Hi! I’m Li Hua and I live in China. I’d like to share some Chinese customs.

Chinese culture generally values personal space, so it’s important to keep a little space for each other when meeting others. In fact, the Chinese didn’t always shake hands in the past, they nodded or bowed gently to show respect. As the country gradually lets western culture in, people are used to shaking hands, especially in business settings.

Many manners must be followed strictly at meals. In China, the elder are always seated first, and then others take their seats. Chinese meals are often served family-style; we place several dishes in the centre of the table for everyone to share. It’s polite to take small parts from shared dishes rather than serve ourselves large parts. When drinking, we hold the glass or cup lower than another person’s as a sign of respect. It’s considered polite to finish our meal and leave a clean plate. Leaving food on our plates may be considered wasteful and disrespectful to the host.

The Chinese have the habit of sleeping anywhere at any time. People can easily accept the way to take breaks at the busy lives. It has nothing to do with laziness, but quite the opposite. Lately, a photo of a sleeping doctor in the corner of the operating room has spread widely online. The doctor must have put a lot of effort into his work, and it is right to take breaks for a while.

It’s not proper for the Chinese to open gifts in front of the giver. Not only that, we always refuse gifts several times first before we accept them. And remember to receive the gift with two hands. While in western countries, people want to open gifts at once, because they want to show their excitement and joy to the givers. So remember that culture and meaning are part of every action we take.