5 tips to know how to behave at a Chinese dinner

If you are going on business or simply going for a walk in China, it is important to know its culture in advance, in order to avoid uncomfortable situations.

Tip #1:

Never decline an invitation to dinner from a Chinese, as it is an opportunity to develop friendship with them and get to know them, refusing to attend is seen as a rude gesture.

Tip #2:

Wait for the host to tell you where to sit as you do not want to occupy the place reserved for other people. In the same way, the host must always have visibility of the door to know who enters or leaves the place of dinner.

Tip #3:

Remember to eat little by little you will not want to fill up ahead of time, normally Chinese banquets include 10 to 12 different dishes and know the 5 types of Chinese banquet:

• Cantonese
• Imperial
• Sichuan (the spiciest) *
• Medicinal
• Exotic

Note:

If you don't eat spicy, let your host know so they can take it into consideration. Since if you cannot eat what was served, it can be interpreted as not that you did not like the food and thus offend the person who invited you.

Tip #4:

Use the common spoon to serve yourself to your plate. Do not use your spoon or chopsticks to help yourself, this to maintain hygiene.

Tip #5:

Do not play with chopsticks as it is in bad taste. Do not nail them in the food either since it is a funeral or death symbol, simply place them on the table to avoid offenses

Extra Tip:

Don't be late. If for some reason you couldn't help it, don't start making excuses, just apologize, or if you prefer, consider ordering from the available liquor and then taking 3 shots of it, this as an additional way of apologizing.

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Article obtained from edu-coneccion