All it really takes is some courtesy and common sense

 Just as Chinese food seems to taste better when eaten with chopsticks, a whole meal can be more enjoyable if one knows a little of the ancient traditions and beliefs that place the meal in a 5,000-year-old culinary heritage. So here is a short guide to Chinese dining etiquette...

Seating

First of all, don't sit! Wait for your host to seat you. The guest of honor will usually be seated facing the door or furthest away from the door. The younges will be closest to the door.

Serving

After being seated, wash your cutlery in the bowl of tea. Also wash the lip of the bowl. Before eating, the host may offer you words of greeting. Guests should not start to eat until the host says, "enjoy yourself!", otherwise it suggests disrespect.

Pecking Order

The practice of presenting the best or finest foods first to the senior members of the family has been observed for countless generations. With a fish course, the platter holding the fish will always be laid with the head pointing towards the guest of honor.

Symbolism

Most foods have symbolic meanings. Noodles are the symbol of longevity and are eaten on birthdays (it's unlucky to cut the strands.) Eggs symbolize fertility. Spring rolls resemble bullion shapes (prosperity). The Chinese word for fish, "Yu", sounds like the homophonic words for both "abundance" and "wealth" and is always served whole to symbolize togetherness. Ducks represent fidelity. Oysters assure good fortune. Red dishes are popular (red is the color of happiness). Chicken is very popular, symbolizing the "coming together of families". Watermelons represent the bearing of many children. And on and on.

Severed heads

If serving duck or goose, the head should never point towards the guests.

Leftovers

It is inauspicious to pick the last piece off the dish. Leaving the last morsel untouched signifies the family will always have more than enough to eat and will also avoid embarrassing your host.

Chopsticks

These reflect the wisdom of Chinese people. A pair of chopsticks, though they look simple, can nip, pick, rip and stir food! We must thank Confucius for advocating them because he thought knives and forks were potential weapons that could cause danger and thus had no place at the dining table.Always practice with chopsticks. As long as you can hold two in one hand you will be complemented (and possibly asked if you have any Chinese blood in the family).

Serving yourself

The Chinese host will always fuss over you and use their chopsticks to put food in your bowl or plate, based on the tacit understanding that you are far too polite to help yourself. The appropriate thing to do is to comply.

Do's

Always be punctual or early, but not too early, folks!

If invited to a home, consider it a great honor and bring a small gift.

Before smoking, offer cigarettes to those in your company. Smoking at the dinner table is considered fine.

If given a business card, accept it with two hands, read it, repeating the name and company name, then place it near to you on the table for reference.

Keep conversations general. Discuss the arts, food, the weather and your family during the meal. Avoid work issues.

As in all cultures, no politics or religion.

Don'ts

Use chopsticks to bang the side of your bowl as people think only beggars do this for food.

When using chopsticks, don't stretch out your index finger, as it's regarded as an accusation to others. In short, be subtle.

Never use chopsticks to point at others.

Don't suck or lick the end of a chopstick. This is as bad as putting your knife in your mouth.

Never, ever insert chopsticks vertically into food. Chinese people do this only when they burn incense to sacrifice the dead.

Try not to drop your chopsticks, as this is considered bad luck. 

Don't pick one piece then drop it back in the plate and change for another piece.

Taking food from the table and putting it directly into your mouth is regarded as impolite. Put it into your bowl first.

Tapping for tea

The almost surreptitious finger-tapping on the table that greets pouring is said to date back to a Qing Dynasty emperor. While making an incognito tour of South China, the emperor visited a teahouse. In order to maintain his cover as an ordinary member of a party, he poured tea for his companions. They acknowledged this astonishing honor by bowing down but the emperor told them to simply tap the table with three fingers - two of which can represent prostrate limbs, while the third can symbolize a bowed head. The custom survives in China, especially South China as a silent token of thanks.