Persons of Chinese heritage typically appreciate cultural pieces that will remind them of the places where they have been, whether it is your home, a vacation house or a business center. Framed photographs of the buildings around the area, local postcards or hand-painted images on fabric make ideal gifts for your Chinese guests. Attach a note to your gift written in black or blue ink, but not in red, as that color symbolizes severing of ties in Chinese culture.
A small basket of cookies or biscuits in tin containers are ideal welcome gifts for your Chinese guests. Any local pastry traditionally prepared in your area will be appreciated, especially if the baked goods are wrapped in gold, silver, pink or red foil. If you are presenting your gift personally, offer the gift using both of your hands as a sign of mutual respect. Anticipate that the guest will decline but insist on giving them the pastries.
Whatever the gift you have decided to give your guests, avoid wrapping them in yellow and black paper; instead, choose bright red paper since this is a lucky color in Chinese culture. If no red paper is available, combine pink and gold as these colors are considered lucky. Little red envelopes filled with small amounts of cash are also good welcome gifts for children. Find these Chinese red envelopes in most arts and crafts stores.
Certain gifts are not appropriate to give to your Chinese guests under any circumstances. For example, never give clocks of any type since the word "clock" in Mandarin sounds very much like the word "death." In addition, do not give anything with a point such as scissors or even utility knives, as this kind of gift can be interpreted as your wanting to sever ties with your guest. A green hat is also not appropriate since the Chinese have a belief that a man who wears a green hat has an adulterous wife.
