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The History of Tableware in China
Chopsticks are a unique dietary tool in China. People in China have used chopsticks for at least 3000 years.

Chopsticks were called "jiā" in the pre-Qin period, "Chopsticks" in the Han Dynasty, and it was not until the Ming Dynasty that they were called "Chopsticks". As for chopsticks, it is well known that the king used ivory chopsticks. "Everything is done by Yu Zi Lao" said: "The former is an elephant, while Ji Zi is terrible." That is to say, Shang Zhouwang, led by ivory, is extravagant and Ji Zi, the minister, is afraid of it.

This shows that chopsticks already existed in Shang Dynasty. Archaeological discoveries in the 20th century also proved this point. From 1934 to 1935, six bronze chopsticks from the late Shang Dynasty (14-1century) were unearthed in Yin Ruins in Anyang, Henan Province. 1994, a human bone from the middle Shang Dynasty (15-14th century BC) was unearthed at the Xianglushi site in Changyang County, Hubei Province, with a length of16cm.

In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the name of chopsticks was finally changed to "chopsticks". In the 11th year of Ming Chenghua (1475), Liu Rong wrote in Garden Miscellanies:

"Folk taboos are everywhere, and Wuzhong (now Wuxian, Jiangsu). For example, Zhou Hang's taboo about' living' and' turning over', treating' chopsticks' as' quick' and' rags' as' rags' are all vulgar and ridiculous, and today's literati have also committed the crime commonly known as' quick'. "

It means that Jiangnan boatmen expect to reach their destination as soon as possible and safely, so they dare not say ominous words such as "stop" and "turn over". The sound of "Zhu" is the same as that of "Zhu", so they call "Zhu" Kuaier ". The name spread quickly, so that the literati also cried. Add a bamboo prefix to "chopsticks" and it becomes "chopsticks".

In China, chopsticks have always been regarded as auspicious things, appearing in the wedding ceremonies of all ethnic groups. Pairs of chopsticks suggest a good omen, which indicates that there will be a child, a happy and harmonious life soon. Chopsticks are straight without bending, and they are also regarded as a symbol of integrity by the ancients. Scholars also have many poems praising chopsticks.

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Etiquette for using chopsticks:

1, don't put the food back after you pick it up.

2. You can't use chopsticks to point at people or point fingers with chopsticks when eating.

Don't insert chopsticks into a bowl of rice or rice. This is the way the ancestral offerings are placed, which is ominous. See the end of the meal.

4. Don't compete with other people's chopsticks.

5. Don't move chopsticks in front of the host when going to dinner (the same is true for spoons).

6. In some countries, we will wait for the guests (or the oldest person present) to start eating.

7. In the process of eating, you raised your chopsticks, but you didn't know which dish to eat. At this time, you can't move chopsticks back and forth in each dish or swim in the air, and turn around on the dish without picking it up.

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