Tourists urged to play safe

In 2012, more than 900 Chinese tourists visited the consular section of the Chinese embassy in France to obtain emergency travel permits because their passports had been stolen, a 50 percent increase compared with 2011, according to the embassy's website.

Violence against Chinese tourists is not unusual in Paris. Deeply influenced by traditional Chinese culture, the tourists and even the French people of Chinese origin tend to be conciliatory when it comes to solving a problem; when money can settle an issue, they usually pay up. Because Chinese tourists often fail to report crimes to the French police, mainly because of the language barrier, they have become targets for criminal groups.