There is no getting around the fact that China is a foreign country. It has a culture that is very different than that in the west. This can make visiting China a bit of a challenge for a lot of people. However if you take the time to learn about the culture you will find that there will be no problems with your visit.

The most important thing to understand about Chinese culture is that they tend to frown on individualism. Unlike in the west the Chinese strive to fit into the crowd and to not stand out. They will usually put the best interests of the group ahead of their own desires. This does create a bit of an issue for visitors since you are going to stand out. People who stand out will attract attention which means that as a visitor you are going to attract attention. In general it will be harmless but it can get to be tiring pretty quickly.

The other big thing that you have to be aware of when you are in China is the concept of face. This is a concept that exists in many parts of the world but is not well understood in the west. Basically this means that you have to be sure to maintain honor and respect at all times. This means that the Chinese consider it unacceptable to criticize or disagree with somebody in public. Doing this would cause the person to lose face which is something that can't happen. You have to be careful to make sure that you don't cause somebody to lose face since it will cause great embarrassment.

Because the Chinese won't disagree with somebody in public it can be hard to tell what they are really thinking when you talk to them. For the most part they rely on non-verbal communication to convey this. Visitors often have a hard time understanding this, how something is said is as important as what is said. Tone of voice, posture and facial expression will all be used to let you know what they are really thinking. In a lot of ways this will simplify things for visitors since this allows you to get past the language barrier. You do however have to pay attention.

One other area of Chinese culture that you should be aware of is their dining habits. The Chinese usually eat meals in large groups and they can be quite loud. Not only is there a lot of talking but they will slurp their food and belch at the table. A lot of this would be considered rude in the west but it is accepted behavior in China. It will probably come as a bit of a shock at your first couple of meals but you will get used to it and maybe start slurping your own food.