北京奥运：八不问 Beijing Olympics: Eight "don't-asks"

为迎接奥运，北京社区挂上了“八不问”礼仪牌，告诫居民：和外宾交谈时，需留意自己的语言。

所谓“八不问”即

不问履历出身、

不问收入支出、

不问家庭财产、

不问年龄婚否、

不问健康问题、

不问家庭住址、

不问政见信仰和

不问私人情感。

路透社引述北京官员表示，对中国而言，这些都是习以为常的生活话题，然而对于外国人，这些却是无理而且令他们尴尬的话题，我们希望能通过对居民的教育，使得北京居民更懂得应对礼仪。

据报道，有位老北京人说：平时街坊邻里见面时，互相调侃都无所谓，“哪怕生面孔，聊个一两句，也就熟悉了，问问年龄、收入，感觉很正常。”

北京礼仪学院院长李柠表示：“八不问”涉及的禁忌问题，与中国传统文化的确有冲突的地方，但并不对立，它是街邻文化以及民族文化一种弱化的体现。

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There is no doubt that the Chinese government is doing everything in its power to protect your right to privacy, at least during the Beijing Olympics.

This poster appears in Beijing with etiquette instructions designed to smooth Chinese-foreigner relations during the upcoming summer 2008 Olympics.
1) A Smile is Beijing’s Best Business Card — A Smile is the Whole World’s Propriety

2) Eight things not to ask Foreign Guests about:
- income or expenses, age, love life or marriage, health, someone’s home or address, personal experience, religious beliefs or political views, and what someone does.
3) General Rules for Etiquette with Foreigners

- One’s manners and bearing, and image should be graceful

- Be neither humble nor haughty, but at ease and self possessed

- Seek commonalities while reserving differences, have reason and integrity

- Adapt to others’ customs, respect ethical code- Abide by agreements, adhere to promises

- Be enthusiastic in moderation, foreigners are different from Chinese

- Be appropriately modest, be affirmed in yourself

- Do not ask private questions, respect others’ customs

- Ladies first, be gentlemanly

- Seat honored guests on the right, and get along harmoniously

Some westerners seem to be pleased with the Chinese government's effort, as they put it: "It's rather sweet that the Chinese would so drastically reinvent themselves, culturally, just to conform to alien manners. "