Top 5 Taboos for Chinese Table Manners

Chinese food is famous all over the world for its color, smell, flavor and variety. Maybe you are ready to take a bite. But do you know how to have dinner the right way at a Chinese table? Let’s learn the top 5 Chinese table manners.

 

The elderly should come first.

1. Take Seats the Right Way

This is one of the most important Chinese table manners. Taking seats the right way is a respect to people at the dinner. In Chinese culture, the guests should come first before the host in take a seat and the elderly before the young. “Import” people such as the guests, the elderly or people in a higher social position should take the main seats and lesser “important” should take seats next to it. And by main seats, we usually mean the seats facing the door.

2. Don’t Make Noise

When everybody is seated and everything is set, it’s time to enjoy the dinner. And when you eat, don’t make a noise by chewing, drinking, or blowing your nose. Take small bite each time and close your mouth when you chew. In China, it is considered to be very disturbing and impolite to eat dinner with noise. To some extent, it is a sign of not being well-educated. See how the lady reacts when these two "gentlemen" eat.

3. Don’t Stretch Out Your Arms

What should you do if a dish is far from you and you want it very much? Reach for it? NO! In China, all you should do is to wait until it comes to you or try dishes that are near you (even you don’t like it). Never stretch out your arms and reach for it. It can be very rude. But if you are in an informal occasion such as eating with your friends or families, it is actually not a big deal.

4. You Should Talk

This may be the biggest difference between Western and Chinese table manners. At a Chinese table, if one is silent throughout the dinner, it can be embarrassing and the host may feel you are not enjoying the dinner he prepared. So, it would be great to say something interesting or funny during the dinner. Or, if you are not a funny guy, just joining the “group” discussion would be fine. Having said that, you should never steal the show by talking too much at a Chinese table. Besides, you should take the right chance to talk. Never talk with your mouth full!

5. Use Chopsticks Correctly

Chinese chopsticks are the main dining tools in China. Maybe they are a headache to foreigners but most Chinese kids can handle them pretty well when they are 4. When you use it, you should use it correctly. First, don’t Play with the Chopsticks! When you are waiting for the food to come, you should put them down on the table and have a little chat with people around you. Second, don’t knock the plates or bowls with chopsticks. In China, only naive and uneducated kids will do that. Third, when you are dining at a Chinese table, you should never leave chopsticks standing straight up in the bowl of rice. As one of the top 8 Chinese taboos, this act is said to bring bad luck as the chopsticks in rice look similar to the tombstone in the graveyard.