China's tourists stand apart from other tourists in other ways, say members of Singapore's hospitality industry.
"They're more demanding," said Johnson Lim, who handles groups from China for a local travel agency.
Boon Sang Lip, a souvenir stand operator, put it more bluntly.
"They like to talk in a loud and not-very-polite way," he said as a group of tourists from Xian mobbed his assistant for lighters in the shape of Singapore's emblem, the Merlion.
When they check into hotels, for instance, many Chinese tourists demand the top floors, Lim said. Some feel entitled to take souvenirs like hotel pillows, he said.
None of this would come as a surprise to anyone who has traveled through China. In a nation of 1.3 billion people, getting where you want to go often means literally pushing someone else out of the way.
For all the challenges, China's tourist migrations represent a lucrative source of income that countries like Singapore are vying to attract. Casinos are one case in point. With casinos illegal in China, virtually every trip abroad includes such a visit. Gambling losses by Chinese nationals overseas amount to US$72 billion a year, according to CLSA.
"Chinese love to gamble," Lim said.
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