If you have just come from America and are visiting China, you may wonder which gifts are appropriate for the Chinese people. Gifting in Chinese demonstrates respect to elders, superiors, family, and friends. They show commitment and enthusiasm towards maintaining a close relationship with your friends and family. Buying American gifts for the Chinese can be challenging, especially when you are outside of China, where you may not know how faithfully individuals adhere to their traditional customs. However, you can never go wrong with gifts such as a tote bag, waffle maker, Chinese Medicine Cookbook, micro plush heated blanket, lunch box, Chinese calligraphy water writing cloth set, or lucky stickers.
What Are The Qualities Of A Great American Gift For Chinese?
You should know that gifts symbolize strength in a relationship—the thought you put towards gifting matters a lot. Therefore, as you plan to gift someone, you should consider some of these aspects of a great gift.
Quality: quality gifts do not mean that you need to spend a fortune buying all the expensive items. It would help if you focused on the quality design, materials used to make the gift, and craftsmanship.
Buy a local specialty: sometimes, it may not be easy to get regional items as they are usually highly prized. Nonetheless, it’s essential to get something that your local community is known for so that the gift can be relevant.
Work on your presentation: before you gift your friends and family, wrap the gifts well with a sturdy gift box and colored paper with ribbons. Presentation proves that you put a lot of thought into your gift.
Things To Know Before Gifting The Chinese
Gifts are very much appreciated and cherished; however, there are some common taboos you need to be aware of before you gift your Chinese friends and family. When buying a gift, avoid the unlucky numbers such as number 4 because it’s associated with death. You should also avoid unlucky colors like white and black boxes since they are primarily used in funerals and usually imply death.
When gifting, you should also avoid giving out clocks, shoes, cut flowers, sharp objects, and umbrellas as they symbolize different favors of bad luck, death, or separation. When there is a cultural element potentially at play, gift-giving becomes quite challenging. Therefore, it’s essential to understand the taboos in certain cultures before gifting.
7 Awesome American Gifts For Chinese
1. Cute Canvas Tote Bag
If you have women friends, you may want to buy them a tote bag for their grocery shopping. Tote bags are ideal for running errands around town. Not only can this tote bag be used for grocery shopping, but it’s also a nice bag for carrying books when going to school.
Specifications
Package Dimensions - 10 x 4 x 2 inches; 7.05 Ounces
Department – Women’s
Features
Excellent Material
The tote bag is made from quality canvas material which enhances its bright colors. The bag is also comfortable when carrying items and durable. With its cute pattern, your friends will have a good mood when running errands.
Diverse Usage
The women’s canvas bag can easily carry clothes, books, and other items when going out. It has an inbuilt pocket for storing small items; hence, it’s a perfect companion for daily use.
2. Chefman Anti-Overflow Belgian Waffle Maker
A waffle maker is a compact and easy-to-store gift hence a perfect American gift for Chinese. Waffles are delicious and versatile; thus, they will never go out of style. Waffle makers don’t cost much; therefore, you don’t have to worry about going out of budget. It is a beautiful gift on its own, or you could pair it in a basket with maple syrup, dried fruits, or waffle mix.
Specifications
Color– Stainless Steel
Material– Stainless Steel
Brand– Chefman
Item Dimensions– LxWxH 8 x 10 x 4 inches
Wattage-700 watts
Number of settings– 7
Features
Mess-free
The waffle maker is designed to wrap around the channel to catch the excess batter and keep it from overflowing and leaking.
Seven Shade Settings
The user can choose any of the seven shade settings to cook waffles exactly how they like them. If you are at a higher setting, the waffles become crispier and darker.
Variety Of Recipe Options
The waffle maker allows you to try out unlimited recipes and create a yummy breakfast for the Chinese family. The recipes range from classic waffles, chocolate, buttermilk, among others.
Easy To Clean And store
The waffle maker has an extra-strong non-stick coating to allow seamless flipping and easy cleaning. To clean it, wipe the exteriors gently with a damp cloth and store it vertically.
3. The Chinese Medicine Cookbook
The Chinese believe in honoring and healing the body with nourishing foods. To introduce your family to traditional Chinese food therapy, you can get the Chinese Medicine Cookbook to help them prepare their daily meals and increase their health and happiness.
Specifications
Publisher - Althea Press (August 20, 2019)
Language – English
Paperback– 194 pages
Item Weight - 1.01 pounds
Dimensions - 7.52 x 0.53 x 9.25 inches
Features
Personalized Diet For Every Season
The cookbook contains a practical approach, including the basic information you require to personalize your daily diet in all seasons. With this book, you can bring traditional Chinese medicine fundamentals of balance (yin and yang) to your flavors and body energies.
Easy To Find Ingredients
The ingredients used to make the recipes in the cookbook are readily available in China; therefore, your friends won’t have to skip their favorite recipes for lack of ingredients.
4. Bedsure Heated Blanket Electric Throw
Heated blankets are a popular bedtime accessory for most people in China to help them stay warm and cozy during cold nights.
Specifications
Size– 50×60 Inch
Color– Grey
Product Dimensions– 11.02 x 11.81 x 3.94 inches
Item Weight– 2.64 pounds
Manufacturer– Bedsure Sleep Solutions
Country of Origin-China
Features
Fast Heating
The blanket only takes 20 minutes to heat up; therefore, you will start feeling the difference even before you fall asleep.
Easy Controls
The blanket has five heat settings which make it easy and practical to use while meeting various comfort needs. After using the blanket for 3 hours, it automatically shuts off.
Soft To Touch
You will sleep soundly with this blanket as it is soft to the touch and excellent for power naps. Although the heating wiring inside this blanket throw is a bit thin, it still keeps you warm and cozy.
5. Unichart Stainless Steel Square Lunch Box
A lunchbox is a perfect gift because it finds a place in everybody’s routine. It can be carried to the workplace, school, or picnics. Lunch boxes are also not gender-specific and are usually available in vibrant colors and fun patterns. Moreover, they are a constant reminder to the recipient of the gift-giver.
Specifications
Material– Stainless Steel
Brand– Unichart
Item Dimensions- LxWxH 7.6 x 6.7 x 9 inches
Shape– Square
Pattern– Solid
Item Weight – 1.9 Pounds
Features
Five In One Box
When you buy the lunch box, you get five items, including a lunch box, lunch bag, spoon, fork, and container box.
Superior Quality
The lunch box is made of quality food-grade stainless steel. The material is hard and has a thick texture hence durable. This lunchbox is perfect for putting sandwiches, salads, and snacks.
Insulated Lunch Bag
The lunch bag has a foil design that provides insulation. The bag can keep your food warm for about 1-2 hours. It also has an adjustable strap that makes it portable to carry.
6. HOMOKUS Chinese Calligraphy Water Writing Cloth Set
If you have an artist among your Chinese friends and family, this HOMOKUS Chinese Calligraphy Water Writing Cloth Set will be a perfect gift for them. The set contains nine items, including 7 Water writing magic cloths with various contents, a Calligraphy brush, and a Water plate. This set is suitable for calligraphy beginners, children and adults, and primarily those who love Chinese culture.
Specifications
Material– Fabric
Brand– HOMOKUS
Number of Pieces– 9
Features
Water Writing
This set is made of a fabric containing unique materials to write with clear water instead of the regular black ink.
Clean And Convenient
Once the cloth dries, the handwriting disappears. Therefore, the set is reusable, clean, and convenient.
7. Chinese Keyboard Stickers
These stickers can be used on the laptop or keyboard. You can bring your ideas to life with a collection of Chinese good luck symbols or keyboard stickers.
Specifications
Theme– Alphabets
Brand– Latkey
Color– Clear Orange
Material– Vinyl
Item Dimensions- LxWxH 2.95 x 0.03 x 7.48 inches
Unit Count– 1 Count
Features
Easy To Apply
The keyboard stickers are super easy to apply and use on the keyboard. You only need to attach them and continue learning your native alphabet or letters.
Saves Money
The keyboard stickers cost less, take less space, and do not make the keyboard keys unresponsive. Therefore, there is no need to rebuy an expensive multilingual keyboard.
Conclusion
Gifting is an essential element in Chinese traditions. People gift their loved ones with something they value and cherish to make them feel appreciated. If you are buying gifts for your Chinese friends, ensure that you choose one that suits them perfectly.