectful to their guests.

Something that feels rather superficial to me actually. Under the disguise of formalities, we wouldn't know how much of it is just role-playing and acting... A custom that now seems rather irrelevant to me.