Learn more about moving to China

Mianzi （面子） or face, is a key motivator among Chinese business people. Face factors in to many actions and decisions taken in the business world, as well as in day to day life. In loose terms, you can think of face as reputation, honor or respect. You could also think of it as public image, particularly through the eyes of one’s close connections. To do business in China, you need to have at least a basic understanding of face. One of China’s most influential writers, Lu Xun, referred to face as “the guiding principle of the Chinese mind”. It is a term Chinese understand intuitively, while Westerners seemed to struggle to grasp its concept. In reality, the concept of face exists in many societies, however it more prominent and nuanced in Chinese culture. In the Qing Dynasty, foreigners would threaten court officials when their requests were rejected, who would then comply out of fear due to the power of the West at the time. However when it was time to leave the Ministry, the foreigners were led out not through the main door, but the side door. This was done to not give foreigners face and implies that on a psychological level – China was superior. A current application of mianzi is when your boss treats you to meal, you have to go. If you don’t give face, you can forget about advancing your career in that company. The concept of face can also be taken out of the business context. Traditional Chinese social roles dictates an embarrassment if a man’s partner is better educated or earns more than him. In this relationship dynamic, the man is losing face and suffers considerable social pressure. FACE CAN BE GIVEN, GAINED, LOST OR SAVED. It’s easy to lose face. For example, face can be lost through a public insult or public contradiction or by failure to receive the proper level of respect. It is not really the act that causes a loss of face but the fact that the act is public, and there is public humiliation or loss of prestige involved. Loss of face must be avoided. Sometimes, Chinese go to great lengths to preserve face. It’s acceptable to lie to preserve face. In fact, lying is considered the better option, especially when it is understood that it is being done to preserve face. You may have noticed how Chinese business people don’t like to say “no” outright, even when that is their answer. This is because saying “no” would cause the rejected party to lose face. By not saying “no” directly they are preserving face. One good reason for not doing anything that would cause someone to lose face is that it could result in some form of retaliation. The face loser may attempt to regain face by doing something to cause the initial infractor their own loss of face. Face can be gained through public showings of respect or praise to a third party. See again how the simple act of giving praise isn’t what gives face, it’s the fact it is done publicly or via a third party. Face can also be gained by doing what others cannot do or by being exceptionally knowledgeable or wise. In China, it is not just individuals that have face, the concept applies to companies and government ministries too. In this case, think of it as the organization’s good reputation that they aim to preserve.

As the winter months get fully underway and the temperatures drop across the country, keeping warm is one of the biggest issues faced in China. Whilst staying in bed all day and wrapping up in layer upon layer of clothing may be tempting, those solutions aren’t necessarily practical. Instead, we have realistic solutions to help you beat the cold in China, so you can carry on your daily life comfortably. CENTRAL HEATING Moving to China, one of the major differences you’ll notice between here and the West is the presence of central heating – or lack of in the south of the country. The issue around which parts of the country get central heating and which don’t dates back to the 1950s, where limited resources determined that only those in the north of the country – or above the Qinling Mountains and Huaihe River, or what came to be known as the ‘Qin-Huai’ line – were given the privilege of indoor heating. This means that everywhere below this line, including the whole of the Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Jiangxi provinces plus others, must rely on other means to keep warm. Despite being introduced over fifty years ago, the premise that the north gets colder in the winter and is thus more in need of central heating still persists to this day. Even buildings currently being built below the ‘Qin-Huai’ line do not have central heating, and instead residents use the heat setting on their AC, or choose to install a space heating unit (空调 kongtiao) to keep away the winter chills. If you are currently living below this line and don’t have central heating, fear not – there are still several methods you can use to keep warm. [Image] USING YOUR AC It may seem counterintuitive to use an AC system during the winter, but this is the heating system many Chinese use to keep their homes warm. When it comes to actually using your AC system, however, you may have some difficulties if you cannot read Chinese. Check out our list of handy translations to help you out. Should you not find your A/C remote control in the list, then just send us a picture of your remote control to info@maxxelli-blog.com and we’ll add it to the list for you. We couldn’t bare just letting you freeze or melt like a popsicle! USEFUL VOCABULARY English | Chinese | Pinyin Air conditioner | 空调 | kōng tiáo Remote control | 遥控器 | yáo kòng qì Automatic | 自动 | zì dòng Cool | 制冷 | zhì lěng Dehumidifier | 抽湿 | chōu shī Heat | 制热 | zhì rè Fan Wind | 送风 | sòng fēng High Wind Speed | 高风 | gāo fēng Mid Wind Speed | 中风 | zhōng fēng Low Wind Speed | 低风 | dī fēng Set | 调整 | tiáo zhěng Mode | 模式 | mó shì On / Off | 开／关 | kāi/guān Wind Speed | 风速 | fēng sù Wind up/down | 上下风 | shàng xià fēng Economy | 经济 | jīng jì Time Set | 定时 | dìng shí Blowing Direction | 风向 | fēng xiàng Sweeping Wind | 扫风 | săo fēng Cleaning | 清新 | qīng xīn Display | 数显 | shù xiăn Strength | 强劲 | qiáng jìn Sleep | 睡眠 | shuì miăn Lighting | 灯光 | dēng guāng Cancel | 取消 | qŭ xiāo Power Source | 电源 | diàn yuán When using your AC, it’s also important to remember not to keep it on 24 hours a day, as tempting as that may be. Running your AC constantly can lead to condensation, as the water is being removed from the air as it’s conditioned, which is then drained via a pipe. If there’s too much condensation, your system can get clogged and will require maintenance – prevent this by simply leaving your AC off while out of the house, or turning it off for a few hours at a time. UNDER FLOOR HEATING In some cities, one of the preferred options of heating is to install underfloor heating; this can be preferable to using an AC unit, as it doesn’t dry the air out, and can provide more even heating across the apartment. This involves installing a hydronic or electric system of heating pipes under the floorboards if your apartment does not already have one, which is then typically operated via a thermostat on the wall. Again, you may need to use the tanslations above in order to operate your heating system. [Image] BUYING BLANKETS AND DUVETS One of the easiest ways to keep warm at home is to wrap up in cosy blankets and duvets – the thicker the better! These can be purchased in a number of ways. If looking in a shop or market, ask for a duvet down – “I would like to buy a Duvet down (我想买一件羽绒服)” – or if searching online simply enter “羽绒服”and you will find plenty of options. Or, for a totally free way to keep warm, snuggle up to someone you love! Whether its your boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife, son or daughter, or even a cat or dog, snuggling up is one of the best ways of staying cosy. [Image]