Tea Ceremony in China
2 min readKungfu Tea，developed from the method recorded in The Classic of Tea written by Lu Yu of the Tang Dynasty，is popular in southern Fujian area and Guangdong Province.The ceremony is not only a pastime but also a social activity to promote friendship and greet guests.
In the Kungfu Tea ceremony，the teawares，comprising a pot and two to four cups，are small and exquisite.As for the water，spring water or well water is the best choice.Kungfu Tea requires Oolong Tea，a kind of half-fermented tea，only this kind of tea has the color，scent and flavor required by Kungfu Tea.
Before making the tea，first clean the teapot with boiled water to get rid of the remaining tea flavor in the pot，and because you can make better tea with a warm teapot.Then fill the teapot approximately 1/3 full with tea leaves using chopsticks or a bamboo tea scoop，and then pour boiling water into the pot.Put the teapot into a large bowl.Give the tea leaves a rinse by filling the pot half full with hot water，and then draining the water out immediately，leaving only the soaked tea leaves.Lift the boiled kettle high to fill the pot to the top.Tea leaves turn over and scatter in the pot after pouring water from a high level.This is known as the high pour，which is a good way to release the aroma of the tea leaves.Cover the pot and pour additional water outside the teapot resting it in the bowl to help release the tea scent and warm the cups.Be sure not to let the tea steep for too long；the first infusion should be steeped for only 30 seconds.
Then pour the tea into the cups by moving the teapot around in a continual motion over the cups.
In this way，each cup tastes the same.While pouring the tea，the teapot should be held as low as possible and close to the cups so as to avoid creating foam and minimizing the escape of the tea fragrance.This is known as the low pour.When ready，the teacups together with the cup lids are presented to the guests in both hands to show respect.Before tasting the tea，one should first look at its color and smell its aroma.
Unlike the Japanese tea ceremony，the Chinese tea ceremony emphasizes the tea，rather than the ceremony itself.The ceremony is not a rigid ritual but a journey of exploration and appreciation.The true spirit of the Chinese tea ceremony has been described by words such as harmony，tranquility，enjoyment，and purity.
