China Welcomes You

No matter your purpose for coming to China (apart from sedition), one of the first things you will notice as a guest in this country is the continuous welcome you receive. And what’s truly special about this welcome is its depth and sincerity. While at times I have been greeted with curiosity that may be mistaken for disrespect of “personal space,” Chinese are surely among the most actively welcoming people on Earth. It would be impossible to count the number of times someone has offered to take me for a drink or treat me to dinner. When trying to get your bearings in a new city or place, locals will often accompany you to your destination instead of just poking their finger in the general direction you need or want to go. My favorite manifestation of China’s embrace of foreign visitors, however, occurs in restaurants. If people see that you are drinking beer, they will often come by for a toast and a “welcome to China.” If not, generally speaking, you will be met with a full glass if you head to them. One night in Beijing a few months ago, I was having dinner with a couple of buddies when a college-aged kid walking back to his private room noticed us. He invited us in for a few drinks and before you know it, one of my buddies was jamming on his Brazilian cavaquinho. This is the way to make friends in China. See below for more detailed instructions:



The star of this clip is Alan, a certified MIMA Music musician. MIMA Music is an international NGO on a mission to use musical improvisation to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds and instill in them a lifelong appreciation for music making, thereby nourishing greater social cohesion, social consciousness, freedom of expression, and responsible stewardship of the planet. Alan is a great buddy of mine and he’s crazy talented. I’ve seen him turn restaurants and bars into a choir at the drop of a hat. Anyway, after his performance that night in the Beijing restaurant, our new friends were perhaps a bit too charitable with the alcohol they were handing out; Alan woke up at 7am the next morning on the sidewalk of a 7-11 on the other side of town. His cavaquinho had been stolen. Welcome to China.

*A brief revision of the above story. Alan says, "I woke up standing on my feet, inside a 7-11, with the two cashiers staring at me in a really perplexed way. Then I asked them where my cavaquinho was..."