{"id":12509,"date":"2016-11-04T02:00:49","date_gmt":"2016-11-04T01:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/?p=12509"},"modified":"2022-02-03T13:41:41","modified_gmt":"2022-02-03T12:41:41","slug":"chinese-etiquette-the-complete-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saporedicina.com\/english\/chinese-etiquette-the-complete-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese etiquette – The complete guide"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Chinese<\/p>\n

Boasting a continuous history of thousands of years, China has collected an extensive catalogue of rules \u2013 explicit and implicit \u2013 that govern social habits: the so-called Chinese etiquette (o \u793c\u8282).<\/p>\n

In the past, almost every aspect of Chinese life was regulated by what Master Confucius called \u793c (\u201cli\u201d, rites); failure to observe one of these rites equated to a break in the Confucian code of ethics which, at times, could bring rather serious consequences. <\/p>\n

With the advancement of globalization and modernization, the weight given to observing these ritual norms has diminished but is not completely lost. The loss of many of the traditional rites is corroborated by the fact that the Chinese do not expect foreigners to know them. For this reason, most times it’s enough just to be respectful and follow the Chinese saying ru xiang sui su (\u5165\u4e61\u968f\u4fd7) or \u201cfollow the local customs\u201d.<\/p>\n

How to greet<\/h2>\n

Most times, when you meet someone for the first time, the best thing to do is to behave formally and extremely humble, since humility is considered one of the greatest virtues. The traditional way of greeting someone consisted in a bow, keeping one’s hands hidden in the sleeves of their suit. <\/p>\n

This method is known as \u4f5c\u63d6 (zuoyi); by now this has fallen into disuse, substituted by a “more Western” handshake. In ancient times, the famous \u53e9\u5934 (ketou) was preferred to the common bow, namely throwing yourself to the ground on your knees and lowering your head to the ground in a sign of deep reverence and great respect in front of one’s superiors. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Ketou (or kowtow), as a practice that brings to mind a feudal and archaic China, ended up in the most famous catalogue, fanwen rujie (\u7e41\u6587\u7f1b\u8282), namely all the ritual practices and “culturally complicated” manners that were put aside in China’s long modernization process.<\/p>\n

How to introduce yourself<\/h2>\n

As a general rule, the Chinese prefer to wait to be introduced by someone of their own group or counterpart. Self-representation is seen as inappropriate and uncivil. Almost everyone these days is aware of the use of visiting cards. This is given and\/or received with both hands and a slight bow of the head as a sign of respect. Moreover, it is important to read the card attentively before carefully putting it into your pocket.<\/p>\n

Social relationships: guanxi<\/h2>\n

A most important aspect of Chinese manners is made up of social relationships, commonly known as guanxi (\u5173\u7cfb ), that have existed in China from its earliest times. A more appropriate translation of this term would be “recommendations\/connections”. The guanxi is a central aspect of life in China and anyone who refuses to play the guanxi game probably won’t have much hope of having success in China. I think it would be useful to list expressions about guanxi:<\/p>\n