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Sure, it may seem uncivilised, but it's perhaps the only way out for you if you want to make sure you get on board that bus or train.

Of course, always make sure your wallet is in sight, and beware of bum pinchers (for the ladies) when you're on board public transport in Shanghai. This is what I garnered from friends who were working in the city. Strangely, I had no occurence of this in Beijing. But perhaps, it's the capital where enforcement is stricter.

3. Chinese people are not all the same.

Just as it is with people from different parts of the United States, mainland Chinese people are also very much different, depending on where they come from.

There's the Chinese saying that goes something like this: People native to Beijing regard themselves as kings, Shanghainese regard themselves as the most cultured or refined, and those native to Shenzhen regard themselves as the richest.

Much of this has to do with the country's history - Beijing has been the country's capital ever since a few centuries ago during the dynasties and now; Shanghai was once split up into concessions held by foreign power such as the British and French, and clearly, Shenzhen is a special economic zone where foreign companies and local ones invest in greatly.

Another trend is that Chinese in the east are somewhat faster thinking, globally aware and more intuned compared to their western counterparts. This is simply because the East is developing faster than the West, especially along coastal areas.

What does this mean for you as a traveller? At the very least, it gives you a greater appreciation of the many different types of Chinese people in the country. At the same time, you also learn to understand why some people behave the way they are. For instance, the shopkeeper in a Beijing store who behaves like he's the most unreasonable person on earth. Clearly, there must be a reason why he's behaving as such, and I would say some of this goes back to what was mentioned earlier.

Of course, this is just a glimpse of the many different mindsets of mainland Chinese people. But I'm sure this will definitely give you more value when you tour around the country.

More tips and advice to follow, depending on how this article is rated.

Learn more about this author, Daniel Ong.
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