As the Beijing 2008 Olympics draws nearer, the authorities in China are keen to ensure that the city makes a good impression on foreign visitors. As such, they are targeting Chinese tourists (who are taking advantage of the May week holiday) who behave badly in public by, eg, spitting, littering or shoving in queues.
Beijing is littered with (sorry about the pun) posters telling people how to behave.
The China National Tourism Administration issued a circular, making travel agencies and tour guides responsible for correcting tourists' bad behaviour during the holidays.
Included in the list of "forbidden" actions are; jumping the line, spitting, littering and clearing one's throat loudly in public.
It is expected that around 550,000 foreign tourists, and 2,000,000 Chinese tourists will visit Beijing during the Games.
Zhai Weihua, Spiritual Civilisation Steering Committee, deputy director said:
"Promoting civilised behaviours among Chinese travelers is a long-term task. To harvest short-term results before the games, we need to focus our resources on the main problems.
Tens of thousands of reporters will come to China to cover the Games next year, which means both China's positive and negative sides will be amplified. Once bad impressions are made, they last.
That's why we should grab the opportunity to change uncouth behaviour."
Manners are a virtue, and it is to the credit of the Chinese that they are taking them so seriously.
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