Usually kowtow to the dead.

1, one worship and three knocks is the etiquette of grand occasions. Elders who meet for the first time, meet ancestors, meet people with high moral expectations or high status, pay homage to teachers, pay homage to birthdays, thank humbly and other occasions.

2, a worship of four knocks, generally for the dead head, "God three ghosts four people one", that is, three gods, four ghosts, one person.

3, God, three ghosts and four are also suitable for burning paper. When burning paper for God, burn three pieces of paper. If you give it to a ghost, you have to burn four pieces of paper. People say that three is the number of yang, four is the number of yin, and yang is higher than yin, so there is this difference. Burning incense is also true. There are three ghosts and four gods. Three incense sticks should be burned for offering sacrifices to God and four incense sticks for offering sacrifices to the dead.

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As the highest etiquette in China, bowing ceremony was very common in ancient times. Later generations worshipped their ancestors, courtiers visited the king and so on. Among them, the highest standard is three knocks and nine obeisances, and the bowing ceremony is divided into three types: kowtow, nod and short position, among which kowtow is the heaviest.

The so-called kowtow means that the saluter kneels, puts his hand in front of his knee, puts his right hand under his left hand, and then kowtows slowly. When saluting, pay attention to his head touching the ground and stop for a moment to show respect.