Look at the 10 Chinese Gift Giving Taboos. Have you done any of these before?

1. Clocks
Giving a Chinese friend a clock as a present should be avoided because it sounds like Song Zhong in Chinese, which means funeral ritual or being present at the bedside when a person is about to die.

2. Green Hats
A green hat refers to the phrase Dai Lu Mao in Chinese, which means a man’s wife is cheating on him. A man who wears a green hat implies that his wife commits adultery.

3. Umbrella
Giving your friend an umbrella means you want to end the relationship because umbrella sounds like San in Chinese, which means to separate. Giving a married couple an umbrella as a gift should be avoided.

4. Gifts in Sets of Four
Four sounds like Si in Chinese, which means death. You should avoid giving gifts in sets of four. In China, you may see the English letter F instead of 4 in elevators.

5. Pear
The word pear should like Li in Chinese, which has the same meaning as separate and is considered bad luck.

6. Shoes
Giving shoes as gift may not be a good idea because Song XieZi (giving shoes) sounds similar to break up.

7. Knife or Scissors
Knife and Scissors are used for cutting. They symbolize breaking a relationship.

8. Chrysanthemum
In China, chrysanthemum is often used to mourn the death of the loved ones.

9. Towels
Towels are given out at funerals. Receiving a towel as a gift may bring back sad memories.

10. Anything in White or Black
In China, the colors white and black are associated with bad luck because they are used during funerals. Therefore, wrapping your gifts in these colors should be avoided.

Link: http://www.chinesecultureshop.com/10-chinese-gift-giving-taboos/