The Gongfu tea ceremony is China’s take on ritualized tea drinking. Rather than a strict procedure with symbolic and aesthetic connotations like the Japanese tea ceremony, the goal of the Gongfu tea ceremony is to present a finely crafted cup of tea. The ceremony relies mainly on the knowledge and expertise of the tea brewer, but proper teaware and quality tea also play a major role in the tea drinking experience.
The term “gongfu” is a variant spelling of “kung fu”. Although the contemporary understanding of kung-fu refers to Chinese martial arts, its original meaning refers to any skill that learned through practice and training. In this case, “gongfu” refers to the skillful preparation of tea. The ritual is also called the Fujian tea ceremony, the Chinese tea ceremony, and Gongfu Cha.
Chinese Teapots and Teacups
Proper teaware is as important to the experience of drinking tea as the tea …