What would you all suggest for gifts for the Chinese that are easy to carry over?

People you know? Business contacts?

Friends

Something gourmet food item that they might enjoy...jams, mustards, condiments. Small sizes pack well. Wrap them in bubble wrap and then in a ziplock.

Something with your hometown or nearby famous city's name on it...pencils, coasters, t-shirts, keychains...

Good ideas, thanks!

We brought a calender from home for the following year to the local agent that we used in Beijing , which seemed to have been well received.

Lipstick for women, ties for men. Errh, most chinese don't care for western mustard, appreciate jam and quality chocolates.

Sorry marymai but I wouldn't give calendars as gifts in Asia. Calendars are freebies handed out by many businesses (even small ones), you'll find that most people get given them.
I don't encourage it but cigarettes are popular, alcohol too. I know the Chinese living here would cart back sheepskins and jars of lanolin for their relatives.

Agree with Cilla. One shouldn't present anything that depicts timeline - calendar, especially clocks or watches. For the Chinese, receiving these signify "your days are numbered" or "time's up".

The Chinese appreciate chocolate, gourmet coffee, brandy, whisky, wine and cigars.

Many gifts a Westerner would think as being apt and thoughtful are not so well received in China. Name brand products of any kind are generally work best. Cigarettes, cognac, lancome lipstick, a Boss tie, etc. These products cost as much as double the LIST price in the West, so are very much appreciated.

Thank you all for the information about calendars. I would never have given one if I had any idea what it might mean in China. I have learned something new to day.
Marymai

Hmm, interesting suggestions. Only Boss ties and Lancome lipstick or any major "brand"? Seems to be disagreement about chocolates. That might be messy in the hot summertime.

Thanks!

My dad always gives alcohol (bottles of Cognac) as gifts. Definitely no calendars or clocks. Doesn't have to be Boss ties or Lancome lipstick....

I agree with KimJapan. My Chinese friends and co-workers love it when I bring them something unique from my home town, especially t-shirts/caps with the baseball team logo or a local food favorite they can't get in China. They reciprocate by bringing me moon cakes, silk lanterns and crafts that would be hard to find (or more expensive) here.

I will take advantage of this thread to say that in 25 days i too will be in China. I live in Mexico so I purchased "sombrero" keychains and also am taking a pile of yellow, size small t-shirts with the logo of my restuarant. Seems this should be okay, no?

Upscale department store brand chocolates, e.g., Harrods if you live in London or Saks Fifth Ave if you live in the US.

NEVER give clocks, it rhymes with "going to the funeral" in Chinese!

Would LA Lakers/Dodgers logo clothes and stuff be well received? We'll be visiting Shanghai from the LA area.

Interesting ideas, thanks!!

I thought the word for clock sounds the same in chinese as the word for death. So it's like wishing them death. Not good. Also no knives, like cutting your relationship.

Another thing you could probably get at the duty free store are cartons of Zhonghua cigarettes. Make sure they are soft packs though (not box!). These will certainly be appreciated whether your friends smoke or not.

I'd suggest that the best type of gift depends on where you are going in China and to whom you are giving them.

As a tourist traveling in the big cities I tipped in currency and if someone remarked on an item of clothing or other article I had I considered gifting it to them. As a rule I found that the average Chinese person loves anything Western (from the West), so any gift that explicitly says the West (as a Dodger's t-shirt) or implicitly says it came from the West is very appreciated.

I also spent 4 weeks traveling outside of the tourist areas, in some cases literally into areas where we were the first Westerners the people had ever seen. In these areas ANYTHING was appreciated. We brought gifts of simple toys for the kids, and for the adults toiletries, toothbrushes, watches, etc. They loved everything, and I have never seen anyone more truly appreciative than were these rural Chinese.