Tourists from China told to stop sticking out

The Foreign Ministry of China has published a set of guidelines for tourists on its website, enumerating proper behavior when abroad.

The guidelines specifically state that tourists should: “Keep peaceful in public places, don’t talk loud and avoid sticking out.”

In addition, the Foreign Ministry has counselled travellers against a traditional habit of gathering in public to watch or participate in the fights and arguments of others. “Don’t get involved in other people’s quarrels in public places,” the guidelines state.

Chinese tourists are also advised to respect the local laws and to refrain from making threats.

“When your legal rights are violated, avoid making things worse and resolve the problem through upright channels, not through extortion or other illegal methods,” the guidelines say.

While China is receiving an ever increasing number of tourists in the lead up to the Olympics in 2008, a large number of Chinese people are also venturing abroad themselves. Chinese tourists are expected to triple in numbers between now and 2020 with a total of 100 million leaving China to sightsee by that time.