Kowtowing in an Imperial court.

Kowtow (traditional Chinese: 叩頭; simplified Chinese: 叩头; pinyin: Kòu tóu; Cantonese: Kau tàuh) is the act of deep respect shown by kneeling and bowing so low as to touch the head to the ground. Pinyin, more formally Hanyu pinyin, is the most common Standard Mandarin Romanization system in use While the phrase Kē tóu (磕頭) is often used in lieu of the former in modern Chinese, the meaning is somewhat altered: kòu originally meant "knock with reverence", whereas kē has the general meaning of "touch upon (a surface)". Vernacular Chinese is a style or register of the Written Chinese Language essentially modeled after the spoken language and associated with

In Imperial Chinese protocol, the kowtow was performed before the Emperor of China. Chinese civilization originated in various city-states along the Yellow River ( valley in the Neolithic era The Emperor of China ( refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning since the founding of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC until the fall of Current Chinese etiquette does not contain any situations in which the kowtow is regularly performed in front of a living human being, although it may occur in rare and extreme cases where one is begging for forgiveness or offering an extreme apology, or showing respect in traditional funerals. As expectations regarding good manners differ from person to person and vary according to each situation no treatise on the rules of Etiquette nor any list of Faux pas can ever Traditional Chinese martial arts schools employ the ritual in their discipleship ceremonies. Kung fu and wushu are popular terms that have become synonymous with Chinese Martial arts.

The kowtow is often performed in groups of three before Buddhist statues and images or tombs of the dead. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices In Buddhism it is more commonly termed either "worship with the crown (of the head)" (頂禮 ding li) or "casting the five limbs to the earth" (五體投地 wuti tou di) - referring to the two arms, two legs and forehead. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices For example, in certain ceremonies, a person would perform a sequence of three sets of three kowtows - stand up and kneel down again between each set - as an extreme gesture of respect; hence the term three kneelings and nine head knockings (三跪九叩). Also, some Buddhist pilgrims would kowtow once for every three steps made during their long journeys. In Religion and Spirituality, a pilgrimage is a long journey or Search of great Moral significance Often the number three referring to the Triple Gem of Buddhism, the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The Three Jewels, also called the Three Treasures, the Three Refuges, or the Triple Gem, are the three things that Buddhists take refuge Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices In Buddhism, buddhahood ( Sanskrit: buddhatva. Pali: buddhatta. The Sanskrit term ( Devanāgarī: धर्म Pali transliteration dhamma) is an Indian spiritual and religious This article concerns the concept of Sangha in Buddhism. For information on other senses see Sangha (disambiguation.

Kowtow came into English in the early 19th century to describe the bow itself, but its meaning soon shifted to describe any abject submission or grovelling. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Many Westerners who first encountered the practice believed it was a sign of worship, but kowtowing does not necessarily have religious overtones in traditional Chinese culture. The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings The Culture of China (traditional Chinese 中國文化 simplified Chinese 中国文化 is home to one of the world's oldest and most complex Civilizations covering a history

The kowtow was often performed in diplomatic relations as well. According to Annals of Joseon Dynasty, in 1596, Japanese Daimyo Toyotomi Hideyoshi who unified Japan had to kneel 5 times on the ground and hit his head 3 times on the ground (五拜三叩头礼), to show his vassal status to the Chinese Ming Dynasty. The Annals of Joseon Dynasty (known also as The true record of the Joseon Dynasty) are the annual records of the Joseon Dynasty, who ruled Korea, and were The ( were powerful territorial lords who ruled most of Japan from their vast hereditary land holdings ^[1]

Kowtow was very important in the diplomacy of China with European powers, since it was required to come into the presence of the Emperor of China, but it meant submission before him. Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Emperor of China ( refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning since the founding of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC until the fall of Dutch traders, such as A. E. van Braam Houckgeest had no problem with kowtowing since they represented only themselves, but the British embassies of George Macartney, 1st Earl Macartney (1793) and William Pitt Amherst, 1st Earl Amherst (1816) were foiled since kowtowing would mean acknowledging their King as a subject of the Emperor. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Andreas Everardus van Braam Houckgeest (1 November 1739 in Werkhoven – 8 July 1801 in Amsterdam) Dutch-American merchant who is mostly known for The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located George Macartney should not be confused with Sir George McCartney, a later British statesman William Pitt Amherst 1st Earl Amherst GCH ( January 14 1773 - March 13 1857) was Governor-General of Bengal. The Emperor of China ( refers to any sovereign of Imperial China reigning since the founding of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC until the fall of

See also

• Chinese social relations
• Culture of China
• Finger kowtow: 1, 2
• Posture emoticons
• Foot washing -- another act of extreme humility
• John Moyse
• Salute
• Sifu
• Sujud
• Orz
• Dogeza

References