Foo'ni Chai'ni Tansla'Shun
 Beijing - Summer PalaceActually, this translation is quite good and typical of the quality one expects to see in Peking. What is funny about this sign is that, despite the party's love for telling people what they can and cannot do, it demonstrates how most Chinese will do what they want to do anyway. |  Beijing - 789 Art DistrictA "Disinfection room" in an art district? Who would have thought... |  Xi'an - Terracotta WarriorsjAre they afraid that the army is going to come alive and march all over this, or perhaps it is for the Chinese tour groups during the peak season... |
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 Xi'an - Big Goose Pagoda FountainSure... Whatever... |  Kaifeng - Univerity GroundsA large and strange sign to put up in a really small garden; however, it is kind of poetic. |  Beijing - Summer PalaceUrinating in the pool, you are the best... Thank you, thank you. |
 Xi'an - Terracotta WarriorsGreat! We spent have of our time in China looking for some Famouse. |  Li Jai Shan - Cliff Dwelling VillageThanks for the information... |  Xi'an - Terracotta WarriorsI took a picture of this sign when I first saw it, having no idea what it referred to. It was only some hours later that I realized that it describes the imprint left by the woven grass matts used to cover the beams supporting the roof of the structures where the Terracotta Warriors are buried. Basically, the statues are housed in underground halls, with wooden beams supporting the roof. The beams were covered with woven matts before being buried under the earth. |
 Xi'anNot a translation, but a funny name for a business. |  Pingyao - RestaurantI really hope that this is just a translation mistake... |  Pingyao - Confusian TempleI never of that. Thanks for putting the idea in my head. |
 Pingyao - Confusion TempleAll elderly should have their own channel. |  PingyaoMy guess is that they wanted to say "no burning" or "no lighting fires". However, this sign was in a stone courtyard with nothing to burn... |  PingyaoGotcha. "No carefree steps in crowded areas" or "do not crowd and take careful steps". I prefer the carefree interpretation. |
 Pingyao - Taoist TempleI did not know that drinking from large fish ponds with lots of trash would not be allowed... Thanks sign! |  Datong - Yungang CavesIn case the sign is not enough (or if the translation is wrong) just add police tape and a guard. At any rate, we get the point. |  Beijing - SupermarketThe Chinese version of Wall Mart. Classic |
 Beijing - Forbidden CitySo it used to be that any visitor to the forbidden city that did not have an official invitation would be executed on the spot. Today, you can visit for 40 Yuan. However, in light of the history of this place, I do not know if I should eat this burger.. |  Train from Xia Xang to KaifengOne of the best translations in China. However, spend five minutes on a Chinese train and you will see all three of these rules broken. |  Beijing - MetroGood advice... I did not know that gaps could do that... |
 Datong - RestaurantI do not know how I feel about eating my own face, but I would sure like to try one of those colorful peach kernels. |  PingyaoReminder of Civilization Convention. |
November 24, 2013
Visitors coming to China will probably notice that there is an unusually high number of “official” signs in both Chinese and English. It would seem that the Party is not really content to allow locals to rely upon their civic sensibilities to guide their behavior, and prefers to provide “Dos” and “Don’t” for pretty much anything. We encountered signs reminding us not to jump off of buildings, spit or trample works of public art; signs to remind us not to drink pond water or to pee on the floor; and even some signs that would actually tell us what it is we are visiting (actually rather rare in China).
The best part about all of the signs is that the translation from Chinese to English is often out of touch with a particular sign’s Chinese meaning… Apparently there is an official body in Beijing which is supposed to provide guidelines about translating from Chinese into English and ensuring that all official signs translations conform to these guidelines. But one cannot help but wonder if they actually hired any native English speakers to help them with their translations…
Poor translations are not just limited to official signs. Restaurants, hotels and private buses also have their funny translations.
One cannot assume that the Chinese language is the easiest to translate, especially with its thousands of characters which can sometimes mean multiple thins. Therefore, out of pure cultural sensitivity it would probably be more politically correct to ignore the seemingly unlimited number of poorly translated signs. But because we are no longer in China, and no longer risk being censored for mentioning anything that could upset the Party, I cannot resist posting some of the funnier Chinese to English translations we encountered while here.