The Chinese government is Goal-Oriented; Chinese people are Process-Oriented.
Whether giving or asking for directions in China, there doesn't appear to be any concern that the asking party reaches it's destination as a result. It is enough that you will probably get somewhat closer. It's like the childhood game of Warmer/Colder. It is not uncommon for my Chinese travelling companion to ask for directions 5 times en route to a destination 5 blocks away. The taxi driver who brought me to my hostel when I arrived in Beijing asked for directions 8 times--and he had called the hostel before we left the airport. Getting lost was not a scam to charge more--we had agreed on a fixed price before the trip.
Perhaps the national psyche is shaped by a history of projects so large that no man would live to see both the inception and completion. When you are working on a Great Wall, you must be satisfied with progress rather than perfection.
