當來中國的游客發現一桌標準的8人晚宴有4道涼菜、4道熱菜，并配以湯和米飯時，他們往往會感到驚訝。一桌標準的宴席(banquet)包括4~8道準備好的涼菜，8道熱菜—每次只上1道熱菜，以及2-4道觀賞大菜(whole-sized showpiece dish)。同坐一張桌子的人互相敬酒時通常會“干杯(Gan Bei)”。“干杯”是指舉起酒杯,將酒全部喝完，讓玻璃杯或酒杯“連最后一滴也干了”。人們干杯時傳遞給別人的信息是：自己是真誠、快樂的。向主人敬酒時，外國人更愿意接受的方式是喝一小口而不是喝干整杯。

　　Visitors to China are often surprised when astandard dinner for a table of eight people consistsof four courses of cold dishes and four courses ofhot dishes,coupled with soup and steamed rice. Astandard banquet consists of four to eight preparedcold dishes, eight hot dishes served one at a time, and two to four whole-sized showpiecedishes. People at a table usually “Gan Bei" when toasting to each other. “Gan Bei” means toraise one's wine glass and drink it all the way down so that the glass or cup is “dried up to thelast drop”. People drink up their wine to communicate the message to others that they aresincere and joyful. It is quite acceptable for a foreign guest to take a sip instead of emptyingthe glass when toasting to his or her host.

　　中國人對玉(jade) —向有著特殊的尊愛之情，從而延伸發展出一種優秀而古老的玉石文化。作為配飾供人賞玩是玉器的原始功能之一，也是玉器最廣泛的一種用途。玉器作為一種文物，它也是歷史的見證，有著不可復制的唯一性，更為當今世人所器重。玉器從一種美化生活的裝飾品，到簡單的生產工具，然后被融入各種禮節(ritual)內容，被人格化、道德化，繼而被看成是財富的象征、宗教圖 騰(totem)的崇拜……這些無不反映出中國傳統文化和中華民族愛玉的心理。

　　Chinese people always show special respect and love for jade, thus deriving and excellent and ancient jade culture. Being used for decoration and admiration is one of the original functions of jade, and is also the most widely used one. As a cultural relic，jade is also the witness of history，the uniqueness of which cannot be copied,making it valued more by people around the world today. From ornaments that beautify our life，to simple instrument of production, and then being integrated into a variety of rituals, jade has been personified, moralized and further regarded as a symbol of wealth and worship for religious totems…All of these reflect Chinese traditional culture and Chinese people s love for jade.