Earlier this year for workI needed to fly to Paris

Looking at my itinerary, I noticed that I had a 12 hour layover in Shanghai

I called China Eastern and asked if I can extend my layover for an extra day

One of my past teachers from Harvard was stationed in Shanghai

where he was completing his thesis

So I took this chance to catch up with him, and see Shanghai

The so-called key ofChina’s modernization through his eyes

While on the train and leaving the airport

I’ve noticed many ads with the goal of teaching Chinese citizens

going abroad with proper manners

One of the ads showed two animated characters talking loudly in a restaurant

And someone with a remote control lowering the volume as a sign that they are too loud

Another similar ad was shown, but this time is was someone talking on the phone aloud

Throughout the whole way, in and out of the airport

If one pays close attention, these similar ads could be seen everywhere

When looking at present dayChina

one must know that the country’s development is relatively new

Following theUnited States of America, the second biggest economy in the world wasJapan

ChinadethronedJapanfrom the title and became the world’s new second largest economy

With a booming economy,Chinasaw a rise in the percent of the population

that makes up the middle class

The middle class became strong enough to the point where the borders ofChina

were no longer sufficient for them and did something very interesting

People started to join tours to travel abroad

In less than a generation, the annoying fat American tourists

and the “peace”-loving Japanese tourists has been

outspent and outpaced by the over-picture-taking, loud Chinese tourists

Now exceeding all other tourists from other countries

We all live on the same planet

So I’m assuming that you all have heard about the stereotypes about Chinese citizens abroad

Among the list that I’ve heard before

Ones that stood out the most were:

Chinese tourists are loud, liter a lot, rude

cut through waiting lines, they shove people

destroy hotels, have no respect for the language and the country that they travel to and more

Reading a couple of articles about this phenomenon online

Hung Huang, a publisher of a magazine in Beijing stated that

Chinese people are amongst a new generation of rich

However, uneducated people taking over the old

Etiquette and manners do not mean nothing to this class of tourists

Since the mentality is, with money, I can do anything I want

As for the countries hosting these Chinese citizens

It is a love and hate relationship

While they are cruising around the country

People throw a slur of remarks at the Chinese people

Once they exit a country though, they leave a heavy sum of money around

Thus explaining why so many countries are fight amongst themselves

To attract more tourists fromChina

Nonetheless, wide spread poverty is still present inChina

In a government that is seen by others as being plagued with corruption

Justice however must be given toChinaas the country

that managed to raise millions out of poverty

Amidst the fact thatChinais one of the oldest civilizations in the world

It still has a long way to go

To catch to what we see as international standards in the world today

Nonetheless, there is one advantage thatChinahas over many other countries

That the United States, Japan,EnglandandFrancedo not have

It can learn from the mistakes of others

The way the human mind learns new sets of information in itself is amazing

Taking it from the individuals to the society

The way that society learns new sets of information

Know-hows and skills that eventually become common sense is likewise a complex system

As Chinese citizens started to travel, study, and work abroad

There are quite a vast array of knowledge and point of views that slowly trickled back intoChina

Relatively to the whole country, it is still small

However, a growing portion of population have wrapped their hands

around a set of standards that are now globalize

banking standards, business standards, fashion standards, and etiquette

have taken a crucial stage in Chinese society where

the image behind the money itself is as important as having the money

if one wishes to be taken seriously abroad as a regarded individual and not a nuisance

These global standards are often referred to as “westernization”

But I disagree with such notion

TheUnited Statesrevolutionized the online banking system

Japanincreased the bar for standards of hospitality

Dubaihas reached new heights in hotel star ratings

AndChina, andChinahas redefined the meaning of lifting people out of poverty

The global standard that I’m referring to is a level at which

amenities, infrastructure, practices and more are common sense and is widely spread

As mentioned before, one of the remaining barriers to

The implementation of these standards inChina, is time

With time,Chinawill reach this international standard of common sense

and will further more push the bar even higher for other countries

http://www.tudou.com/l/Z_WI-Hy1_C0/&iid=193381753&resourceId=0_04_02_99/v.swffollowingChina’s rapid pace of development