Manner Tips

Invitation

1） You Must Reply to an Invitation. Foreign custom is much more strict than Chinese custom in the matter of replying to invitations． When you receive an invitation， you should answer it immediately， saying definitely whether you are able to accept it or not．
2） Written or Verbal Reply 
If the invitation is given by word of mouth， in conversation or at a chance meeting，you should answer at once whether you can come or not．If you cannot give an answer at that time，you may say，“May I let you know this evening?” or some such words．

In the Home

1） The Right Time to Arrive 
When invited to lunch， dinner， or supper，it is very impolite to arrive late，as it is usually planned to have the meal at the exact hour given in the invitation． 
2） In Arrival 
When you arrive，the hostess or some member of the family will probably meet you at the door and take your coat and hat．In the winter time，you should dress more lightly than usual，as you may expect the rooms to be warmer than in most Chinese homes． 
3） After Arrival 
In a few minutes，the hostess will ask her guests to come in to dinner．She may or may not ask each gentleman to take a lady in．If she does，the lady will take the gentleman's arm as they walk into the dinning room．If she does not，the ladies will go in first，followed by the gentlemen．The hostess will either point out their seats to the guests as they come in or have a place card at each place with the guest's name on it． 
4） How Long to Stay 
After the meal is over，it is not polite to leave for at least half an hour， lest you seem to have come only for the meal． An evening dinner invitation usually implies that you stay for the whole evening． The hostess often plans some after dinner entertainments． 
5） What to Say on Leaving 
When leaving any kind of a party， a guest always expresses his appreciation to the hostess．Some such words as these are proper“ Thank you so much．I've had a delight evening．”