The Chinese government launched a campaign Monday to teach travelers how to behave when overseas.

The move aims to promote civilized behavior among Chinese travelers and restore the country's image which has been tarnished by the behavior of some Chinese tourists.

The Civilization Office with the Spiritual Civilization Steering Committee and the National Tourism Administration jointly issued an etiquette guide on Monday telling Chinese travelers to pay attention to everyday etiquette and hygiene while abroad.

Travelers are asked not to litter, not to talk loudly, to respect queuing rules, be polite in public places, and observe the rule of "ladies first".

Uncivilized behavior is becoming a real embarrassment for China. Spitting and littering top the list of uncouth behavior among Chinese travelers.

The office and the administration also published rules of etiquette for domestic travelers, including not smoking in no-smoking areas, not talking loudly, not trampling on the grass, always wearing a shirt in public places and respecting the customs of religious and ethnic minorities.

The rude behavior of some travelers has damaged the image of China as a civilized country and generated negative publicity overseas, said the committee.

Last year, Chinese tourists made 31 million trips abroad and 1.2 billion trips inside the country.

The number is expected to skyrocket to 100 million overseas trips by 2020.

(Xinhua News Agency October 3, 2006)