9. Never drink alcohol without first offering a toast

Chinese banquets include eight to ten courses of food and plenty of alcohol. Sometimes you drink rice wine, and sometimes you drink industrial strength Máo Tái, known to put a foreigner or two under the table in no time. One way to slow the drinking is to observe Chinese etiquette by always offering a toast to the host or someone else at the table before taking a sip yourself. This not only prevents you from drinking too much too quickly, but also shows your gratitude toward the host and your regard for the other guests. If someone toasts you with a "gan bei!" you should accept it in a polite way.

"Gan bei" means "bottoms up, or drink all," and you may be expected to drink the whole drink rather quickly. Don't worry. You can always take just a little sip instead.

[Photo/IC]