China

• With 1.4 billion inhabitants, China is home to nearly a fifth of the world's population. It is a diverse place with large variations in culture, language, customs and economic levels from region to region, and often strong distinct cultural and regional identities as well.
• The economic landscape is particularly diverse. The major cities such as Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai are modern and comparatively wealthy. However, about 50% of Chinese still live in rural areas even though only 10% of China's land is arable. Hundreds of millions of rural residents still farm with manual labor or draft animals. Some 200 to 300 million former peasants have migrated to townships and cities in search of work. Poverty has been reduced dramatically, but towards the end of 2016, China still had 43 million people under the official poverty line of ¥2,300 (about US$334) in annual income. At the other end of the spectrum, the wealthy continue to accumulate real estate and other assets at an unprecedented rate. Generally the southern and eastern coastal regions are more wealthy, while inland areas, the far west and north, and the south-west are much less developed.
• The cultural landscape is also very diverse. Han Chinese are the largest ethnic group, comprising over 90% of the population, but they are not culturally homogeneous, and speak a wide variety of mutually unintelligible dialects and languages. Many customs and deities are specific to individual regions and even villages. Celebrations for the Lunar New Year and other national festivals vary dramatically from region to region. Customs related to the celebration of important occasions such as weddings, funerals and births also vary widely. The Cultural Revolution wiped out much of traditional Chinese religion, and while it still survives to some extent, contemporary urban Chinese society is largely secular with religion being an undercurrent to daily life. That said, there has been a cultural revival in the 21st century, largely spearheaded by young middle class Chinese, who are now using social media to promote various aspects of their traditional cultures.
• The other 10% of the population are 55 recognized ethnic minorities — the largest of which are the Zhuang, Manchu, Hui and Miao (Hmong) — which each have their own unique cultures and languages. Other notable ethnic minorities include Koreans, Tibetans, Mongols, Uyghurs, Kazakhs, and Russians. China is home to the largest Korean population outside Korea, and is home to more ethnic Mongols than is Mongolia. Many minorities have been assimilated to various degrees, losing their language and customs or fusing with Han traditions, although Tibetans and Uyghurs in China remain fiercely defensive of their cultures. In some areas, some ethnic minorities, such as the Mongols, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and Tibetans, continue to maintain their traditional nomadic way of life, though that is changing as the younger generation gets better access to education and moves to the cities for higher-paying jobs, and even those who preserve the nomadic lifestyle often adopt numerous modern conveniences, such as replacing their horses with motorcycles.

• As a general rule, tipping is not practised in China. When leaving a tip on your table, it is common to see a waiter chase after you to return the money you "forgot" to take.
• In China, compliments over service is usually expressed in implicit ways. If you are a smoker, you are expected to pass a cigarette to the service staff or manager. If you don't do so, you will be seen as selfish and egocentric. It is common to buy a bartender or pub owner a drink.
• In a hotel, it is not customary to tip for room service, airport service, taxis or anything else, although those that routinely serve foreign tourists may allow tipping for tour guides and associated drivers. Masseurs in some areas such as Shenzhen have been known to ask for a tip. However, if they become pushy, most Chinese see this as extortion and an immoral practice, so just be firm if you don't wish to give any.
• Taxi drivers do appreciate a few yuan rounded up if they have made an extra effort for your journey; however, it is by no means required.

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• Chinese people are in general hospitable to foreigners, and want to leave a good impression on tourists visiting their country. However, there are also scam artists who operate at tourist hot spots.
• High prices do not necessarily indicate a scam. In a teahouse or bar, ¥50-200 per cup or pot of tea (including hot water refills) and ¥15-60 per bottle of beer is not uncommon. Tea samplings may also charge high prices for each sample. Touristy parts of Beijing and Shanghai have become notorious for various scams. If you are keen to avoid being scammed, the following are good rules of thumb:
• It is less likely for scammers to operate outside of the usual tourist spots
• If you are approached in a touristy area by a person who appears too enthusiastic about going to a particular place (teahouse or otherwise), you are likely to pay a premium and maybe get a better time elsewhere
• If you are uncomfortable, walk away.