Avoid Breaking Social Etiquette In Asia With These Two Controversial Hand Gestures

It's playful. It's lighthearted. In an appropriate situation, it can be flirtatious. We're talking about beckoning someone with an upturned hand, fingers curling toward you. Or it might be just a little tease with your index finger. It's all good. Maybe even a little bit giggly. Unless you're in the Philippines — home to Palawan, an underrated tropical vacation destination to add to your bucket list — where the simple gesture can land you in hot water, or worse, in jail. While it's considered a benign or friendly gesture in the United States, the come-hither signal is extremely offensive in the Philippines, where it's the equivalent of calling someone a dog or a barnyard animal. The gesture is also offensive in South Korea. The same fix holds true in both countries. Instead of beckoning palm up, flip your hand over and curl your fingers under toward your palm.

A hand gesture to be avoided if you're visiting Vietnam — one of Anthony Bourdain's favorite travel destinations — is crossing your fingers. Although this is a gesture widely accepted as wishing someone good luck or good fortune in the U.S., in Vietnam, it's the vulgar equivalent of calling someone the c-word. The cultural difference comes down to the interpretation of the symbol. In Vietnamese culture, crossed fingers represent certain parts of the female anatomy. 

Those two gestures aren't the only ones you need to be wary of. Picture this: You're waiting to cross a city street when someone approaches you to ask directions. You know where they're going. What's one of the very first things you do, maybe even before starting to speak? Use your index finger to point in the direction of their destination? If you answered yes — and you happen to be in Vietnam or Malaysia — you just insulted the very person you were trying to assist. The workaround? Use your right thumb instead of your index finger.

In light of the myriad cultural differences associated with commonly accepted U.S. hand gestures, it's probably a good idea to brush up on all local etiquette if you're planning an Asia-centric itinerary. For example, tussling a child's hair in the U.S. is usually considered a loving gesture, but don't make the mistake of doing it in Thailand, where touching someone's head is highly offensive. That's because in Thai culture, the head is considered the most sacred part of the human body. And in Taiwan — an underrated East Asian destination that's a must-visit for foodies — pointing at the moon isn't necessarily offensive, but it's said to bring bad luck, unleashing the wrath of the moon goddess.