Alcohol culture-it plays an important role at banquets

Alcohol is very rarely served at everyday meals, but it plays an important role at banquets. (In fact, a banquet is called a chiu-hsi, or "wine-spread") In the West, the type of alcohol must match the meal according to set customs, and often the guests' special preferences must be accommodated. This is not the case in China, where the host often decides on one sort of alcoholic beverage, either a wine or liquor, which will be served throughout. Wine glasses are traditionally filled at the start of each course. The banquet will probably be marked by guests challenging each other to drinking games throughout the evening.
Toasting, usually with beer, wine or Chinese white liquors, is an important part of Chinese business etiquette.
You will often find three glasses on your table: a glass for your drink of choice [toast with this glass], a wine glass, and a shot glass for a liquor called 'maotai' or 'wu liang ye.'
The host of a banquet offers the first toast. If you prefer not to drink alcohol, it's perfectly acceptable to toast with a soft drink, glass of juice, or mineral water.
Toasts will be proposed throughout the meal. Two popular toasts are 'ganbei' cheers and 'kai wei' ['starting the appetite'].