China fact of the day

Trier is a worthy destination by any standard, having impressive and
important Roman ruins as well as an 11th century cathedral built in the
very place where Emperor Constantine’s mother first built a church in
the fourth century.

But the Chinese clearly come to see the
place where Marx was born in 1818 [my emphasis], and the local authorities try to
take full advantage of it, promoting their city in China itself and
with the travel agencies that serve Chinese tourists.

They even
offer cultural sensitivity training for merchants, restaurateurs and
others in Trier, instructing them in the finer points of dealing with
Chinese customers. The number 250, for example, which is a kind of
slang for "stupid" in Chinese, is to be avoided, and so is wrapping
paper in white, the color of funereal robes, or yellow, by custom
reserved for the emperor. It is also important to hand over visiting
cards rather formally, with two hands, not just one.

Here is the full story.