In Chinese culture, giving someone a clock as a present is absolutely unacceptable. You can't do it because the Chinese phrase for “giving a clock as a present” is 送钟 (sòng zhōng), which sounds similar to 送终 (sòng zhōng), “to pay one's last respects to someone”.
Red envelopes with money
Gifting money in red envelopes (红包 hóngbāo) is a very common practice in China, especially during the Chinese New Year, at weddings, and on birthdays. You generally want to gift shiny, crisp new bills in multiples of 100 and based on a lucky number (such as 200, 800 or 900).
Touchiness and physical affection are not common in Chinese culture. Don't try to hug or kiss strangers, slap their backs or reach out and touch them. Even handshakes are seen as too touchy, although this is changing thanks to business relations with the West.
Do not touch, hug, lock arms, back slap or make any body contact. Clicking fingers or whistling is considered very rude. Never put your feet on a desk or a chair. Never gesture or pass an object with your feet. Blowing one's nose in a handkerchief and returning it to one's pocket is considered vulgar by the Chinese.
In formal situations, people bow slightly or nod politely to greet one another formally. The bow is from the shoulders and should be greater if the person you are greeting has a higher status than you. If seated, the Chinese will stand up out of respect when they are introduced to someone.
Cut flowers are generally presents for funerals, so do not give them on Chinese New Year! This is especially so for Yellow Chrysanthemums and any white flowers, which represent death. White is an unlucky (funeral) color in Chinese culture, so white flowers should definitely be avoided.
Chinese gifts for Good luck
Four-leaf clover, Foo Dog, Good luck Crystals, Good luck pig, lucky cat, Money frog, lucky bells, Prosperity Coin Bells, lucky bamboos. These are pretty great list of gifts and anyone of them will make a good luck gift to Chinese.
The five gift rule says that you should give five gifts to your loved ones: one for each of the following categories: something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read, and a special gift.
Gifts are presented with two hands in China. The receiving person may decline the gift at first (or even up to three times). It is part of the custom for Chinese to do so as they consider themselves not worthy of the gift.
The most casual phrase of thanks is “谢了 (xiè le)”, which you would use with your close friends or family members your own age. Moving away from casual thanks, when you're feeling especially grateful to someone you can use the phrase “ 非常感谢你 (fēi cháng gǎn xiè nǐ)” which just means “Thank you very much”.
Green can be considered to be unlucky as it is associated with infidelity. A man wearing a green hat is said to have an unfaithful wife. Black can be considered unlucky too given it's association to the darkness and secrecy. The word 'mafia' translates to 'black society' in Chinese.
Every culture has its own taboos, and it is important to remain aware of them when traveling or encountering another culture to ensure you don't commit a social faux-pas. In Chinese culture, some of the most common taboos involve gift-giving, birthdays, and weddings.
The most well known is the eternal (or endless) knot. In Buddhism, this motif is one of the eight auspicious symbols representing eternal compassion and wisdom. In China, this symbol represents good luck, long life, and harmony.
Gifts that incorporate lucky charms and symbols are a perfect way to wish someone the best. Frames, keychains, t-shirts, necklaces, charm bracelets, figurines, or coffee mugs are all examples of gifts that can be personalized with good luck charms appropriate for the recipient and occasion.
Black is not the happiest of colors in traditional Chinese color symbolism, representing destruction, evil, cruelty, and sadness. The Chinese word for black is 'hei' which stands for bad luck, irregularity, and illegality.
In many cultures, black is thought to be unlucky and black cats, in particular, are said to bring bad luck to anyone that crosses their path. In China, white is generally seen as unlucky, while Brazil and Thailand consider purple to be a colour that can bring about misfortune to anyone who uses it outside of a funeral.
In addition to flowers and plants having their own symbolism, the color of a flower can also give it a special meaning in Chinese culture. For example, pink and red are colors of celebration, good luck, and happiness, while white is the color of death and ghosts.
In Chinese culture, people express love through actions as much as words. You might decide to demonstrate your love through touch, holding your partner's hand, or cuddling up together when you have a moment alone. It never hurts to do something nice for that special person in your life.
If you're from a culture that encourages smiles when greeting strangers or service people, or saying hello to strangers on the street, you may need to adjust this practice if you plan on venturing to China. The Chinese do not smile at strangers, foreign or not.