Ying Dan Translation Studio 颖丹传译工作室

If you are invited to a dinner by your Chinese counterpart either at his or her home or in a restaurant, where do you sit?

According to the traditional Chinese culture, the host seat is the one opposite to the door. The most important guest sits to the right of the host. The second important guest sits to the left of the host.

If you would like to invite your Chinese clients or business partners to a dinner, please arrange the seats as above-mentioned practice  to show your understanding of Chinese culture and respect to them.

I accompanied some foreign clients to have dinner with their Chinese counterparts.  A common embarrassing moment is that nobody starts to eat.  The host is too shy to remind the guest of start eating and the foreign guest is waiting for the host to start.  At Chinese round-table dinner, the most senior one starts to eat first. If the host and the guest are at the same level, the guest starts to eat first.