Seating arrangements at Chinese custom banquets

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In ancient times, many ways were applied to distinguish one’s status, like the language used, the titles, clothes and colors. Since banquets and feasts are also occasions in want of etiquette, arranging the seats at banquets requires special attention on how to show the distinction.

Many established rules of arranging seats date back to the ancient times, when the higher-ranked officials or elder generations sat on the honored seats and lower-ranked or younger generations on the inferior seats. Generally speaking, the order of seats was indicated by directions. When an emperor feasted the ministers and officials, the seat facing south was the most honorable, which is the emperor himself, while the ministers’ seats all faced north and were arranged according to their ranks from east to west, and thus the higher-ranked were seated on the right side and the lower-ranked on the left.

Today the seating arrangement has developed into an important part of social etiquette and folk custom. Despite the differences among the ethnic groups and regions, the seat facing the entrance is the most honored, and between the two of the same side the left one is superior.

At banquets, other guests should wait until the guest of honor gets seated, or it would be regarded as impolite. If it is a round table, the seat in the middle is superior and others are arranged in the order from the left to the right. The host usually sits on the inferior seat but close to the guest of honor so that he can pour drinks and hold conversation.