There have been times when I have been eating inside a nice restaurant and a table full of men near me are hocking up their phlegm and spitting on the floor! I've been eating outside at a restaurant and some kid starts peeing right near our table so the flow eventually starts making it's way towards us. It's enough to make you gag.

You're going to justify these disgusting habits with a Chinese medicine theory? I guess then you encourage the killing of endangered animals because Chinese medicine says so.

goldie, in those two particular cases, then yes, I agree that it is gross and distasteful. But just spitting on the street is ok in my book. I do it sometimes myself. Granted, I look around and do it discreetly, but still.

Did you ever see a beautiful woman, dressed nicely, high heels, hair flowing in the wind, white smile? Then she turns and makes that disgusting sound and spits on the street? It's like she completely ruined herself.

I think you either agree or not. You can't say it's ok to spit if you're just walking on the street but not in other cases.

Goldie, I have seen that, yes. To me, it is cultural. I mean, I have also seen a beautiful, elegant French woman begin speaking with a raw accent de paysan, and it also ruined it for me. I have seen an American beauty start talking with a hick accent and praising Trump. Those things happen.

Again, my point is that spitting is cultural and based on TCM. I understand that you do not personally find it tasteful, but this is China, and Chinese culture prevails here. We cannot come in, as Westerners, and enforce our white culture on China.

Comparing spitting to someone's accent?

I'm not trying to change the world, just discussing positive and negatives about China.

@mickey
About TCM and medicine, that is factually wrong.

If the germs are already in your body, you will only spread them [be spitting them out] and that is very selfish and a guarantee for epidemics. There is no proof that spitting phlegm is helpful to your own health.

That's why we have 365 flu seasons in China and not 2 or 3, all year round.

Trash
In parts of major cities, yes, ...but everywhere? No!

Cultural
There is nothing in Chinese culture that dictates to treat other like sh*t, quite opposite, all of Chinese sages, promote caring for other, virtues, and patience.

But that would need people to care and invest a second or a thought. But that's what I mean about socially lazy. Many Chinese complain or whine about that some Western countries are so great, when I ask them, how do you think it got there, hey all say that the president and government told them to do so. When I tell them, no! the people agreed to become a better society, they look at me like I am crazy and instead of sayin, "Hm, that is interesting. "Or, "Maybe we should try that!" or mumbling, "Maybe we [I] could start with small steps."

The answer is always, "That will never happen here!!!"
When I ask them why, I get something like : "I don't want to give up smoking." "I don't think I will walk for half a day to find a trashcan"

Then I tell them, "See, most people overseas, do!" And that is where the conversation usually ends. lol

In short: Unless HK'ers and Taiwanese are not Chinese, they are still fully culturally Chinese without all the nasty habits. Actually according to Chinese cultural standards there are closer to the real Confucian ideal, than the mainland Chinese.

Violence
I [an most of my friends and acquaintances ] have been attacked [sometimes with weapons], numerous times. And except one time it wasn't in a place where alcohol is available [a diner, bistro, in that case]. Three of my friends have been hospitalized, for several days.
I have seen numerous attacks on foreigners in the most cowardly manner.

I have been [when not responding to countless "HELLO!" ...giggle giggle...."HELLO" 's] approached in a very aggressive manner, numerous times.

I have been cursed with the worst curses and racial cussing, [so did my wife, for being with a foreigner], and told numerous times, [as well as many gokunming posters did] to leave the country immediately.

Except one incident, where we didn't help to deescalate the situation, these attacks were without provocation and targeting foreigners.

I had two [Chinese] co-workers, being robbed, one is now unable to work, after getting her head caved in with a baseball bat [or something like that] she has migraines for 50% of her days. She even thought of suicide, when the stronger pains come in.
The cops have not found anyone, although there were street cams in the area, overseeing the spot.

Club security in Kundo won't let foreigners in, usually after repeated beatings, force them to protect the Chinese clientele form bleeding laowais and the look of beaten up laowais in the vicinity of the establishment.

Oh, and a foreign friend of mine got beaten mercilessly last week. He looks like a car hit him. He said he got jumped by a few guys, walking down the street [no...not kundu]

I have more incidents, if you need to hear?
Ask your Chinese friends about incidents from burglaries gone bad, also check the daily Kunming news, and enjoy the peaceful, violence free China experience, for as long as it last.

Well, then I guess you and I are having completely opposite experiences in China. I am not being sarcastic: I am truly sorry that your China experience is so horrible and violent.

I've been in China for 12 years and have never been nor have known any foreigner that was attacked. Not to lessen what you are saying, but I am shocked to hear that and you say all these incidents were unprovoked and random cause you were foreigners??

Well, in the states, it probably would have ended with gunshots and murder.

If life is as bad as you say here, then why stay?

Dudesons, I will say this. I understand that some bad things happen in China.

I have traveled around the world, and I have spent lots of time in many Chinese, European, African, and American cities.

The places where I have been most afraid of violence, have been in a couple of African cities, one South American city, and several American cities.

Walk around Kunming at night, and one is immeasurably safer than walking around many American cities at night.

The most frightened I have ever been in my life, was back in the 1990s, walking through Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, alone at night. I was been trailed by a gang. I lucked out and managed to run to a major avenue. I have never, ever experienced any terror like that, in China.