Social Etiquette
Social etiquette is the behavioral norms that people observe in their daily interactions. As one of the birthplaces of world civilization, China has its unique etiquette system.
Here the manners of meeting and guests entertaining are introduced.
The meeting etiquette mainly refer to a set of customs and rules involved introduction 介绍and gestures手势礼.
Chinese introduction etiquette is the same as that of most countries in the world. Chinese people pay great attention to the Introduction order. It is common to first introduce the young to the elderly and man to woman to show respect for the latter.
Handshake is also a universal rite, but the “fist and palm salute” 拱手礼is unique for traditional Chinese culture. It is done holding two hands together in front of the chest and more frequently used in mass greetings and festive celebrations nowadays.
China is different from the West in entertaining the guest. When a guest pays a visit, everyone in the family will come to meet the guest and make small talk.
When the guest is seated, a cup of tea will be served by the host with two hands and it can’t be filled up, to show politeness to the guest. If a meal is needed, the seating arrangements are very particular. The seat facing the gate belongs to the host, and that of the guest of honor will also be arranged in advance. During the meal, communication is of vital importance and the lively dining atmosphere 热闹就餐氛围is much preferred. Meanwhile, the host and the guest will urge each other to eat and drink, and even if the table is full of delicacies, the host will still be modest, saying the food is not sumptuous enough, and that the guest is not well entertained.
The farewell 告别and see-off 送客are the concluding part.
The guest is ready to leave when he expresses such a wish, while the host will repeatedly try to persuade the guest to stay再三挽留. When they part, the host will say some formulae客套话, such as “Visit us again when available and take care有空再来，慢走” and the guests will reply with “Don’t bother to see me out. 不用送了，请留步” In this way the visit ends the warm farewell speech.
