How to Respect Chinese Culture

Social gaffes are embarrassing and when dealing with another culture it is easy to accidentally let one slip. To a Westerner, certain habits and customs of the Chinese might seem odd or unnecessary, but we should keep in mind that it is not unlikely that they feel the same way about us. In order to avoid accidentally offending someone raised in the Chinese culture, it is important to remember a few basic rules of thumb when interacting with them in a social or business setting.
Instructions

Dining
1。Learn to use chopsticks. Chinese manners and etiquette differ from Western customs in several ways and it is easy to make a social mistake during meal time. Do not eat the last piece of food unless it is offered to you, and allow the host to begin eating first.

2。Do not put bones in your rice bowl, either place them on the table or in a special bowl reserved for this purpose. Try everything that is offered to you.

3。Eat a great deal to show that you are enjoying the food. Hold your rice bowl close to your mouth when eating and do not be offended if a dinner guest makes slurping noises while eating, this is a sign that they are simply enjoying their meal.

Manners

4。Address the person by their surname or official title if they possess one. A firm handshake is an acceptable way to introduce yourself if you are not already familiar with the person in question. If they feel comfortable enough to be on a first name basis, they will let you know. Do not be alarmed if they look toward the ground when being introduced; this is a common social mannerism among the Chinese.
5。Arrive on time. Punctuality is very important to the Chinese and arriving late is seen as a sign of disrespect or incompetence.
6。Avoid direct eye contact. Staring directly into someone's eyes in China is interpreted as a sign of disrespect.
Socializing
7。Give them a small gift as a token of respect and friendship. Avoid giving gifts wrapped in black, white, or blue paper. Knives and cutting instruments signify a severing of the relationship and are not good gifts. Flowers, handkerchiefs and clocks are associated with death and make poor presents as well. Hand everything to them with both hands. A good gift would be a fruit basket or something else that you can eat.
8。Speak Chinese if you are able. Learning a foreign language takes a lot of work and it is a great way to impress a native speaker. There are two main dialects to the Chinese language, Mandarin and Cantonese. When speaking either of these dialects, make sure you pay special attention to your tone. Different tones applied to different syllables can change the entire meaning of a word and may result in saying something offensive that you did not intend to say.
9。Allow your host to tell you where to sit when visiting their home. Where one sits at the table is determined by social status and the guest of honor will face the door. Being invited into someone's home is a great honor.