Bowing avoid bumping heads. The kowtow is the highest sign of reverence in Han Chinese culture, but its use has become extremely rare since the collapse of Imperial China. In many situations, the standing bow has replaced the kowtow. However, in modern Chinese societies, bowing is not as formalized as in Japan, South Korea and North Korea. Bowing is normally reserved for occasions such as marriage ceremonies and as a gesture of respect for the deceased, although it still sometimes used for more formal greetings. In China, three bows are customarily executed at funerals including state funerals, ancestral worship, and at
A Chinese-English Dictionary without a Teacher" and (1877) "Handbook of the Swatow Dialect: With a Vocabulary" for Teochew dialect (Aylmer 1997: 13). His wide-ranging translations cover many genres of Chinese literature. Probably the best known are (1880, 1916) "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio", (1884, 1922) "Gems of Chinese Literature", and (1889, 1926) "Chuang Tzŭ, Mystic, Moralist, and Social Reformer". Giles' other writings include some of the first general histories of China, the (1901) "A History of Chinese Literature", (1906) "Religions of Ancient China", and (1911) "The Civilization of China". Herbert Giles says he decided to compile "A Chinese-English Dictionary" after his review