Etiquette is dependent on culture and can vary widely between different cultures and nations.
Since various nations have different histories and cultures,there are many differences in the habit of conduct and the ceremony,especially between China and Occident.In China,a person who takes the last item of food from a common plate or bowl without first offering it to others at the table may be regarded as a glutton and insulting the generosity of the host.In America a guest is expected to eat all of the food offered to him,as a compliment to the relish of the cooking.In modern history,there are two stories concerning the misunderstanding of different etiquettes.The first one is about Li Hongzhang who was invited by Bismarck to a diner.Due to the lack of the Occidental etiquette knowledge,Li drank the water which was for washing hands after eating the fruit.In order not to make Li Hongzhang feel embarrassed,Bismarck drank the water too.Other present officers had to follow their premier and refrained from laughing.Here is another funny story: a KMT officer and his wife went to the airport to meet a consultant from the United States.After the meeting,the consultant said “Your wife is really beautiful!” The officer felt embarrassed and replied: “Na Li,Na Li！” It is just a polite way which is very common in China for the kind of the words he addressed.While the clumsy interpreter translated: “Na Li, Na Li！”like “where,where?” The American consultant confused,he thought “I just praised his wife,and why he asked me where his wife is beautiful”.Then,he answered: “she is beautiful from head to toe.” These jokes show us the absolute necessity of understanding the differences between Chinese Etiquette and Occidental Etiquette.
With the frequent intercourses between China and Occident,Occidental have accepted the reasonable factors in Chinese culture and other important feeling,while Chinese people have gradually accepted the advanced civilization of Occidental culture and etiquette style.However,in real life,the influence on etiquette due to cultural differences between China and Occident still exists.