A Comparative Study on Table Manners Between China and Western Countries

邱川鄂

With the development of economic globalization, international business activities and international communication are becoming increasingly frequent in this world. As a result, the differences between Chinese and western etiquette are becoming more and more obvious. No matter which field we are in, conversation on the table has become a kind of fashion. There are many table manners among different countries. Many table manners will be included in a dinner party. We may know we have many dishes, but we do not know what the real differences are in it. Therefore, this thesis mainly focuses on the historical origin and differences between Chinese and western table etiquettes through the comparison between Chinese dining etiquette and western table manners to further explore the cultural connotation, the mode of thinking and the values that form the different table manners in China and Western countries.

The thesis introduces the research purpose, significance, methods and its theoretical basis in the first part. The second part introduces the historical origin of Chinese and western table manners. The third part is the key point, mainly introducing the comparison between traditional table manners of Chinese Han and western table manners and pointing out their differences. The forth part explores the reasons for different table manners between China and Western countries. And the last part draws a conclusion to show the importance of mutual understanding of table manners in cross-cultural communication between China and western countries.

The thesis reveals the importance of dining etiquette in cross-cultural communication, and points out the differences between Chinese and Western culture, which will be more beneficial for people to go abroad, greet the foreign guests, communicate and cooperate with westerners, and set up better Chinese image.