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Drinking is never just about drinking， no matter which part of the world you happen to be in - alcoholic beverages have a whole host of sociocultural functions and meanings， thanks to their uncanny ability to loosen tongues and social mores. In China， drinking is an especially essential part of forming and maintaining relationships， both personal and professional. After all， there is an old Chinese proverb that solemnly declares “No social ties can be formed in the absence of alcohol.” In the past two or three decades or so， alcohol heavy banquets have become a staple for Chinese businesses. So how did “酒文化” （jiu wen hua）， literally “liquor culture”， become such an important part of Chinese business？
Alcohol has always been an important part of Chinese culture and arguably， the most important impact that alcohol had on Chinese culture was the development of the liquor ceremony. The liquor ceremony， an ancient ritual championed by the ruling classes and literati， was a strictly formal affair with many different codes of conduct and etiquette. These rules were the product of the traditional Chinese attitudes towards hierarchy， relationships and respect. The seating arrangements of the guests， the manner in which the cups are toasted， the amount of alcohol one can consume … all of these things had significance， and these echoes of these practices can be seen in modern Chinese drinking etiquette （which we will elaborate in further detail later）.
China has several different kinds of alcohol， but the
iconic “白酒” （baijiu， pronounced “Bye Geo” not “Bye Joe”as the Huffington Post， New York Times or Vogue would have you believe）， or “white liquor” is the most famous and popular， and is probably the strongest contender for the title of China’s national drink. Baijiu is a clear liquor most commonly distilled from fermented sorghum. It has many different varieties， but all are horrifyingly strong， with an alcohol percentage that ranges between 40%-60%. The flavor is famously unappealing to foreign palates - the drink has been described as smelling and tasting like a vile concoction of gasoline， pineapple， musk and stinky cheese.
It is usually served warm and together with food， in small thimble sized glasses. Despite being the most consumed distilled liquor in the world， it is little knownto foreigners – overseas， it is best known as part of a deeply unpleasant rite of passage that expats in China have to endure.Travel writer Dan Miles has described baijiu thus： “…the smell of it oozes out of your pores for days after. I’m not going to go as far as to say they all taste identical. There are subtle differences. Some taste like burnt plastic that formerly held petrol， others burnt plastic that formerly held radiological waste.
It is quite simply the most sinister spirit on earth…”
It’s really not that bad though. Honest. I would describe the flavor （good） baijiu as more of a pleasant combination of flowers， menthol and antiseptic fluid.
Baijiu is usually encountered at formal banquets， where businessmen and government officials can get acquainted with each other. Should you find yourself at one of these events （which you probably will if you do business at China）， there are a few things you should take note of. In the Western world， many business deals are done over a glass of wine or two. In China， business and booze are nigh inseparable， and the volume of alcohol consumed is several orders of magnitude higher. As a business tool， heavy heavy drinking is just as essential （if not more so） than boring old favorites like ISO 9000 or performance reviews. It would do you well to be aware of the spoken and unspoken rules of engagement for this uniquely Chinese business practice. Knowing what to do or say at the banquet table could mean the difference between closing a million-dollar deal， and ending up collapsed in a puddle of puke outside an expensive Cantonese restaurant.
First off， the toasting tradition in China is not the same as in Western culture. The most common toast at Chinese banquets is “干杯” （Ganbei！）. It is not analogous to “cheers”– it’s a lot closer to “bottoms up”， as it literally means “dry your cup”. The host is normally the one to propose the first ganbei. Sometimes， the ganbei’s will come in between every course， as each person at the dining table wants the honor of making a good toast. If you hear the words “随意·” （Suiyi， or“at ease”） feel free to drink at your own pace （if you are still up for it）.
Drinking your share during ganbei’s is a way of giving
everyone “face”， or “面子” （mianzi）. “Face” is the Chinese understanding of dignity or prestige， so rejecting the toast can be considered bad manners.The more you drink， the more face you confer to yourself and your host. As your dinner guests encourage you to drink ever greater quantities of baijiu， keep in mind that they’re （probably） not trying to torment you. They are just trying to do you a favor by giving you more face.Many hosts will be of the mindset that if they don’t get their guests proper drunk （“还没喝好！”）， they haven’t done their job as a good host. The social pressure to drink can be pretty damn strong， as each round of ganbei expects a reciprocation from the host. Refusing a ganbei can be awkward for those involved， and may result in the host losing face. If you want to back out， it should be done at the start. Drinking baijiu is very much an all or nothing affair.That being said， if you don’t feel up for a night of heavy drinking， it is somewhat acceptable to bring along a drinking representative to imbibe the baijiu for you. However， the people that do this are usually old men with a weakly constitution， so be prepared for a little ridicule from your dinner guests.
When toasting someone of a higher rank， make sure the tip of your glass is lower than theirs. Due to the Chinese propensity for displaying humility， when both participants are of roughly equal rank， both cups may end up going lower and lower until the glass hits the table. Don’t be surprised when you see this happen. The participants aren’t sozzled； they’re just trying to be more humble-than-thou.
Baijiu drinking culture is heavily masculinized – if you happen to be a woman， you have a much easier time backing out of the “ganbei”， as you are not really expected to drink. However， you get extra brownie points if you do choose to drink. Gals with high alcohol tolerances can go far in the Chinese business world.
After the banquet itself， there may be an excursion to a nearby KTV， or karaoke place. Sometimes this just means a couple hours of wholesome fun with drunken businessmen loudly singing Chinese songs. Sometimes， call girls and seedy hotels are involved. Do remember that alcohol and poor decision makingoften go hand in hand， so having the evening end this way can be damaging to both your wallet and/or your relationship with your significant other.
This semi-ritualized type of drinking serves several important purposes. As one might expect， it relieves the awkwardness and tension that naturally comes from having dinner with a group of relative strangersby encouraging everyone to get wonderfully drunk. This is especially relevant for China， as it is a big country with many different provinces. These provinces can have vastly different cultures and practices， but the ganbei is something most in China are familiar with， giving everyone a comforting common ground upon which relationships can be built.
The people in China， like the people in Britain or Japan， happen to be more reserved. There’s none of that American or Australian style frankness and gregariousness here. Alcohol， the great social lubricant， gives people an excuse to cut loose and say things they wouldn’t dare to say otherwise. There’s even a term for it “醉话” （zuihua） which means “drunk talk”. When people shoot their mouth off under the influence （“I never liked you and your stupid friend！”， “Why did you give that asshole Chen the pay rise instead of me！”etc.） they will be let off the hook for their frankness， because what’s been said can be passed off as just “drunk talk”. Chinese people are well aware of the greater license they enjoy when inebriated， and deliberately use the opportunity to air their grievances. Be prepared for some hard truths after the banquet is over. So there you have it！ Hopefully the information above will help you navigate the treacherous realm of Chinese business drinking and （hopefully） have some fun while you’re at it. For better or for worse， dealing with business drinking may be the key to your success in doing business in China. However， raucous business banquets in China may soon be a relic of the past. The winds of change are blowing and larger forces are eroding the popularity of heavy business drinking.
Although roots of modern business drinking lie in the ancient drinking ceremony， it’s true genesis lies in the opening up of China’s economy in 1978. The opening of China’s created a new class of businessmen overnight， together with a sudden influx of money led to an explosion of decadent spending. High end baijiu brands like “茅台” Maotai or “五粮液” Wuliangye became especially popular during this period， and as demand for them has only risen in recent years –a bottle of Maotai nowadays can fetch prices of $600 USD.
However， despite the continued upward rise of the Chinese economy， the practice of heavy business drinking is showing signs that it could soon be a relic of China’s past. Business drinking has always been more of an upper manage-ment thing – consequently， the demographic of people most likely to binge drink in China are not young people aged 20-25， as in most other countries， but rather middle aged men aged 35-45. Many older Chinese captains of industry， having had to endure three and half decades of business drinking， are now facing an incurable， chronic， and rather unpleasant condition called Cirrhosis. Simply put， their livers simply couldn’t take any more abuse， leaving their owners vulnerable to jaundice， debilitating fatigue， fever， bruising， comas and other vexing afflictions. Businessmen now find themselves having to make the hard choice of having a successful career， or a functioning liver.
Many corporate warriors from the younger generation are becoming more health conscious， and are challenging the culture of heavy business drinking their seniors practice. Many younger people are pulling shenanigans like discreetly watering down their drinks with hidden water bottles， or pretending to be completely shit faced after only one or two cups， or claiming bogus medical conditions in order to weasel their way out of heavy business drinking.
However， conformity to tradition remains an important element of Chinese society – many young people are simply unable to say “no” to a ganbei， especially when there are job advertisements for white collar jobs that explicitly call for applicants with a high alcohol tolerance， and drinking with bosses is often the only way to get a promotion. Areport by the Guardian newspaper， shows the unfortunate reality of the role of business drinking in China： “If I drink， it doesn’t necessarily help me get promoted. But if I don’t， it’s less likely that I will be. So I must drink， even if it’s not pleasant at all，”Peter Chi explains. “People want to show they are forthright and try to get along with others … It’s very normal to get an order to drink from bosses.”
Peter Chi binge drinks four times a week， regularly passes out on dinner tables and has been hospitalized a number of times for alcohol poisoning.
Peter works as a head teacher at a secondary school.
Health concerns aside， people（mostly non-businessmen） criticize business drinking as promoting a destructive culture of corruption and cronyism. Schmoozing and boozing between businessmen and government officials， though still common practice， has been facing increasing criticism as stories of million yuan （$150，000 USD） banquets or enormous seaside resort banquets make their rounds on the internet. It is worth noting that the amount of public money spent on banquets between 1989 to 2005 was 3 times the entire national defense budget. With the general populace growing ever more disgusted at the excesses of the economic and political elite， President Xi Jinping embarked on an ambitious nationwide austerity campaign to curb the most decadent displays of wealth of government officials. The mantra of “four dishes and one soup” for official meals， a steep reduction in funding forstate sponsored banquets and an intense scrutiny of government receipts will likely mean that business drinking with government officials may soon be a thing of the past. However， lavish banquet meals can still occur behind closed doors， at exclusive venues like Beijing’s Yushantang club. It seems that despite the best efforts of the government， old habits still die hard.
If you’re a foreigner planning on doing business in China， being familiar with the drinking culture can give you the crucial edge you need to close your deals. But never forget the damage that drink can do to your wallet， your liver and your integrity – many Chinese businessmen and government officials had to learn that the hard way， so future generations don’t have to. Wield the “ganbei” like you would a double bladed battle axe – only with the utmost caution.
Alcohol has always been an important part of Chinese culture and arguably， the most important impact that alcohol had on Chinese culture was the development of the liquor ceremony. The liquor ceremony， an ancient ritual championed by the ruling classes and literati， was a strictly formal affair with many different codes of conduct and etiquette. These rules were the product of the traditional Chinese attitudes towards hierarchy， relationships and respect. The seating arrangements of the guests， the manner in which the cups are toasted， the amount of alcohol one can consume … all of these things had significance， and these echoes of these practices can be seen in modern Chinese drinking etiquette （which we will elaborate in further detail later）.
China has several different kinds of alcohol， but the
iconic “白酒” （baijiu， pronounced “Bye Geo” not “Bye Joe”as the Huffington Post， New York Times or Vogue would have you believe）， or “white liquor” is the most famous and popular， and is probably the strongest contender for the title of China’s national drink. Baijiu is a clear liquor most commonly distilled from fermented sorghum. It has many different varieties， but all are horrifyingly strong， with an alcohol percentage that ranges between 40%-60%. The flavor is famously unappealing to foreign palates - the drink has been described as smelling and tasting like a vile concoction of gasoline， pineapple， musk and stinky cheese.
It is usually served warm and together with food， in small thimble sized glasses. Despite being the most consumed distilled liquor in the world， it is little knownto foreigners – overseas， it is best known as part of a deeply unpleasant rite of passage that expats in China have to endure.Travel writer Dan Miles has described baijiu thus： “…the smell of it oozes out of your pores for days after. I’m not going to go as far as to say they all taste identical. There are subtle differences. Some taste like burnt plastic that formerly held petrol， others burnt plastic that formerly held radiological waste.
It is quite simply the most sinister spirit on earth…”
It’s really not that bad though. Honest. I would describe the flavor （good） baijiu as more of a pleasant combination of flowers， menthol and antiseptic fluid.
Baijiu is usually encountered at formal banquets， where businessmen and government officials can get acquainted with each other. Should you find yourself at one of these events （which you probably will if you do business at China）， there are a few things you should take note of. In the Western world， many business deals are done over a glass of wine or two. In China， business and booze are nigh inseparable， and the volume of alcohol consumed is several orders of magnitude higher. As a business tool， heavy heavy drinking is just as essential （if not more so） than boring old favorites like ISO 9000 or performance reviews. It would do you well to be aware of the spoken and unspoken rules of engagement for this uniquely Chinese business practice. Knowing what to do or say at the banquet table could mean the difference between closing a million-dollar deal， and ending up collapsed in a puddle of puke outside an expensive Cantonese restaurant.
First off， the toasting tradition in China is not the same as in Western culture. The most common toast at Chinese banquets is “干杯” （Ganbei！）. It is not analogous to “cheers”– it’s a lot closer to “bottoms up”， as it literally means “dry your cup”. The host is normally the one to propose the first ganbei. Sometimes， the ganbei’s will come in between every course， as each person at the dining table wants the honor of making a good toast. If you hear the words “随意·” （Suiyi， or“at ease”） feel free to drink at your own pace （if you are still up for it）.
Drinking your share during ganbei’s is a way of giving
everyone “face”， or “面子” （mianzi）. “Face” is the Chinese understanding of dignity or prestige， so rejecting the toast can be considered bad manners.The more you drink， the more face you confer to yourself and your host. As your dinner guests encourage you to drink ever greater quantities of baijiu， keep in mind that they’re （probably） not trying to torment you. They are just trying to do you a favor by giving you more face.Many hosts will be of the mindset that if they don’t get their guests proper drunk （“还没喝好！”）， they haven’t done their job as a good host. The social pressure to drink can be pretty damn strong， as each round of ganbei expects a reciprocation from the host. Refusing a ganbei can be awkward for those involved， and may result in the host losing face. If you want to back out， it should be done at the start. Drinking baijiu is very much an all or nothing affair.That being said， if you don’t feel up for a night of heavy drinking， it is somewhat acceptable to bring along a drinking representative to imbibe the baijiu for you. However， the people that do this are usually old men with a weakly constitution， so be prepared for a little ridicule from your dinner guests.
When toasting someone of a higher rank， make sure the tip of your glass is lower than theirs. Due to the Chinese propensity for displaying humility， when both participants are of roughly equal rank， both cups may end up going lower and lower until the glass hits the table. Don’t be surprised when you see this happen. The participants aren’t sozzled； they’re just trying to be more humble-than-thou.
Baijiu drinking culture is heavily masculinized – if you happen to be a woman， you have a much easier time backing out of the “ganbei”， as you are not really expected to drink. However， you get extra brownie points if you do choose to drink. Gals with high alcohol tolerances can go far in the Chinese business world.
After the banquet itself， there may be an excursion to a nearby KTV， or karaoke place. Sometimes this just means a couple hours of wholesome fun with drunken businessmen loudly singing Chinese songs. Sometimes， call girls and seedy hotels are involved. Do remember that alcohol and poor decision makingoften go hand in hand， so having the evening end this way can be damaging to both your wallet and/or your relationship with your significant other.
This semi-ritualized type of drinking serves several important purposes. As one might expect， it relieves the awkwardness and tension that naturally comes from having dinner with a group of relative strangersby encouraging everyone to get wonderfully drunk. This is especially relevant for China， as it is a big country with many different provinces. These provinces can have vastly different cultures and practices， but the ganbei is something most in China are familiar with， giving everyone a comforting common ground upon which relationships can be built.
The people in China， like the people in Britain or Japan， happen to be more reserved. There’s none of that American or Australian style frankness and gregariousness here. Alcohol， the great social lubricant， gives people an excuse to cut loose and say things they wouldn’t dare to say otherwise. There’s even a term for it “醉话” （zuihua） which means “drunk talk”. When people shoot their mouth off under the influence （“I never liked you and your stupid friend！”， “Why did you give that asshole Chen the pay rise instead of me！”etc.） they will be let off the hook for their frankness， because what’s been said can be passed off as just “drunk talk”. Chinese people are well aware of the greater license they enjoy when inebriated， and deliberately use the opportunity to air their grievances. Be prepared for some hard truths after the banquet is over. So there you have it！ Hopefully the information above will help you navigate the treacherous realm of Chinese business drinking and （hopefully） have some fun while you’re at it. For better or for worse， dealing with business drinking may be the key to your success in doing business in China. However， raucous business banquets in China may soon be a relic of the past. The winds of change are blowing and larger forces are eroding the popularity of heavy business drinking.
Although roots of modern business drinking lie in the ancient drinking ceremony， it’s true genesis lies in the opening up of China’s economy in 1978. The opening of China’s created a new class of businessmen overnight， together with a sudden influx of money led to an explosion of decadent spending. High end baijiu brands like “茅台” Maotai or “五粮液” Wuliangye became especially popular during this period， and as demand for them has only risen in recent years –a bottle of Maotai nowadays can fetch prices of $600 USD.
However， despite the continued upward rise of the Chinese economy， the practice of heavy business drinking is showing signs that it could soon be a relic of China’s past. Business drinking has always been more of an upper manage-ment thing – consequently， the demographic of people most likely to binge drink in China are not young people aged 20-25， as in most other countries， but rather middle aged men aged 35-45. Many older Chinese captains of industry， having had to endure three and half decades of business drinking， are now facing an incurable， chronic， and rather unpleasant condition called Cirrhosis. Simply put， their livers simply couldn’t take any more abuse， leaving their owners vulnerable to jaundice， debilitating fatigue， fever， bruising， comas and other vexing afflictions. Businessmen now find themselves having to make the hard choice of having a successful career， or a functioning liver.
Many corporate warriors from the younger generation are becoming more health conscious， and are challenging the culture of heavy business drinking their seniors practice. Many younger people are pulling shenanigans like discreetly watering down their drinks with hidden water bottles， or pretending to be completely shit faced after only one or two cups， or claiming bogus medical conditions in order to weasel their way out of heavy business drinking.
However， conformity to tradition remains an important element of Chinese society – many young people are simply unable to say “no” to a ganbei， especially when there are job advertisements for white collar jobs that explicitly call for applicants with a high alcohol tolerance， and drinking with bosses is often the only way to get a promotion. Areport by the Guardian newspaper， shows the unfortunate reality of the role of business drinking in China： “If I drink， it doesn’t necessarily help me get promoted. But if I don’t， it’s less likely that I will be. So I must drink， even if it’s not pleasant at all，”Peter Chi explains. “People want to show they are forthright and try to get along with others … It’s very normal to get an order to drink from bosses.”
Peter Chi binge drinks four times a week， regularly passes out on dinner tables and has been hospitalized a number of times for alcohol poisoning.
Peter works as a head teacher at a secondary school.
Health concerns aside， people（mostly non-businessmen） criticize business drinking as promoting a destructive culture of corruption and cronyism. Schmoozing and boozing between businessmen and government officials， though still common practice， has been facing increasing criticism as stories of million yuan （$150，000 USD） banquets or enormous seaside resort banquets make their rounds on the internet. It is worth noting that the amount of public money spent on banquets between 1989 to 2005 was 3 times the entire national defense budget. With the general populace growing ever more disgusted at the excesses of the economic and political elite， President Xi Jinping embarked on an ambitious nationwide austerity campaign to curb the most decadent displays of wealth of government officials. The mantra of “four dishes and one soup” for official meals， a steep reduction in funding forstate sponsored banquets and an intense scrutiny of government receipts will likely mean that business drinking with government officials may soon be a thing of the past. However， lavish banquet meals can still occur behind closed doors， at exclusive venues like Beijing’s Yushantang club. It seems that despite the best efforts of the government， old habits still die hard.
If you’re a foreigner planning on doing business in China， being familiar with the drinking culture can give you the crucial edge you need to close your deals. But never forget the damage that drink can do to your wallet， your liver and your integrity – many Chinese businessmen and government officials had to learn that the hard way， so future generations don’t have to. Wield the “ganbei” like you would a double bladed battle axe – only with the utmost caution.