举手敬礼是舶来品。清朝曾国藩的团练(湘军)和后来袁世凯的小站兵,并不通行“敬礼”。直到德国军官汉纳根任北洋水师军事顾问后,军队作揖的礼节才改为碰帽檐的“敬礼”。中华民族向来不排斥外来的东西。譬如食物:石榴、芝麻、菠菜、葡萄等,凡是现代汉语里涉及到“胡”字的,都是秦朝后从外国(西域)引进的,如胡椒、胡琴、胡豆(又称蚕豆)、胡瓜(又称黄瓜)。这一些东西被国人接受,是因为它有着某种优势。作揖礼被举手礼取代,道理是一样的。举手礼,譬如民警的敬礼,比起老外军官的敬礼姿态,就更庄重;但寓意是一样的。其源自古印度的敬礼(现在中印边界居民的舞蹈中也能看到),只要手势超过眉毛,就意味着“崇高”。敬礼,能用动作来表达一种对崇高事物的景仰,譬如对国旗。拱手作揖,就无法表达这类感情。 Salutation is exotic. In the Qing Dynasty, Zeng Guofan’s Tuan Lian (Hunan Army) and later Yuan Shikai’s little soldier did not travel “salute”. It was not until the German military officer Hanagan became military adviser to the Northern Navy that the military’s etiquette was changed to “saluting” the brim. The Chinese nation never excludes foreign things. Such as food: pomegranate, sesame, spinach, grapes, etc., all modern Chinese is related to the “Hu” word, are introduced from foreign countries (Western Regions) after the Qin Dynasty, such as pepper, , Cucumber (also known as cucumber). These things are accepted by the people, because it has some advantages. The ceremony is replaced by a ceremony, the truth is the same. Raising hand gestures, such as the salute of a police officer, is even more dignified than the salute gesture of a foreigner officer; but the moral is the same. It stems from the ancient Indian salute (now also seen in the dance of residents of the Sino-Indian border), as long as the gesture over the eyebrows, it means “sublime ”. Salute, can use action to express a respect for the noble things, such as the national flag. Overwhelming, you can not express such feelings.