Are there any anecdotes in the history of Chinese etiquette development?
In the uninterrupted development of Chinese civilization, splendid culture nourishes this land. China is recognized as a "state of etiquette" in the world, with high moral standards, excellent traditional virtues and complete etiquette norms. There are many and miscellaneous etiquette in ancient China, from birth, illness and death to weddings and funerals. "Book of Rites Quli" wrote: "Morality, benevolence and righteousness are indecent. The lesson is correct and vulgar, and the indecent assault is unprepared. Arguments and lawsuits, indecent assault. Up and down, father and son and brother, indecent assault. Officials and judges are indecent. Ban Chao runs the army, and he goes to be an official to do law. It's not good to be unseemly. It is dishonest to sacrifice ghosts and gods in the shrine. It is a gentleman to respect the war and give courtesy. " This passage clearly shows that in ancient China, everything needed the blessing of "etiquette", and the strict etiquette system made the cultural tradition of "see no evil" deeply imprinted on the chest of China culture. "The Gift of Nine Guests" is the most solemn etiquette in ancient China. It was originally a heavy code specially used by the Zhou emperor to receive the princes of the world. There were 800 vassal states in the Zhou Dynasty. According to their relatives and friends, the Emperor of Zhou gave princes different titles. Titles are divided into five categories: public, Hou, Bo, Zi and Gong. The domestic official positions of princes are divided into three categories: Qing, doctor and scholar, and princes call themselves "lonely" This "public, Hou, Bo, Zi, public, solitary, Qing, doctor and scholar" are collectively called "Nine Instruments" or "Nine Guests". The etiquette used by Zhou at the meeting of "Nine Guests" is called "Nine Guests Ceremony". The "gift of nine guests" is very grand: first, it is arranged from inside to outside the temple. Confucius saluted Zhou, just like nine etiquette officials. When he greeted the guests, he shouted loudly and passed it from top to bottom, which was magnificent. According to the ancient ceremony, the "gift of nine guests" can only be used by the Zhou Emperor, but in the Warring States period, the Zhou Dynasty declined, the princes dominated, and the "gift of nine guests" was also used by the princes, which evolved into the highest diplomatic etiquette for the vassal countries to receive foreign envoys. This is the "gift of setting up nine guests" in Biography of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru. Source: Journal of Jilin Institute of Education, 2016,09.