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A giant tea cup draws much attention at a tea culture exhibition held this April in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. Drinking tea has been an integral part of Chinese culture for thousands of years.(Photo:Chinadaily.com.cn)
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BEIJING, Sept. 8 -- Guangzhou's preeminent
association for female expats may not be the first place one would expect to
find fans of one of its more low-key cultural exports. But over the years, an
increasing number of members of the Guangzhou Women's International Club (GWIC)
have been embracing the art of kungfu tea (gongfu cha) with a passion.
Kungfu tea, in fact only one of many Chinese tea
ceremonies, has its origins in East China's Chaozhou, Guangdong Province, during
the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The ceremony combines spiritual and ritual, brewing
techniques with an appreciation of all these elements, to create an art form.
Today, it remains popular in Guangdong and in the
Zhangzhou and Quanzhou areas of Fujian Province. And the GWIC, which boasts a
regular membership of 500-plus foreigners from all over the world, regularly
arranges trips to Tao Ran Tea House in historic Shamian Island, so that members
can be introduced to this traditional pursuit.
"Many of our members are former career professionals
- doctors, lawyers, businesswomen - that have agreed to follow their husbands'
(relocation) to China," says Diane Ashburner, GWIC president.
"They are interested in kungfu tea, because it is so
different and something they have not seen before. In Western countries, tea
making is casual, very quick. With kungfu tea, there is a ceremony - all the
steps you have to do - and there is a deeper appreciation of the tea and the
different tea types."
Due to the strong interest, the GWIC has organized
field trips to neighboring Zhongshan, where members can see how tea is grown and
prepared and learn more about tea varieties and selection.
During Ashburner's tenure as PTA president at the
American International School, kungfu tea was an itinerary highlight for
visiting speakers.
"After our introduction, many of our members want to
learn more and take up further study of the ceremony themselves. It is a part of
China that they bring back with them when they go home."
The members buy the teaware and equipment and perform
the ceremony for friends and family, who then start to take an interest. In this
way, they are taking Chinese culture abroad, Ashburner says.
Unlike tea as drunk in the West, kungfu tea uses five
different holders, including the water pot, and takes about 10 minutes to
prepare at the beginner's level, says Vivian Lai, an experienced tea server at
Tao Ran.
The water must be pure, so tap water is a no-no.
Distilled or natural spring water are best and the boiling temperature at use
varies according to the tea - 100 C for black tea, 95 C for Oolong and 80 C for
younger green tea.
Tea should be drunk as hot as the drinker can accept,
she says, and brewed tea that has been lingering in the teapot (gai wan), should
be discarded and new water added, rather than served over-brewed.
The taste of the tea should be soft, sweet and
fragrant. The color should be bright and clear.
For true tea lovers, Chinese tea served in
restaurants is invariably bad, Lai adds. "It is usually the cheapest tea
available and has many (impurities)."
At Tao Ran Tea House, the best teas from Yunnan
Province can be anywhere up to 50 years old and cost 1,580 yuan (210 U.S.
dollars) per 100 grams. There are more expensive teas around that can run into
the tens of thousands for a mere 500 grams, depending on age, location and a
myriad of growing factors.
While in practice, any Chinese tea can be used to
make kungfu tea, but Oolong teas are the best, insists Peter Xie, a teaware
trader at Guangdong Fancun Tea Center, Guangzhou's biggest tea trade market.
"Appreciating the fragrance of the tea is an
essential part of kungfu tea. The fragrance of black tea is weak because of the
age of the leaves, and the fragrance of green tea - usually used only two months
after being picked - is also very weak."
So, oolong tea, usually drunk anywhere from six
months to two years after being picked, is best suited, he believes.
To embrace true Chinese tea culture, one needs time,
and for real aficionados, money, says Xie.
"Drinking tea is supposed to be a relaxing time. Time
to appreciate the tea and to sit back and appreciate life. It is better to drink
with a small group of friends. The atmosphere should be quiet, not noisy."
"I love the ceremony and all the steps there are,"
says Ashburner. "Now, every day, I find some quiet time for myself and drink
Chinese tea."
(Source: China Daily)
