Tea Ceremony
The tea ceremony has become a ritualized form of making tea practiced in East Asia. The literal translation of tea ceremony is “way of tea" in Japanese, "etiquette for tea" or "tea rite" in Korean, and "art of tea" in Chinese. The ceremony is a cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of tea. Tea has always been an important part of Asian culture and particularly Chinese culture. Drinking tea is not just consuming a drink, but to taking part in ritual, which has been preserved for many centuries. The traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony is usually held on important occasions and as a way to welcome guests into the house.
The Chinese Tea culture influenced the Japanese tea culture from the 9th century when tea was first introduced to Japan from China. The ceremony can be very complex with the use of various rituals, tools, gestures, etc. The tea ceremonies contain an adoration of beauty found in everyday life while complimenting refinement, inner spiritual content, humility, restraint and simplicity.
The Chinese tea ceremony dates back to 1200 years ago, during the Tang Dynasty. The origins of this ceremony can be linked to religious idea in the form of a great respect for nature, Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. At first Tea was used in China for medicinal purposes by the monks in the temples but with passing time, with a sense of social occasion, it became a harmonious ritual to celebrate life events. The most well-known tea ceremony is the ceremony involving the preparation of Gongfu tea, which dates to the 18th century. The Gongfu tea ceremony is where variety of Oolong tea are prepared and served to quest to show respect. Another popular tea ceremony is the Wu-Wo tea ceremony. It is particularly based on spiritual ritual which encourages participants to forget their knowledge and wealth to build a group around equality. The Wu-Wo ceremony started off at Taiwan and then spread to all Buddhist countries.
When it comes to tea ceremony, everything must be perfect, starting from the attitude of the people to the specific utensils used. A well-organized ceremony usually lasts for about 25 minutes. First the tea pot and cups are warmed up. Then the tea is prepared and given to all the members. A lot of importance is given to the appearance, smell and quality of the tea. The tea pot is positioned on top of the bowl, then the kettle is raised to shoulder height to pour water into the tea pot until it overflows. As the water starts to boil, the tea leaves are added, and the lid is put on the tea pot. Brewing of the tea usually varies, where most oolong tea takes from 30 seconds to 10 minutes to completely brew. Then the tea is poured from the tea pot to the tea pitcher. It is then poured into a glass, which is then transferred into the teacup. Now the tea is ready to be consumed. Good etiquette dictates the teacup should be swinged around using both hands to enjoy the aroma before tasting it. The tea must be drunk in 3 sips. When everyone finishes their tea, the next round of tea can be served.
