BEIJING
In what could be seen as a move to pre-empt reports of misbehavior by Chinese travelling overseas this year, the country has decided to get its own back -- issuing a list of "uncivilized behavior by foreign [Western] tourists" this week.
"Let's not learn from them," state media organ the People's Daily Online underlined.
The website's list of foreign indiscretions included: "Taking nude photos in front of heritage sites," "Group urinating on a Shanghai expressway," "Camping on the Great Wall," "Swimming in the Qiandao Lake in Zhejiang province, despite 'No Swimming' sign"...
It highlighted the case of two U.S. sisters expelled for taking naked photographs in Cambodia’s ancient Angkor complex. The women were convicted on pornography and indecency charges by Siem Reap Provincial Court, which passed six-month suspended jail sentences and deported them to Thailand.
Alongside each indiscretion were pictures of foreigners purported to be carrying out the "examples of uncivilized behavior by foreign tourists."
"It has been said there is a phenomenon of Chinese people with uncivilized behavior. In fact, it also applies to many foreigners," the Daily wrote said.
Other discrepancies included the heinous crime of "Two people occupying a four-person bench."
"Climbing trees" got a mention, along with "Littering [with] popcorn," while the more serious transgressions "Urinating on the Great Wall" and "Stepping on monuments" were brought to netizens' attention.
In May 2013, Deputy Premier Wang Yang urged Chinese travelers to mind their manners while overseas, during the passage of a tourism law.
"They make a racket in public places, carve words at scenic spots, cross the road when the light is red, spit, and do other uncivilized things," Wang was reported to have said.
"This is detrimental to the image of the country's people and leaves a bad impression."
Back then the Daily offered excuses for such behavior by its own, but no effort was made this week to explain Western transgressions.
"Nowadays, people in China no longer want for food and clothing, and even in the luxury shops abroad, there are advertisement posters in Chinese," the paper wrote in a 2013 commentary.
"But many people also feel as though their 'hands are full but hearts are empty.' In the process of modernization, how have the people come to lack modern manners and consciousness?"
The 2013 report followed criticism of the country's tourists travelling overseas after a Chinese teenager defaced an ancient temple in Egypt with graffiti reading "Ding Jinhao visited here."
In December 2014, Chinese travellers were also reported to have thrown hot water and noodles on a Thai flight attendant, and threatened to blow up their plane after becoming enraged over seating arrangements.
Earlier that year, Chinese state television broadcaster CCTV commissioned a TV "public service announcement" aimed at reminding people to be better behaved during their overseas trips.
It portrayed tourists as pandas who intrude on photos, graffiti trees, litter and publicly urinate.
"Be a good panda, be a good tourist," it underlined.
