"Ladies first", warned Chinese tourists

Chinese tourists are an embarrasment for their government - the travellers are loud, they spit, they litter and they deface national monuments, according to a report from government news agency Xinhua. Calls for tourists to improve their behaviour were mostly ignored during the week-long National Day/Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, with 40 tonnes of litter left in Tian'anmen Square alone on October 1.
But the government should not be too hard on these travellers. Sure, they are noisy, uncouth and annoying. But then, look at any nation on holiday. Look at the Brits. We are the worst travellers in the world. We're like a group of Chinese tourists who have been forced to drink Special Brew all day. The Chinese tourists may be loud but they can only afford one can of lager between them, and they won't be vomiting in the street at least until the economy picks up. By then, the government hopes, it will have taught them some manners...

BEIJING, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The government calls for Chinese tourists to improve their behavior that was mostly ignored during the week-long National Day holiday from Oct. 1 to 7, according to a commentary in Monday's China Youth Daily.

"The uncivilized behavior of many Chinese people can not be eradicated in just a few days - it needs long-term efforts," said the report.

The newspaper exposed the bad habits of Chinese tourists both at home and abroad during the past week and called on Chinese people to behave in a more civilized manner.

"Some improvement has been seen among Chinese tourists traveling abroad, with less spitting and littering," said Li Xi, a Chinese travel guide in Paris. "But what annoys the locals most is that Chinese tourists always speak loudly and make noises in public," Li said.

The Civilization Office with the Spiritual Civilization Steering Committee and the National Tourism Administration jointly issued an etiquette guide on Oct. 2 telling Chinese travelers to pay attention to everyday etiquette and hygiene while abroad.

Travelers are asked not to litter, not to talk loudly, to respect queuing rules, be polite in public places, and observe the rule of "ladies first".

Uncivilized behavior is becoming a real embarrassment for China as tourism continues to increase rapidly. Some experts attribute the uncouth behavior to Chinese people's lack of awareness of public property and selfishness.

Education in manners and etiquette has been strengthened in some kindergartens and primary schools in China. But experts believe it may take several generations to nurture civilized behavior and form a positive image of Chinese tourists.