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Tables culture in Chinese Meals

From time immemorial, Chinese people have not only regard food and drinks as very
important things, but also associate them with various rituals. Different from rectangular
table used in western meals are usually round or square ones with dishes placed in
the middle,enabling everybody to share the food. This custom has been carried on for
thousands of years,for it is compatible to the Chinese tradition that emphasizes family
and group relationships, and plays a prominent role in displaying family ethics and
enhancing interpersonal relationships.

The seats in a Chinese meal are classified into shangshou (primary seat) and xiashou
(secondary seat). Shangshou is the most important position which generally refers to
the seat facing the door; this seat should be offered to seniors or the primary guest. If
there are many guests present,the seniors or high-ranked people would sit in the
primary position, others would sit alternately on the left and right side of the primary
position according to the sequence; the left side includes the 2nd,4th and 6th positions,
while the right side includes the 3rd, 5th and 7th positions.

According to the etiquette, Chinese people would drink wine prior to eating. In order to
let guests drink to their hearts' content, the host would repeatedly propose a toast and
urge the guests to drink. Before filling up his own glass, the toastmaster would first
charge the glasses while drinking a toast to the guests. If the guests empties his or
her cup in one gulp, the host would feel honored,adding to the liveliness of the banquet
atmosphere. When clinking glasses with seniors or people with high social positions,
the toastmaster would conventionally hold the rim of his glass lower than that of the
toastee's, which is a sign of respect and humbleness.

Chopsticks and spoons are widely used in Chinese meals. People utilize chopsticks
or spoons with their right hand, while carrying the bowl or plate using their left hand.
There are many eating etiquettes at Chinese tables, for instance, the guests will not
pick the dishes until being invited by the host; people would not pick dishes from a
distant plate; never keep on picking one's favorite dish; don't stand in other people's
way while picking;never stick the chopsticks vertically in the bowl which is only a
practice while offering sacrifices to gods or ancestors. As all of the people at the table
share dishes with each other, people would use serving chopsticks and spoons to
take food onto their bowls and plates before eating.

During a Chinese feast, the host would enthusiastically offer food for the guests,hoping
them to eat more. The guests should accept with politeness and show their thanks.
Even if the host offers something that the guests don't like to eat,the guests should not
reject it but they can put them aside instead. At the end of the meal, people would raise
their glasses and say some words with good wishes.

If you wanna know more Chinese traditional cultural knowledge, you can come to
Chinese Mandarin training School in Qingdao, learning Chinese and listening more
traditional Chinese cultural knowledge.

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