Ganbei culture is killing me with kindness

By Joseph Christian (China Daily)

His face as red as an apple my Chinese colleague rose to propose a toast. "To our cooperation and future," he loudly blurted out across a table of half eaten food. As our table-mates stood he lifted his glass and shouted, "Ganbei!" The baijiu burned as it rushed down my throat.

When I sat down the same Chinese colleague turned to me and said, "Now that we are happy drinking together we will leave this table as good friends."

Ganbei culture is killing me with kindness

Even though my head was spinning I realized that drinking carries much more cultural significance in China than it does in America.

"Chihao, hehao" (eat good, drink good) as the Chinese say. In a more official setting when you are invited to a banquet with your Chinese colleagues or business contacts, you are expected to drink.

If a toast is offered you it is rude to refuse it.

Most of the time this aspect of Chinese culture is warm and inviting. Sometimes it gets completely out of hand.

In the last month alone newspapers have run stories about officials, businessmen, and even police dying from alcohol poisoning after drinking too much at lavish banquets or business dinners.

I have been to many such banquets and experienced this ganbei culture myself.

At these dinners there are often several round tables where the guests sit.

One time, at such a dinner, a Chinese friend next to me and explained, "There is a whole strategy to drinking."