为我弟弟干杯

Internet twiddling led me to this entertaining article about the history of drinking in China. The best part is this:

Writers also set out rules in their essays which were to be followed when drinking alcohol.

For example, one's drinking companions should be "elegant, unrestrained, forthright, understanding, old friends or beautiful". The best places for drinking should be "in front of flowers, in the bamboo forest, in a high pavilion, in a boat, in a peaceful villa, along a zig-zag stream or by a lotus pool".

And the best time for drinking should be "spring, a time when flowers are blooming, or in cool autumn, or after snow, or on rainy days or on nights with a crescent moon".