In Guangdong, when someone pours tea for you, why do you have to knock on the desktop three times?

Many people know that Cantonese people like to drink morning tea, and many friends who have been to Guangdong are curious when they come back, saying that Cantonese people tap their fingers on the desktop when pouring tea. So what does this mean? What's the point? Listen, I'll tell you slowly.

For Cantonese, this kind of knocking on the bowl is as important as using a big bowl of tea before meals, and it is a kind of "hand knocking ceremony".

There is also a short story about this custom in history. Legend has it that when Qianlong went south to the south of the Yangtze River, he took several ministers to visit privately and incognito. It happened that when they were resting in a teahouse, in order to better experience the life of civilians, Gan Long personally poured tea for his men in the teahouse. His subordinates all want to kneel for three times and kowtow for nine times, but they are afraid that the identity of Qianlong will be blamed by the emperor, so it is not convenient to thank each other with court gifts, so they all use "knocking hands" instead of "kowtowing" on the desktop.

Later, this action evolved into a kind of tea-drinking etiquette that Cantonese people like to drink tea, which is what Cantonese people often say at the dinner table. Tap the table three times with three bent fingers, indicating three kneeling and nine knocking.

However, don't think that just knocking on the table a few times is enough. There is a lot of learning and attention in it. For example, when preparing to pour tea for the elders, the elders will tap the desktop with their middle finger or forefinger out of courtesy. If I appreciate or cherish this junior, I will tap the desktop three times.

At a peer party, when a friend pours tea for you, put your index finger and middle finger together and tap the desktop three times at the same time, which is equivalent to three times.

If an elder or boss pours tea for you, tap the desktop and knuckles all the way, which means three times. Of course, if you meet someone with special respect, you can also tap nine times.