Abstract:

Etiquette is a national civilized norm, as well as a symbol and embodiment of culture, developed and inherited in the specific historical condition and geographical environment. From cultural perspective, etiquette is a kind of  mirror which reflects culture and also represents trajectory of social development. Traditional court etiquette in China is a microcosm of the entire nation’s manners, while Britain is a typical representative for Western civilization. By comparing the etiquettes in the "golden period" of England and Chinese last dynasty - Qing Dynasty, it can be easier to reflect different cultural information in religion, politics and history of both countries. In the new historical condition, only by the means of examining traditional court etiquette in China and Royal etiquette in Britain, absorbing the reasonable and useful elements from them, learning from each other and complementing each other can we avoid differences and misunderstanding in the intercultural communication. This paper will not only help readers understand the history and culture of the two countries, but also play a supplemental role in promoting exchange and development of western and Chinese culture.

Key words: etiquettes; Chinese imperial palace; British royal households; cultural difference; intercultural communication; cultural influence

摘要：

礼仪是一个民族在特定的历史条件和地理环境中发展和承袭下来的文明规范，是一种文化形态的象征和体现。从文化角度看，礼仪是折射文化的一面镜子，是社会进化的轨迹。中国古代的宫廷礼仪是整个中华民族礼仪文明的缩影，而英国是西方文明的典型代表。将英国“黄金时期”伊丽莎白时代的礼仪和中国最后一个王朝——清朝的礼仪进行对比研究能够集中地从侧面反应出两个民族的历史、宗教、政治制度等方面的不同文化信息。在新的历史条件下，只有正确审视中国传统宫廷礼仪和英国皇室礼仪，汲取两者合理有益元素，相互借鉴、相得益彰，才能够在跨文化交际中避免出现分歧与误解。此课题研究对于帮助读者了解两国历史文化有一定现实意义，同时也希冀此项研究成果能够为中西方文化交流和发展起到一定的辅助作用。

关键词:英国宫廷礼仪；中国宫廷礼仪；礼仪；文化差异；跨文化交际；影响

Introduction
Etiquette plays an extremely crucial role in human communication. All the Chinese people call it “LI Yi”. As the name implies, “Li”means respect, that is to say, respecting others and respecting yourself. “Yi”is a kind of manifestation of respect for others and ourselves. All in all, etiquette is a mirror of human civilization and an indispensable element to human life. While, court etiquette is a typical reflection on the etiquettes of the whole country, which is more complex than folk comity.
With the communication of economic, politics and culture between China and England, there is no doubt that the importance of etiquette during cross-cultural communication is increasing. It is believed that etiquettes are different from one another and each etiquette is unique influenced by different social systems and culture. With a long history of more than 5, 000 years, China is well known as a state of courtesy from ancient time. All kinds of etiquettes have been passed down from generation to generation. For better communication, it’s necessary for us to get deeper understanding of their historical origin.