What going away gift should I give to a family who is moving to China for a job transfer?

Answer 1

My brother lives in China, where he teaches English as a Foreign Language. My mother and other brother also went there for his wedding (to a very nice Chinese girl). Seemingly innocuous products like American-style ketchup and mayonnaise are hard to find and very expensive. Not very glamorous as a gift, though! Everyone complained about the food: it's either terribly bland or outrageously spicy, so any kind of "comfort food" item would be nice. Just be sure it's non-perishable and also that it's permitted through international customs. Maybe a huge Hillshire Farms box would be nice, or even boxes of Hamburger Helper. Stuff like that is hard to find in China.

Clothing, shoes, cameras, electronics, CDs/DVDs, etc. are all cheaper in China than they are here in the States, so I wouldn't get stuff like that. International calling cards would always be welcome; just be sure they are compatible with the region of China the family is locating to.

Reading material in English is also in short supply. You could weigh them down with books and magazines, but first see if Amazon and periodicals like Readers Digest will ship to China - if they do, a gift certificate from Amazon or a gift subscription to Readers Digest (or other magazine) could be VERY welcome.

Hope this helps!

P.S. If you're giving food, be sure it's something that won't get squished. Pre-packaged stuff is best. Bags of potato chips will be squashed beyond recognition, but Pringles travel well. You get the idea. Good luck!

Answer 2

I have lived in China for the past three years. Every trip to the US brings about a full suitcase of things hard (or expensive) to get here. Chinese potato chips, for example, are sweet, not salty. I bring Pringles. I also miss sugared cake doughnuts - you can't find them here. Most Chinese pastries, cakes, etc. aren't as sweet as in the US (but much prettier). Electronics are not a good idea since China uses 220 volt, 50 hertz power with a strange assortment of plugs, depending upon the age of the apartment. Watch out for bringing a photocopy machine - Customs will highly question why you need it. Phone cards (IDD) can be bought everywhere here, so it isn't necessary to give any. Don't bring CDs unless you are willing to pay a customs duty (I had 100 blank discs for which I had to pay a duty twice the cost of buying new ones here). I agree with most of the others: give them their favorite candies, snacks, etc.

Answer 3

Phone cards or any kind of food (snacks) they won't be able to get in China.

Answer 4

try to find a book about etquette in china especially if they are going to do business with the chinese. They are sometimes very oldfashioned and they appreciate it a lot if you know about their traditions especially when it comes to food and eating.

Answer 5

A Cookbook: "101 Ways to Wok a Dog"