Chapter Nine: Salutations in Chinese Letters
China is known as the "nation of ceremonies." No matter whether it's in daily life or business activities, all Chinese people pay attention to etiquette.
Salutations are among the most important elements of business communication. In a formal letter, the salutation occurs first. An appropriate salutation can create a good impression for the letter's reader.
In Chinese letters, salutations are usually the honorific titles of the reader. The relationship between the addresser and the addressee primarily determines what kind of honorific is used.
Salutations in Chinese are usually written using the following form: "honorific + title." Furthermore, they are written on the left hand side of the page, beginning in the first space and then followed by a colon.
Case and Examples:
Case 1.
Salutations Used When Greeting a Superior
"Respected + name:"
Respected Wang Li:
Case 2.
Salutations Used When Greeting a Colleague
"Dear + name:"
Dear Liu Ying:
Case 3. 
Showing Respect When Writing Names in Salutations
"Honorable + surname + occupation title:"
Honorable Manager Wang:
Honorable Teacher Wang:
"Honorable + surname + Sir/ Madam:"
Honorable Madam Li:
Case 4.
Showing Very High Respect When Writing Names in Salutations
Honorable + occupation title + surname + Sir/Madam + please open:
Honorable Supervisor Mr. Zhou, please open:
Honorable + occupation title + surname + Sir/Madam + respectfully discerned:
Honorable Section Chief Mr. Ma, respectfully discerned:
Honorable + occupation title + surname + Sir/Madam + elegantly discerned:
Honorable Manager Miss Wang, elegantly discerned:
Vocabulary:
v. to be well-known as
v. please open
v. respectfully discerned
v. elegantly discerned