I’m pretty impressed with the level of scams going on in most big Chinese cities. Their pretty ubiquitous and you’d think that someone would tell them to change the name or get a new method to scam tourists. That being said, it’s a great way to get a free tour and learn some Mandarin. Here’s the deal. A couple young chinese people start to chat you and your friends up. Usually they avoid large groups and prefer 2-3 people. Then they take you around the city and eventually ask if you would like to get some tea. At this point you’ll be taken to a high priced tea shop and presented with a large bill afterwards if your foolish enough to stick around for the “Tea Ceremony”. Every hotel and hostel warns you about it, so the minute any friendly chinese mention tea you’re tempted to just end it there. Some people get irate about it, but I’ve found it’s a really handy way to practice the language. They get really pissed when you won’t go in the tea shop, but by that time you’ve got a free tour and pratice session out of the deal.
