Tipping in China is generally uncommon and can even be considered rude or embarrassing in some circumstances. Leaving money on a table in an authentic restaurant may confuse a staff member or cause them stress.
They may have to choose whether or not to chase you down to return it (and risk causing you a loss of face) or put it aside and hope that you come back later to retrieve it. Either way, your kind gesture may cause distress!
In a worst-case scenario, leaving gratuity could cause someone to feel inferior, as though they need additional charity to get by. Even worse, gratuity is illegal in airports and some establishments. Your well-meant gesture could be misinterpreted as a bribe for a favor expected in the future.
Mainland China, and most of Asia, don’t have a history or culture of tipping — don’t spread one! As always, there are a few exceptions. Tipping is more customary in H$ng K$ng, and leaving gratuity at the end of an organized tour is acceptable.
The staff in luxurious hotels and upscale restaurants may have grown accustomed to receiving tips from Western travelers who are not sure whether they should tip or not.
Usually, a service charge of 10-15 percent will already be included in your bill to cover the salary of service personnel.
Ensure that the establishment doesn’t have an official policy forbidding employees to keep tips. Many do.
Be discreet. Making a big show of your gratuity is likely to cause embarrassment and a loss of face.
Express gratitude. Tell someone “thank you” for a job well done. If possible, put your tip into an envelope. Pretend it is a gift, give it, then never mention it again. No winking, smiling, or nudge-nudge.
Do not expect the recipient to open the envelope or look at your tip until later when they are alone.
Leaving a tip in China the wrong way can cause loss of face — something that could ruin someone’s mood rather than uplift them as you intended.
Tipping the wrong way can say “I’m better off financially than you are, so here is some charity” — or even worse — “this coin means a lot more to you than to me.”
Due to the uncertainty of when one should or should not tip in China, it may be a better idea to leave the tip on your table rather than giving it directly to the waiter in order to avoid awkwardness.
Do not worry if taxi drivers refuse your tips as it is sometimes against the law for them to take tips or some may have moral objections to tipping for fear of its negative connotations within Chinese culture.
