I am meeting my girlfriend’s parents for the first time this weekend for dinner at a pretty nice restaurant. Her parents are fairly traditional Chinese mom and dad and I am not Chinese, or Asian for that matter… I don’t want to show up empty-handed - any ideas on good gifts for first time meeting Chinese parents?

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Maybe ask your GF? I’d suggest a fruit basket. It is Chinese New Year and oranges 🍊 are suppose to be a sign of good fortune

likesmart

Ask your girlfriend and be ready to dress very nicely.

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I am Chinese. Dried seafood gift box (scallop/sea cucumber/abalone) is a good option. Paying for the dinner is another good option but you may need to fight/insist a little to get the bill from parents since traditional Chinese parents won't let you treat. The first time my boyfriend met my parents, he pretended to go to bathroom toward the end of dinner and secretly paid the bill. We secretly spit the bill between two of us later but we gave the credit to my boyfriend in front of my parents so that my parents would like him more.

I would avoid giving cash to parents since normally only older people can give cash (in red envelopes if this is Chinese new year dinner) to younger people in Chinese culture.

Also I would suggest wearing red or at least mainly red. Traditional Chinese parents are superstitious especially during Chinese new year.

Hope this helps and good luck!

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I’m Korean so not sure if it’s a little different but my parents always suggest gifting honey!

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Cute!

Lol! I was the first gentile in my wife’s family. I’m sure even Moses was disappointed.

likefunny

Haha thank you everyone for the great tips, feel much better about what I can bring with me when meeting them!

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Dried shiitake mushrooms or dried seafood are decent gifts

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Ugh as a Chinese descendent I find it annoying with the whole “we need to bring a gift” thing for the sake of formality. My mom use to have a whole box of random crap and nicknacks that she wraps up nicely incase we need to meet someone “important” 😂😂. Either way I don’t think you need to overthink it, any small decorative item will do.

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