3 Things to Know About Chinese Drinking Culture

How much do you know about Chinese drinking culture, 酒桌文化 (jiǔzhuō wénhuà)?

There are many things to know about Chinese dining culture in general, but drinking is definitely the most interesting part. You have to be particularly careful with your toasts, order of drinking, and drinking with people of a higher rank or older than you.

3 Pro Tips

Here are some key points on showing respect at a dinner table:

1⃣️

晚辈会主动拿起酒杯敬酒

Wǎnbèi huì zhǔdòng náqǐ jiǔbēi jìng jiǔ

Younger people should voluntarily propose a toast

2⃣️

碰杯的时候，晚辈的酒杯可不能比长辈高

Pèngbēi de shíhou, wǎnbèi de jiǔbēi kě bù néng bǐ zhǎngbèi gāo

Younger people should not hold the glass higher than elder people

3⃣️

主动敬酒的人会把自己的就全都喝完

Zhǔdòng jìngjiǔ de rén huì bǎ zìjǐ de jiù quán dōu hē wán

To show sincerity, the person who proposes a toast should finish the drink

If you've had experience at a dinner table in China, have you noticed these customs observed?

And how different are they from your country?

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