He also mentioned that "some hotel and guesthouse operators are turning them away because they say Chinese tourists often rent a room for two, but stay in a group of four or five. They also deplore their tendencies to litter and hang their clothing on the balcony railing."

In Hong Kong, newspapers have photographed multiple examples of uncouth behavior by visitors from the mainland, including cutting in line, smoking in non-smoking areas, spitting, walking barefoot and squatting in the middle of the sidewalk.

In mid-May, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang admonished the "uncivilized behavior" of some Chinese tourists, when addressing a conference on implementing the Tourism Law, which will take effect on October 1.

Their displays of lack of "quality and breeding" have "damaged the image of Chinese people," Wang said.

Authorities should "guide tourists to conscientiously abide by public order and social ethics, respect local religious beliefs and customs, mind their speech and behavior and protect the environment," he said.

Chen Xu, a researcher with the China Tourism Academy, said that the new law will compel Chinese people to behave properly at tourist sites.

According to the law, travel agencies will be allowed to revoke their contracts with tourists who "engage in activities that violate social ethics."

"But in the long run the key is to raise awareness of the importance of cultural relics and proper manners," Chen said, adding that travel agencies and guides should also be responsible for educating tourists and preventing improper acts.

The National Tourism Administration issued a convention for civilized tourism conduct on May 28.

"Being a civilized tourist is the obligation of each Chinese citizen," says the document, which identifies protection of cultural relics as an essential imperative for tourists.

Beyond refraining from defacing ancient relics, the administration reiterates a number of common sense guidelines and environmental considerations for courteous tourism.

Adapting to rules

Scholars argue that bad manners in public are due to many factors, and not just individual personality. They say society, historical circumstances and the environment must all be taken into consideration.

"People are relatively tolerant and polite in their daily lives toward acquaintances and friends, but when placed in a strange place, such as when travelling abroad, chances are that people will be more prone to anger, to be rude, aggressive or even violent," said Han Xueqing, Director of the Department of Clinical Psychology at Beijing Tongren Hospital.

In the past few decades, blind worship of material success has also affected moral values of Chinese people and complicated their behavioral paradigms.

"It is not that the Chinese cannot behave. The society we live in, the phase of social development we are going through, and the social network we belong to all decide our behavior in public," said Cheng Lehua, a social psychologist with the Department of Psychology at Guangzhou-based Sun Yat-sen University.

For one, people are more inclined to be rude if they feel their personal space is being violated. Moreover, when social resources are limited, and there is no actual penalty mechanism for improper behavior, it becomes a free-for-all. But identity still plays an important role, according to Cheng.

"Tourists are a good example in such extreme cases," he said. "They are more likely to behave badly than locals. They are in a strange place and they are in a hurry to get the most out of the limited stay, while locals have more time and opportunity, relatively, to do the same."

Researchers say that Chinese tourists face a learning curve when adopting manners and picking up hints during their travels. As they slowly get used to being affluent, and their vision broadens with more frequent travel abroad, they will feel less pressure to grab as much as they can in as short a time as possible, and they will learn to relax and behave better.

"Travelling is a learning experience for tourists. They learn how to absorb local culture and will get rid of their bad tourist behavior in the process," said Wang Wanfei, a tourism professor at Zhejiang University.

"Over the past few decades, our society has lacked education when it comes to manners. For example, it's common for many Chinese to speak loudly, but they learn to be quiet in public places if they feel unwelcome overseas," said Zhang Mei, founder and CEO of WildChina, a Beijing-based travel company.

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