Lijie

GENERAL

Like many other aspects of Chinese culture, common courtesies and everyday interactions among the Chinese can be quite formal and ritualistic. Lijie, which roughly means “etiquette” or “manners,” is essentially the art of Chinese politeness. Lijie governs everything from how the Chinese greet guests in their home to how a Chinese person may act at a business meeting.

Among the Chinese, it is of utmost importance to be polite and respectful to others, and social courtesies often have cultural meanings beyond substance. For example, a Chinese person may serve a guest a cup of tea without asking if their guest would care for one—perhaps even knowing that their guest will not drink the tea. That is to say, for the Chinese, it is often more important to “act” polite even if a gesture serves no practical purpose other than looking polite. Just as it is important for the Chinese person to appear polite, it is equally important for the Westerner to appear gracious and appreciative of Chinese hospitality.

Hence, in the above example, it might be considered rude and a loss of face to the Chinese person if the Westerner declined the cup of tea. Westerners should be sensitive to the subtleties of lijie.