Watching each other in the eyes, raise both hand to brow, bent down and shake hands toward each other gently for three times. If you are male, right-hand half-fist, and then left hand hold the right hand in front of your chest. The gesture of fist and palm salute: firstly, stand at attention. Around 100 years ago, handshake was introduced to China. Chinese people show their respect of others through distance, which is different from western people usually showing through physical closeness. In Modern China, fist and palm salute has already been one of the common etiquette frequently used on traditional occasions. Later it became the etiquette when meeting each other and show gratitude. Holding hands together pointed to themselves was a gesture of saying relax, I am not with any weapons and I am not here to pick a fight. In ancient time, if people met a stranger, one would tend to prepare for a fight if they have to, and hands were always ready for holding any weapons. Since West Zhou Dynasty (BC 1046-BC 771), people had already used this etiquette when meeting peers (it is said that most Chinese traditional etiquette is originated from Zhou Li, created by the Duke of Zhou in early West Dynasty).

Today, though Chinese would usually shake hands when meeting friends and relatives, similar like it in the west, people would still make fist and palm salutes when they are paying visit to someone during the traditional Chinese new year or attending someone's wedding reception, birthday reception or funeral.įist and palm salute is one of the typical Chinese etiquette with a history of more than 3000 years.

Among them the fist and palm salute is quite classic one. There were various formal greeting etiquettes in ancient China. For centuries, China has been known as a Liyi Zhibang which means a country of rites.

Crying salute