Evolution from ancient etiquette to modern etiquette

How did China's ancient popular meeting from a distance bow evolve into a modern handshake?

Qing Yu Qingcheng

The creator of the field of high-quality history.

As we all know, the Chinese nation is a state of etiquette. Traditional etiquette has been popular in China for thousands of years to show respect and respect, which is of special significance in the history of the Chinese nation. In ancient China, when people met, they were very polite, or kneeling three times and knocking nine times, or bowing and saluting, all of which were a way to show respect. However, with the development of time, traditional etiquette gradually did not adapt to the trend of the times and withdrew from the historical stage. For example, the bow and scrape ceremony popular in ancient China evolved into a handshake.

Bow to traditional etiquette

As early as the Western Zhou Dynasty BC, Zhou Gongdan formulated the system of rites and music, so there was a bow. Bowing is a very important etiquette in the ritual and music system, and it is very particular. In ancient times, bows were divided into six forms: earth bow, time bow, heaven bow, special bow, travel bow and side bow. The first three are the forms of etiquette when the emperor receives the princes, and the last three are the ways to show respect among the nobles. These three ways are very different and important. If they do something wrong or substandard, they will be regarded as contempt for etiquette and disrespect for others, and will be severely punished.

Bowing has a long history in our country. Since Zhou Chengwang formulated the system of rites and music, all dynasties have followed this system. During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the situation was turbulent, the world was contending for hegemony, and the world's rituals collapsed. At this time, Confucius advocated ruling the country by courtesy, restoring etiquette and laws, and advocating ruling the country by courtesy, so that everyone in the world knew and understood etiquette.

It further consolidated the position of the ritual and music system in history. Confucius worships Duke Zhou very much, and thinks that bowing and saluting is very necessary in daily life, which not only shows respect but also is impolite, and is a etiquette system worth popularizing.

With the development of the times, the rulers of past dynasties, aware of the benefits of governing the country by courtesy, all praised Confucius as a saint to educate the people all over the world, and the study of etiquette represented by Confucius became more and more prosperous. Bowing has also evolved into different forms, such as making a fist and handing over. In order to adapt to the development of historical trend, more and more traditional etiquette has been eliminated by time. Although traditional etiquette such as bowing tried to adapt to the trend of the times, China, which was developing rapidly at that time, seemed to be the representative of backward feudalism and could not escape the fate of disappearing on the historical stage.

The disappearance of traditional etiquette

After the Western missionaries came to China, they brought books introducing the etiquette system of western countries, such as "Need to Know Western Rites" and "Need to Know Military Rites". In the 1960s and 1970s, the Qing court began to send various types of missions and officials overseas. 1in March, 866, the Qing court sent Bin Chun and others to visit Britain and France with Hurd.

We can't find a clear record of how Bin Chun and others stopped seeing the Queen of England, but later generations concluded that he didn't follow the traditional etiquette of China. Later, he went to Sweden, Belgium and other countries with Hurd, and received similar courtesy. Binju, who is over 60 years old, is slow to reflect on the diplomatic etiquette of western countries, but Zhang Deyi, a classmate of Wentong Museum, clearly put forward in his Strange Stories from a Sailing Studio: "When the monarch and the minister meet, they only bow their heads without wearing a hat."

, bin and others "meet each other (Yingjun), just take off your hat." 1868, officials of the Qing Dynasty, such as Zhi Gang and Sun Jiagu, went to the Western Regions with Pu, and they used a common handshake or bow ceremony in the West. This diplomatic etiquette of western countries will undoubtedly leave a deep impression on the officials of the Qing court who have lived in China for a long time. Sun Jiagu's account of the diplomatic etiquette of going to western countries is extremely simple, but it is extremely clear: "After autumn, crossing the West and arriving in the British island country, the etiquette is just three bows. Talk to each other, have nothing to bow down to. Praise the beautiful words, as usual. "

Subsequently, with the introduction of political, economic, legal, military, diplomatic, ideological, cultural and other books and periodicals from western countries, and the increase of personnel sent by the Qing court to western countries, China people's understanding of western etiquette became more extensive and profound. Especially since then, the increasingly serious national crisis in China has prompted progressive China people to reflect on the relationship between China's traditional etiquette and national self-help. Many people think that red tape should be abolished in order to change fundamentally.

Progressives in China believe that those traditional customs have further deepened the idea of class rule. It not only fetters people's hands and feet, but also fetters people's progressive thoughts, making people follow traditional customs and habits like stiff puppets without their own opinions. Therefore, there is a call for the abolition of the cumbersome ritual system marked by the bow-down ceremony. In the book Benevolence, Tan Sitong, a reformist, exposed and criticized the despicable purpose and sinister intention of feudal rulers in past dynasties to use "cumbersome tools" to bind and restrain their subjects and people's thoughts and "frustrate their integrity". Since then, traditional etiquette has gradually disappeared.

The rise of modern etiquette

With the opening of the country, more and more modern etiquette has entered people's lives, such as western-style handshake and bow bending, which is simple and generous without losing grace, making people realize that etiquette is only to express respect and is based on equal communication. Handshaking etiquette is a good representative. The history of handshake ceremony comes from medieval Europe. Soldiers in armor will take off protective measures such as wristbands when fighting on the battlefield, indicating that they have no weapons and

The wind of the modern west has blown to China, directly or indirectly affecting the world outlook and values of a generation of young people. They are easier to think and explore, and easier to accept new things from outside. Compared with shaking hands and bowing, they are more concise and generous, which is a good way to show their intimacy. It happened that it was an era eager for progress and being at the forefront of the world, eager to put aside red tape and stride forward better, so the handshake etiquette gradually rose in China.

However, everything has two sides, and the rise of handshake in China has both advantages and disadvantages.

Although the rise of modern etiquette overthrew the traditional red tape and changed the complicated etiquette of the Chinese nation. Make the way of expressing respect and communication between people more concise and clear. However, it is followed by all kinds of unexpected disadvantages. For example, in the handshake ceremony, the hand is the most difficult part of the human body to keep clean, and there are many places to use the hand in life, which is likely to spread diseases unconsciously. The same kissing and covering ceremony, this etiquette, will also be plagued by this infectious disease.