Chinese Dining Room Furniture
Contemporary Chinese furniture in a Chinese-style dining room creates a relaxed setting, which is perfect for family meals or entertaining guests. By combining principles of simplicity, energy and nature, a Chinese interior design scheme will help diners feel at ease in this sociable room of the home.
Chinese design provides the perfect balance between the spiritual and practical and this has made its mark on the furniture industry. Chinese interior design is based on the ancient art of Feng Shui, the skilful reorganisation of space to create harmony and balance.
Simplicity is the key to a Chinese style dining room. Keep the area clutter-free to create a space that is light and airy. A few objects of high quality should provide the focal point of the room, such as the dining table, solid wood chairs and a few well-chosen accessories. Objects that do not need to be displayed can be stored away in a Chinese sideboard, cabinet, solid wood trunk or cupboard. Also choose high quality furnishings and accessories made from natural materials.
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Chinese Dining Tables
Chinese dining tables can be square or rectangular in shape but are often rounded because of the way Chinese food is eaten and served. Unlike western meals, where dishes are served to each person individually, Chinese meals are usually made up of many dishes at the same time. A round table makes it easier to reach over and take a dish from any position on the table.
In Chinese culture roundness is symbolic of union and success. This is demonstrated by the Chinese word tuanyuan, which literally means "united and rounded" and yuanman, which means "rounded and success." So with social gatherings of family and friends it is hardly surprising that Chinese tables tend to be rounded in shape.
The Chinese exist in social groups rather than as individuals as in western culture. So eating has always been a communal activity bringing together family and friends. It is easier to accommodate more people on a rounded table and makes it far easier for the host to take care of their guests.
Black lacquer tables are a characteristic of Chinese furniture. Lacquering is the painstaking method of sealing the wood in several thin layers of high gloss varnish. It was a very popular process used in the manufacture of classical Chinese furniture.
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Chinese Dining Chairs
Once you have chosen the table for your Oriental dining room, you will need to select the right chairs. Choosing chairs that closely match your chosen table will further promote a feeling of serenity and calmness.
Eating at the table is an important part of our social life. As family meals and dinner parties entail sitting for a fairly lengthy period of time it is important that the chairs you choose are not only visually appealing, but are comfortable too. Choosing practical yet beautiful furniture will create the ideal dining room for entertaining your guests.
The use of chairs and stools developed early on in Chinese history. Before the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 907 AD) people usually sat on mats or on the floor. The mobile stool was then introduced, which was adapted from northern and southern nomadic tribes. Early examples of the round and yoke-backed chairs appeared among the elite during the Yang Dynasty. Over the next two dynasties (northern and southern Song dynasties) chairs were used among all levels of Chinese society.
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Chinese Table Manners
If you are invited to a Chinese person's home to eat, there are some good table manners you need to know to please your host. The basic ones to know are to not put your elbows on the table and to never start your meal before the host does, or before an elderly person at the table. You should wait to be told where to sit and the guest of honour should always have a seat facing the door.
Ideally you should learn how to use chopsticks. When you use them, they should be returned to their rest after every few bites or when you drink. Don't put bones in your bowl, but on the table or a bowl which is given to you for that purpose.
It is also worth knowing that you should try everything that is offered to you, although never eat the last piece from the serving tray. Look after your fellow diners and don't hold the rice bowl close to your mouth as you eat.
Don't be alarmed if a guest belches at the table or makes slurping sounds as it is acceptable and means they are enjoying their food!
