Why Chinese Tap Fingers on Table when Drinking Tea? 叩手礼

Sometimes you may notice someone, especially older generation Chinese gently knocking on tabletop with knuckles when they are served tea.

Sometimes, I am asked, "Unker, what are you doing?"

Yeah, without knowing the context, the habit may seem odd, even awkward. I hesitate to say uncouth.

But, it is actually good manners - a polite, respectful gesture with at least three centuries of history.

There is a legend behind it.

In old imperial China, the emperors had a custom of surveying their vast domain incognito. This was the only way to understand what was really going on in his vast empire, instead of remote control ruling (from Beijing) based on reports made up by (local) officials.

During the heyday of the Qing dynasty, emperor Qian Long (1711 - 1799) was on one of such surveys.

While in Guangdong province, south China, the emperor and his entourage took a rest at a common teahouse.

Tea was served and the emperor poured tea for everyone in his entourage.

First of all, under normal circumstances, the emperor pours tea for no one. He did this only to conceal his true identity.

Under normal circumstances, the only appropriate response when the emperor serves you was to go down on all fours, head down and prostrate in front of the emperor. But, that would blow the emperor's cover - an offence well deserving of beheading.

So the official, bent this four fingers and knock them gently on the tabletop. The gesture represents kneeling and prostrating on all fours.

This it is said is the origin of the tapping fingers / knuckle custom 叩手礼 though there are no documents to prove it.

But, anyway when the knocking gesture is used today, it is a way of saying thank you and showing respect.

There are a few variations.