Chinese Etiquette of Finger Tapping When One is Served Tea

In the early 1980s, during a visit to New York City, I went to lunch with Master William C.C. Chen at a restaurant in Chinatown. When I poured tea for Master Chen, he tapped his index and middle fingers on the table. Since I had never seen the gesture before, I wondered about its meaning. I was hesitant to ask, but I made a personal commitment that I would learn.

Back then I had a Chinese student, Donald Cheng, whose father operated a Chinese restaurant that I often frequented. On my next visit to the restaurant, I asked Mr. Cheng about the meaning of the gesture. He said that it was an old custom, a way of paying respect to the emperor. This piqued my interest in learning more.

At the time there was no internet where one could easily explore the topic, and I could find nothing at the local library. So, I decided to learn more through my teachers. During Master Alex Kwok’s next visit to my school, I asked about the finger tapping. He elaborated on the gesture and told me about a time when the emperor traveled in disguise with his servant. The emperor impersonated the servant, and the servant impersonated the emperor.

While at an inn, the emperor poured tea for the servant. So as not to betray the role reversal, the servant tapped his fingers on the table three times as a gesture that mimicked kowtowing. I later learned that the finger tapping gesture related to Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty.

Over the years, I have learned more about finger tapping, which is also called the “Finger Tapping Salute.” While the etiquette of finger tapping is commonly used among friends when tea is served, there are protocols to learn and follow.

The Index Finger Tap

Tapping the index finger three times is usually performed by an elder and shows appreciation toward the younger person serving the tea.

Tapping the Index and Middle Finger

Tapping with the index and middle fingers is usually done among friends or colleagues of equal status when tea is served. When I learned about this and recalled Master Chen’s use of this tapping gesture, I felt embarrassed because it meant that my teacher was treating me as an equal.

The Five-Fingers Tapping Gesture

Tapping the table three times using the five fingers together is equivalent to kowtowing on the floor. This gesture should be performed toward your elders or your teacher if they are serving you tea.

For Gong Fu practitioners, the finger tapping gesture is an important etiquette to learn and observe.