Ancient China has been known as the "State of Etiquette", speaking of etiquette, following the etiquette of the law, reverence for etiquette, and the importance of etiquette and faith about Chinese banquet seating etiquette, and abide by the etiquette of the Chinese, is a tradition of thousands of years. "Do not learn etiquette, in order to stand", the core of etiquette is the norms of social behavior, is the Chinese people have been accustomed to and customized social norms of behavior, ethical standards and all kinds of etiquette. The so-called "etiquette, let the people's heart, let not compete"; "clothing and food are sufficient, etiquette to the rise", etiquette is the individual desire to restrain the heart and the scheduling of the interests of the crowd. To speak of etiquette is to be humble and yielding, and "etiquette" and "yielding" are often connected, which is the origin and interpretation of the term "etiquette".
The earliest rite of passage and the most general and important rite of passage in China can be said to be the rite of food. "The beginning of the rite of passage begins with food and drink", and the use of food to honor the gods indicates that the rite of passage is an extremely solemn thing and has its origin at a very early stage. Rituals are based on one's cultural knowledge and spiritual cultivation. There is no better occasion to test one's cultivation than a group banquet. Therefore, "when a child can eat food, he is taught to eat with his right hand" (Li Ji - Nei Zi), and the first lesson in family initiation is food etiquette. The basic rituals and centerpiece of the elaborate food rituals of Chinese banquets are the rituals of seating at banquets - "sitting at the table". History tells us that Liu Bang, the founder of Han Gaozu, made his fortune when he "sat on the seat" at the banquet of the "important guests" of the Pei County Magistrate. At that time or "sit on the ground", "on the seat", is the banquet "honorary place", that is, "the end of the seat". This banquet "on the seat", due to the sitting system of food and drink base instruments, several cases, dining tables and chairs shape of the historical evolution of the different times. Before the two Han Dynasty, "the seat south to north, to the west for the upper", that is, to face east for the upper. The Historical Records - Xiang Yu Chronicle" in the Hongmen Banquet will be a norm: "Xiang Wang, Xiang Bo eastward sitting, Yafu southward sitting, Yafu, Fan Zeng also. Pei Gong northward to sit, Zhang Liang westward to sit", this is what Gu Yanwu said: "the ancients sit, to the east as the honor." This is what Gu Yanwu said: "the ancients sat to the east as an honor." This refers to the "room" within the banquet seating etiquette. And in the main buildings located in the palace in front of the central sitting north to the south of the "hall", it is the south to the most respected, followed by the west to the east again. After the Sui and Tang dynasties, began to sit on the bed to the feet of the change in the way of sitting and living, square, rectangular shape of the various forms of dining table are ready, seat interests are also due to a new change. Square table with a side length of 92.5 centimeters, 87.5 centimeters high "Baxian table" as a representative of the table, your guests, and so on and so forth can be 2 people, 3 people, 4 people, 6 people or 8 people a table. In addition to the special table, more than two people, generally 1:1 main guest system. Round table is a large number of people should get together and the requirements of the large surface of the ship came into being. Initially, people who are used to the square table are quite uncomfortable, as Yuan Mei "garden several" poem said: "Let the place do not know who is the chief, sitting only feel can add guests."
Round table into the middle of the Qing Dynasty after the restaurant popular dining table style, today's families are also commonly used, especially for today's catering industry and organizations and enterprises cafeteria table for banquets. Its seat is generally based on the orientation of the restaurant or room and decorative design style, or take to the door, sunrise, or according to the hall design and decorative style embodied in the center of gravity and the prominent position of the first. Usually waiters set the table with the mouth cloth folded into flowers, birds and other shapes, the first modeling will be very eye-catching, so that people know at a glance. The grand large banquets are often placed in front of the seats of the dining table before the seat card (seat sign), the invitations issued are marked with the banquet with the number of the table. In this way, or by the master of ceremonies into, or holding the invitation to find the map, the number of seats, naturally not easy to make mistakes.
In terms of a specific seat on the dining table, the current norms of Chinese food is: the master of the seat in the center of the upper, the guest of honor on the right, the deputy guest of honor on the left, the other with the banquet in order from right to left, from the top to the bottom of the arrangement, such as the first figure:
Figure 1 1
2 3 1.the first host 3. Mrs. or deputy guest of honor
7 8 2. Host
9 10 5, 6. Vice-host 7-10. Accompanying, etc.
6 5
4
Men
The popular pattern in Taiwan and other provinces and regions, on the other hand, is shown in Figs. 2 and 3:
Figure 2 (single host)
1
2 3 1. Host guest
4 5 2-11. Guests in order
12. host
6 7
8 9
10 11
12
gate
Figure III (male and female hosts)
1
3 2 1. guest of honor
5 4 2-10. guests in order
7 6 11. male host
9 8 12. hostess
11 10
12
gate
Banquet place settings, both customary, so its time and space variability is greater, and in accordance with the concept of our country's habits, the first on the position of inferiority or superiority, the second narrative of the years, and after the gender (after the first woman after the male) to show that the concept of women). Of course, this is the general pattern that is followed after the chief seat is determined.
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