A formal Chinese banquet is something that most businesspeople in China will experience. Because the banquet
is not a casual, sit-where-you-please kind of meal, the seating arrangement is paramount. A guest should always
wait for the host to seat him or her, because seating arrangements are based on rank or importance.

Beginning with cold dishes, followed by at least 10 to 15 hot dishes, and concluding with fruit, a typical banquet lasts
roughly two hours. In contrast to the West, where children are taught to clean their plates and leftovers could signal to
the host that the meal was unpalatable, in China, an empty plate signals unsatisfied hunger and indicates that the host
did not prepare enough food. Moreover, Chinese hosts will keep filling guests empty plates until the guest leaves some
food on the plate.

Chopsticks, when not in use, should be put on the chopstick rests on the table, not upright in the rice bowl.
The image of chopsticks in rice evokes incense sticks that protrude from altars honoring the dead and is thus considered
unlucky.

When toasting, a general rule of thumb is to wait until the host offers the first toast and then reciprocate, but one
should be prepared for a night of drinking, as it is considered rude to toast only one person and neglect others.
Alternatively, toasting with soda is considered appropriate for those who do not drink alcohol. Those unaccustomed
to drinking may wish to declare at the outset of a banquet that they do not drink, as drinking too much can cause
one to lose face.