Cigarettes will kill you. They will also reveal what kind of person you are according to your preferred brand – or so we’re told by our local tobacconist. Before you offer a smoke to a new buddy, see what assumptions they’ll be making.
1. Shuangxi (Double Happiness) — RMB5.5
You’re a simple, hard-working man. You toil in a factory or sit in a shop 36 hours each day. Or you just got a taste for one of China’s oldest smokes when you were younger. Fun fact: the double happiness logo is also used as an ornament to symbolize a happy marriage. No, the freshly married couple down the hall isn’t decorating their door with cigarette advertising.
2. Esse Menthol — RMB7
You are a female, white-collar office worker who prefers a discreet smoke at the end of the day. With a slogan like ‘the leaders pleasure,’ you could also be someone who spends nights clacking KTV dice while wearing a dead-eyed smile.
3. Marlboro — RMB25
Overseas they are the choice of manly men and cancer-lunged cowboys, but Marlboros in China say that you are hip. You’re into sports. You like the idea you’re smoking a foreign cigarette. Or you are just an expat clinging to a familiar name.
4. Furongwang - RMB25
You can go two ways with Furongwang. You’re either poor and think you can buy face with these not-quite-premium-priced smokes, or you’re already rich but don’t feel like showing off.
5. Chunghwa (or Zhongguo) — RMB50
With a name that translates literally to ‘China,’ these plummy tobacco sticks say you really love the Middle Kingdom. The high price point also means you’re rolling in it. Much face.
[Cover image via Town & Country Magazine]
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