Chapter 1 IntroductionAs the economy and culture develop ing rapidly, hav ing dinner is not only for people basic physical n eed, but also the importa nt skill in social com muni cati on. Good manners and courtesy have become in creas in gly com mon un dersta nding of the public.With the deepening of reform and opening up policy in China and the stre ngthe ning of com muni cati on betwee n China and West, people have a great number of opportunities to have dinner with foreigners. A lot of table manners, such as arriv ing time, seat arran geme nt, and order of serv ing dishes, tableware, behaviour and com muni cati on, reflect differe nt culture and life-style in n ati ons or coun tries. There are many differe nces of table manners betwee n Chi na and western coun tries.It is extremely important for people to understand these differences to avoid making mistakes and promote the development of humanity culture and achieve in terpers onal harm ony in both coun tries.Chapter 2 Literature ReviewIt is a com mon sense that differe nt coun tries have differe nt cultures. Table manners, as a kind of social customs, are deeply in flue need by culture and vary in many different kinds of areas. China has characteristic table manners with a long history, and western coun tries also have their own table mann ers. To some degree, hav ing good table manners is a symbol of a nation's civilization and an expression of a pers on's moral cultivati on.Chapter 3 Cultural Differences of Table Manners3.1 Arriving TimeAs we all know that Chin ese people ofte n arrive half an hour later tha n the predicted time and the host also seems to have prepares for that. When they are waiting for other guests, the host always arran ges some games so that the guests who come earlier would not feel boring. While in western countries, people do things strictly and all the activities beg in on time. People should arrive at the party on time especially the formal banq uets. It is con sidered as impolite and con tempt for the host and other guests if one arrives 10 minutes later.3.2 Seat ArrangementIn Chinese table manners, seating arrangement is the most important part. The seat of honor, reserved for the banq uets master or the highest statu' guest, is in the cen ter facing east or facing the door. And the other higher position guests sit closer to the master of the banquet. The lowest position guests sit furthest from the seat of honor. If it is a round table, the one facing the door is the guest of honor. The seats on the left hand are sec ond, and the n in tur n fourth and sixth and so on. The guests on the right hand are the same.While in wester n coun tries, it is differe nt. Whe n the hostess announ ced dinner is ready, male host will lead guests to the table in turn, and the hostess walks behind them. Some host will also place name card on the table to show the seat.3.3 Order of Serving DishesChin ese meals usually beg in with appetizers. There are ofte n four or five kinds of appetizers, such as, cold meats, preserved eggs, smoked fish and vegetable relishes. All these food are arranged beautifully on separate dishes or on one large platter. Then the hot food should be served. There is an important rule to serve the whole duck, chicken and fish, which is don'tput the head and tail to the major seat. After the hot dishes, then comes the main course, rice. At last, desserts and fruits are provided to help digestio n.In wester n coun tries, the first dish is appetizer as well. The sec ond dish is soup. The third dish is fish dish. Meat and poultry dishes is the fourth dish, which also known as the main course. And the most represe ntative is beef and steak. Salad can be a kind of side dish, which can be arranged either after or with the meat dish. The sixth dish is dessert, such as pudding, ice cream, cheese, fruit and so on. The final drink is coffee with cream or tea with sugar.3.4 TablewareChinese people mainly use bowl, chopsticks and spoons. Chopsticks are the most important tableware in China. While in serving English meals, they use so much tablewares with differe nt kinds and sizes. There are differe nt kinds of glasses, spo ons, plates, bowls and knives. The main tablewares in western are knives, forks, spoons, glass and n apk in.3.5 Behaviour and CommunicationWhen on the dinner table, Chinese people talked a lot and enjoy the delicious food at the same time, which means the hospitality and sin cere of hostess. Because they believe that the lively atmosphere on the dinner table reflects the cheerful of guests and the warmth of family. While in western, during the dinner, people talked little and cut their own food in the plate quietly.Chapter 4 Main Factors Causing the Differences4.1 GeographyThe geographical location and the environment lead to the differences between Chinese and western cultures. People in different places will have different behaviours and cultures.4.2 TraditionWith thousands of years of Chinese traditional culture, we believe that we should take care of others and cooperate with others. Chinese people use cheap chopsticks as tableware which can reflect Chin ese collective con scious ness. In the booCulture on Dinner Table, Mr. Yi Zhongtian said that the core thought of Chinese culture is group con scious ness while the wester n core thought is in dividual con scious ness. The western culture, to be self-ce ntered, the boun dary betwee n people is very clear and they usually do not allow mutual interferenee. That makes western table manners without shari ng a plate of food. Knife and fork also can reflect in dividual con scious ness, and n oble west of life.4.3 CustomPeople from different countries have different cultures and customs, especially in the aspects such as greeti ng, tha nks, apology, flattery, and making teleph one calls. When Chinese invited guests to have dinner, the host always picks food for guests and tries his best to make guests eat and drink more. While in western countries, the host would just let their guests help themselves and they would n ever carry food to their guest's bowl.Chapter 5 Trend of SyncretismNowadays, an increasing number of western restaurants appear in many cities in China and an increasing number of people like to have meals in it. People have gradually learned western table manners in their daily life. It is obvious that the Chin ese diet con ceptio n is sen sible, and the wester n diet idea is rati on al. Now, the differe nee seems to become blurred with the stre ngthe ning of com muni cati on betwee n China and West and the developme nt of scie nee. In stead of pay ing atte nti on to the color, flavor and taste of the food, Chinese people, like the westerners, pay more attention to its health and nutrition. This dissemination and development of western style food has un avoidably made great in flue nee on Chin ese food and beverage in dustry, which made Chin ese style food trade cha nge in the aspects of man agi ng con cept, man ageme nt mode, productive means, pers onnel cultivati on and so on.Chapter 6 ConclusionSocial backgro und, historical and cultural differe nces lead to the differe nces betwee n Chin ese and Western table mann ers. To some exte nt, table manner is a reflecti on of the kind of lifestyle, and the formation of habits which can not be obtained in a short period of time. It is actually a kind of historical and cultural sedimentation and exte nsion. Knowing the differe nces, people can easily un dersta nd the culture of each other. I n face of these differe nces, we should comprehe nd and respect their habits and culture and remember that every culture is equal to the other. Only recognizing cultural differe nces betwee n China and West and making a reas on able and effective in tegratio n, can we establish a social cultural etiquette system of con temporary Chi na and reach the ideal harm onious society.References[1] 易中天.餐桌上的文化[J].当代学生，2004(10).[2] 杨柳,田丹丹，苑富山.中美餐桌礼仪刍议[J].内江师范学院学报，2008(01).[3] 余琳，周游.从餐桌礼仪看中西文化差异[J].硅谷，2008(18).。