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Chinese customs officers get a lesson in perfecting their smile, by holding chopsticks between their teeth.
Women of true beauty do not reveal their teeth when they are smiling, according to a traditional Chinese adage.
Not anymore, one government bureau has decided.
During a "How to Smile" course organized by the Dalian Port Inspection Station in China’s northeastern province of Liaoning, customs officers were given the strange assignment of holding a chopstick between their teeth as they grinned.
"The purpose is to perfect their smiles," Zhang Tianbao told NBC News. Zhang, the political officer in charge of the Dalian station, said that seeing one’s pearly whites was imperative to a beautiful smile.
"The best result is that they can show eight teeth while they are smiling," he said.
More international stories from NBC News
This is not the first time China has gone academic on what constitutes a good smile. Yang Jinbo, the etiquette adviser for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, explained how the transition was made.
"China is part of the international world, we change our traditional culture so that the international world will understand that we’re friendly."
NBC News' Yanzhou Liu contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Chinese orthodontics; who needs braces? LOL
China's robotization of its people never ceases to amaze me. This will be the country's downfall yet again. When no uniqueness or ingenuity is allowed, the population stagnates and dies a slow boring death.
2, 4 deleted, tahoechrispy smearing all Chinese people. Lose the racism.
You're suspended for a week for violating #5 of the Code of Honor.
Every nation should trade on what it does best. Good manners, a traditional virtue in their culture, will do more for the Chinese in the way of making friends than cultivating an antic or a frozen smile the way Americans do.
The Chinese people I have met are so very friendly and courteous.
How true,I lived in China from the end of WW2 to 1947.As poor as they were after the Japanese occupation,they were very friendly and extremely courteous even though I could only communicate with them in Japanese.I was an American Marine.
I think it's the other way around, I dated a chinese woman and she put a smile on my face.
The great thing about Asian women is an hour later, ya just wanna Giggety'm again! ;)
Ordinarily, a smile should be a natural reaction to a situation. Something that happens spontaneously. Instruction on how to smile is somewhat creepy, since it turns a smile into a non-natural thing. I have a relative who used to work at a world-famous theme park. She was taught how to smile (for photos with kiddies). She doesn't work there anymore. But even now, she could be having the crappiest day in her life and be in the foulest mood, but she can turn on a picture perfect fake smile in half a second. Artificial smiles suppress true feelings. It's fakery, pure and simple. If it is artificial, it means nothing. I'd prefer a genuine grin over a practiced fake smile any day.
Right on! I love to make people smile. I just love a good smile and a hearty laugh!
Smiling is not as simple as showing one's teeth - which is what these women are doing when they hold chopsticks in their mouth, or when someone shows their teeth to someone else to check if they have food stuck in their teeth. I've seen people smile this way, by simply showing off their teeth - it's weird and void of emotion and happiness.
When you smile, you also smile with your EYES and CHEEKS!
Two billion sticks and counting.
Just remembered; some TSA security agents might do with a pair of these sticks.
I used to be one, and believe me, there is nothing to smile about working with TSA.
You gotta wonder about who worries about such things. This takes the definition of "control freak" to a whole new level. I suppose if one were in a public service venue/meet and greet or a beauty pageant, it might mean something. However, going as far as counting the acceptable number of teeth showing makes the whole exercise a bit creepy.
On the other hand, it might be something to do when trying to learn a more pleasant expression for one's face. I'm sure many of the Newsviners are stuck with a permanent scowl on their faces. I so seldom read a positive or happy message. Nah, it'd never work here--too many would bite their chopstick in two, and then blame someone else for it. LOL
First time I've heard a forced smile called "friendly".
I understand chopsticks are made here from our trees and sent over there. A picture is worth a thousand words.
tahoechrispy: you have a problem with yourself, not the Chinese. If you had negative business issues then who is more at fault-you or the suppliers you question? Did you do due diligence before entering to some arrangement with the suppliers or were you simply seeking the lowest prices? Yes, I lived in China for 10 years operating my USA firm from Qingdao. I met many wonderful people and still I deal with the many factories I have trusted for years. Look in the mirror and you willl see your real problem.
Our business had nothing to do with the Chinese supplying anything. We supplied a sterilization and decontamination service for medical devices and clean room air streams. Factories? Managing a Chinese factory 10 years ago was easy dude.
I honestly do not see the point in this article whatsoever... you could switch the words "China" for "US" and "chopsticks" for "pencils"... There is nothing newsworthy about this at all.
I like interesting articles! This article is "newsworthy" in that we have a chance to see an ancient culture changing into their version of a "modern" powerhouse.
The fact that the US sells China chopsticks is ironic!
The Chinese people I've met are respectful and kind. The problem is with their gov't, not the Chinese people.
The US also makes taco shells for Mexico. Seriously! Mexico imports 100% of their taco shells from the US. But in reality, I suspect tacos are far more popular in the US than Mexico. Celebration of Cinco de mayo and St Pactrick's day are also far bigger here than in their countries of origin too. So while it seems ironic that chopsticks would be important by China from the US, it's really not that surprising.
Over the loud speaker the people hear:
"All women aged 18-24 will report to the city square for mandatory smile-training. You will bring your chop sticks with you no later than 6pm. Tardiness and forgetting your chop sticks will not be tolerated. Salivating during smile training is a punishable offense! Thank you and have a nice day"
When you "understand" something, then you can post, in the meantime try to find something intelligent to say. I won't hold my breath.
hey rasputin- your idiot response reflects lacking a sense of humor. Try growing one or Google it if you don't understand what it means. Until then I won't hold my breath either a*hole.
Wow - they are really using those chopsticks wrong.
Interesting. China once closed off the world to preserve its traditions. Now, women must change the way they smile to accommodate the "world." Frankly, I'd rather see a genuine smile because of some good, old-fashioned human interaction.
So do their men have to learn this important technique? Probably not. They would do better to change their human rights toward their citizens!
My thoughts exactly! Why is it just women (pictured) doing the "smile training"? I'm also disappointed that it took until your comment- number 20- for anyone to say something. Ridiculous. More sexist garbage.
the government telling them how to smile. is it halloween yet cause im scared.
The fact that only women are pictured doing the "smile training" is disturbing and disgusting enough. The fact that NO ONE seemed to catch on to that, or mention it as an important part of the story until comment # 20 is even more disturbing. I realize the article doesn't mention a separation of genders, but it certainly doesn't mention whether the picture is or is not a full representation of the people the government feels "should" have the training. If a similar amount of men are receiving this training then I apologize for my feminist outburst. But the way the article and picture portray it, this is a very gendered and sexist practice, and I won't apologize for pointing it out.
You need to read the article.
You're eaten up with political correctness; must be American.
Trust me, you don't want to see the men doing this with chopsticks; most have dark brown teeth, horrible teeth. Most Chinese women have beautiful teeth.
American businesses will roll out dental chopsticks with brand advertising any time now... manufactured in China, of course.
they thought bound feet were a thing of beauty too!
First China tells its women how to smile with chopsticks in their teeth. Next it will be required for these women to hold chopsticks between their legs for proper sex
They're not customs officers, but female soldiers, you can identify them by shoulder loops.
I love Chinese, Japanese and Korean women, they are beautiful and esquisite.