中国商务送礼禁忌 Taboos of giving business gifts in China (Intermediate)

“送礼 (sònglǐ) Giving gift” is an important part of “商务往来 (shāngwù wǎnglái) doing business” in China. Cultural traditions play an important role in business life in China. And there are some important “禁忌 (jìnjì) taboos” that business people should be aware of.
First, people should not give clocks to others since the Chinese pronunciation of “送钟 (sòngzhōng) to give clocks” is the same as that of “送终 (sòngzhōng) to attend upon a dying relative.”
Second, people should not give shoes as gifts since the Chinese pronunciation of “鞋 (xié) shoes” is the same as that of “邪 (xié) evil.” There is another proverb that says, “If you give shoes to a pair of lovers, it means they will break up.”
Lastly, people should not give pears as gifts to others because the Chinese pronunciation of “梨 (lí) pears” is the same as that of “离 (lí) to separate.” The meaning of Chinese character “离 (lí)” is not “吉利 (jílì) lucky” in Chinese.
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