If you have a Chinese girlfriend or if you have been to China, then you might have noticed that gift giving is a huge thing in Chinese culture. In the West, it is fairly common for people to get by with simple or small gifts. We Westerners believe that the intention is what really counts, but in China people are more interested in the value of things. Cheap gifts might easily be misinterpreted, so be aware that value does count when picking a suitable gift for a Chinese person.
If you have just started a relationship with a Chinese girl, then it might be hard to pick a present which is sure to please her. This is a situation that is true not only for Chinese girls, but for any other woman, with whom you are just beginning to get acquainted.
In short, gifts can be broken down into two categories: gifts for especial occasions and simple everyday gifts. Like all other women, Chinese girls love to receive small random surprises which assure them that you have been thinking about them. These small simple gifts could be a bouquet of flowers, a scarf or even a cute case for their mobile phone. Young Chinese girls adore to act cute and even at their mid 20s, they will still feel attracted to what we Westerners would consider childish children’s cartoon characters. Basically, you can do fairly well by giving them small gadgets or accessories (all in the color pink, of course). Another great gift for your Chinese girl would be a teddy bear. Teddy bears usually end up on women’s beds and will make them think of you every time they go to sleep. This can only be a good thing!
Now, if you would like to impress your Chinese girl a little bit, then consider giving her cosmetics or apparel. Chinese women love shopping for anything, which they believe will make them stand out: artificial eyelashes to make their eyes bigger, some base to make their faces whiter or some platform shoes to make them stand taller. All these things are constantly in their minds and they spend a considerable amount of their productive time shopping for these items on sites like TaoBao. As a matter of fact, many a Chinese company boss would agree their companies income would be even larger if their female collaborators were to spend less time on TaoBao and more time doing some actual work. Speaking of TaoBao, it might even be a great source of gift ideas to impress your Chinese girl. Just browse around the website (even though you might not understand a single word) and you are sure to find hundreds of examples of what Chinese women go for.
Now that we have looked at some simple gift ideas, let’s move on to the very especial gifts. If you really want to impress your Chinese woman, then there is only one type of gift: expensive. Maybe not necessarily expensive, but definitely a well known brand product. These days, China has become the largest market for brand products and Chinese people are very aware of the best brands sold right here in the West. It doesn’t matter if you are in Hong Kong or at the London Heathrow Duty Free Mall, you are sure to see Mainland Chinese lining up to spend big bucks on perfumes, cosmetics, cigarettes and spirits. Chinese women especially love luxury hand bags, as well as Swiss or French cosmetics. Jewelry is, of course, also very popular. If you have money to spend, then you will never go wrong with a nice gold or platinum ring or a Louis Vuitton hand bag. Let’s face it, such gifts are not for every man, so you will be glad to know that even a simple $20 brand perfume or eye liner, should do the trick.
Lucky for most Western men, imported goods are very expensive in China and often cost three or four times more than here in the West. You can use this disparity to your advantage. A $30 brand perfume has a much bigger impact when given to a Chinese lady than to a Western lady. Reason being, that in China it probably sells for a much higher price.
Don’t worry too much about covering your Chinese girl with gifts. A simple gift now and then will be truly appreciated, but your kindness and attention will mean much more to her. Concentrate on making her happy through little things and leave the gifts only for those times when you can really afford them or would like to celebrate an occasion.
