No hugs, no hands shakes. How do you greet others when social distancing is advised under the COVID-19 pandemic? Schools in China chose to use "zuoyi" – making a bow with hands folded in front, a popular way for greeting in ancient times.

Teachers and students greeting using "zuoyi." /Chinanews Teachers and students greeting using "zuoyi." /Chinanews

For thousand of years, the Chinese people have been using "zuoyi" as a general gesture for hello, becoming common etiquette. In the past two months, "zuoyi' has been introduced to 117 schools in Quzhou, a city in eastern China's Zhejiang Province, to help keep social distance between teachers and students. The greeting has sparked some discussion online. "This is the right time to promote traditional Chinese culture among youngsters," said Wu Mingyang, the administrator of local education department. Learning the correct way to do the "zuoyi" has been added to the syllabus when the spring semester started this month in Wujiang District First Middle School. "Students showed so much interest in it. Many of them find it very valuable," said Cheng Junning, an officer from the middle school told the Chinanews.

A teacher shows the standard way to "zuoyi." /Chinanews A teacher shows the standard way to "zuoyi." /Chinanews