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"When tea drinkers tap the table with two (occasionally three) fingers of the same hand, an action known as finger kowtow, it is an expression of gratitude to the member of the party who filled their cups. According to a just-so story, this gesture recreates a tale of Imperial obeisance and can be traced to the Qianlong Emperor, a Qing Dynasty emperor who used to travel incognito. While visiting South China, he once went into a teahouse with his companions. In order to maintain his anonymity, he took his turn at pouring tea. His stunned companions wanted to kowtow for the great honour. Instead of allowing them to disclose his identity, the emperor told them to tap three fingers on the table. One finger represented their bowed head and the other two represented their prostrate arms."