Folk Etiquette----Common Greeting

In most cultures, when you meet acquaintances for the first time during a day, it is normal to greet them. The main purpose of this greeting is to build up a good relationship between the people concerned, and each languages usually had a number of set phrases which can be used for this purpose.
The most common form of greeting is ni hao, usually translated as “Good day” but literally meaning “ You are well.” The same greeting phrased as a question (“How are you?”) is “ni hao ma”. The response is usually ni hao. You may use it on any occasion regardless of the time of day or the social status of the person you are greeting.

The handshaking, which was first introduced into China after the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty at the beginning of last century, is now a common form of greeting among Chinese. Besides the concept of a republic, thanks to Dr. Sun Yat-sen, many unknown and unforeseen practices were imported from Europe: to work on weekdays and to have day off on Sundays, the solar calendar, the brushing of teeth, and a few. In old China, the courteous behavior was that when people met or parted, they bowed to each other and cupped their own hands one in the other, chest high, and raise them slightly as a salute. After almost a century the westernized way of greetings has become more and more popular among the masses, while the aged-old national practices have almost been forgotten through neglect. But instead of handshaking, young Chinese tend simply to nod as a greeting.