Asian Taboos in Gift Giving

There is no doubt that gift-giving plays an essential role in facilitating business practices and enhancing relationships. As one of the fastest growing economies in the world, an increasing number of companies are doing businesses abroad in China. With that being said, it is important to recognize the process of gift selection in the East. Where gift giving is much more elaborate than the West, a heavier emphasis is put on symbolism rather than the actual gift itself. Since implications contained by gifts vary among culture, it is very feasible to give a gift with an unintended message.

Here is a list of common gifts considered to be taboo in Chinese culture:

Clock
Among all of the gift giving taboos, clocks and watches are considered to be the biggest faux pas of all. The act of giving a clock is "送鐘" in Mandarin Chinese, pronounced as "song zhong" which shares the same homophone as "送終 ", meaning to bid farewell to a dying person. Therefore, gifting a clock is best avoided, especially to an elder as it signifies the end, which the recipient could associate with death.

Knife
Not only unique to Chinese culture, it is a common superstition across the world that knives and other sharp objects alike imply cutting ties between the giver and the receiver. Offering a knife as a gift might lead the recipient to conclude that you want to make a clean break.

Shoes
In Cantonese, the pronunciation of shoes is "hai" which shares the same homophones as the sound of a sigh. Giving a pair of shoes could suggest sending the recipient misfortune and unhappiness. Another interpretation is that by offering shoes, you want the recipient to leave your life, thus ending the relationship between the two of you.

If it is inevitable that these gifts must be given, the taboo can be broken by enclosing a small dollar amount with the present so the recipient could promptly use the money as "payment" in exchange for the item. Strictly speaking, this exchange then becomes a transaction.