Tipping, etiquette, and the small social mechanics

Tipping is socially complicated in China in a way it is not in Australia, the US, or Japan. The historical answer was "do not tip"; the contemporary answer is "tip in specific situations, do not tip in others". Our all-in pricing handles the awkward cases for you.

Inside the all-in figure: a generous service tip is paid by us to the guide and the driver at the end of each touring day, at the rates we have pre-agreed. The traveller does not need to think about it.

Where small discretionary tips are appropriate (for travellers who want to add something):

• Hotel bell desk after they have moved bags, RMB 20-30 (about AUD 4-6)
• Hotel housekeeping, RMB 20-30 per day if the service has been good
• Hotel room service, 10% rounded, in cash when the meal arrives
• Spa treatments, 10% rounded, paid at reception

Where tipping is not appropriate and may cause confusion:

• Restaurants outside hotels: do not tip; the bill is the bill
• Taxis: round up to the next yuan; do not add 10%
• Museum staff or site officials: do not tip; in some cases this is actively against policy

The Chinese table is communal. Dishes are shared, not plated individually. The visitor mechanics that signal respect:

• The host (or the most senior person) usually places the first food on the lazy susan and may serve guests directly. Accept what is offered.
• Use the serving spoons or the back end of your own chopsticks to take from shared dishes if no serving utensil is present. Do not use your eating end.
• Do not stand chopsticks vertically in a rice bowl. The visual reference is to funeral incense; it is the one chopstick rule with real social weight.
• Tea is poured for others before yourself. When someone pours tea for you, a light two-finger tap on the table is the traditional thank-you and is widely understood.
• Toasting at dinner with baijiu is enthusiastic and frequent. The polite move for a visitor who does not want to keep up is to toast with tea or water; this is socially acceptable and not seen as refusal.
• Finishing every grain of rice in the bowl is appreciated but not required. Leaving a tiny bit is fine.

Photography rules in China are more granular than the simple "no flash inside museums" rule most travellers expect. The current shape:

• Headline sites (the Forbidden City, the Bund, the Terracotta Army pits): photography is fine including without flash; tripods and selfie sticks are sometimes restricted
• The Shaanxi History Museum and other major museums: usually fine without flash; the conserved warriors gallery does not allow photography
• Temples and active religious sites: ask before photographing monks, ceremonies, or interiors of working halls
• Border zones, military installations, government buildings: do not photograph, ever
• People: ask before photographing individuals close-up; the answer is usually yes, sometimes no, occasionally with a small payment expected (decline politely if so)
• Drones: heavily restricted in most cities; assume not allowed unless we have arranged a permit

The general principle: if you are unsure, ask the guide first. Twenty seconds of asking removes the only category of social friction this generates.

Travellers occasionally ask whether to bring gifts for the guide or driver. The honest answer: not necessary, but if you want to, the convention works as follows.

The gift should be small. Australian-themed (a tin of Tim Tams, a small bottle of South Australian honey, a piece of locally-crafted soap) carries the most resonance. Avoid anything expensive enough to feel like an obligation rather than a thank-you.

Present the gift two-handed at the end of the trip, in the airport drop-off lobby, with a short sentence ("Thank you for the week"). The recipient may decline once politely before accepting. This is convention; offer again, and they will accept.

If you prefer not to bring a gift, a written thank-you sent later (we forward to the guide and driver) is equally valued. Many travellers ask us for the guide's contact details afterwards; we share these unless the guide has asked us not to.