First I wanna bring you a good news- I passed the national Tea specialist exam and got the certificate！It costed almost one month. Although I am still green hand of the tea world， I 'd like to share sth about tea and some tips I learned from Tea ceremony.
Tea was cultivated in the beginning mainly as herbal medicine and mostly within temples. Monks began to use tea for its peace and calming effects. In the progress, Chinese tea ceremony was born.Tea ceremony was also named “cha dao” which meant “the way of tea”. And one of the first written accounts about the tea ceremonies dates back to 1200 years ago, during the Tang Dynasty.
As the time passed, We Chinese started to appreciate tea’s enjoyment and social value, besides its medicinal purposes. Tea ceremonies went from being only religious rites to becoming social, cultural and traditional events in different celebrations.
When I firstly learned to make tea, I thought it would be easy- Just put the tea, pour boiling water, pass it to your guests. It turned out that I was totally wrong. The ceremony is quite elaborate . For example, There are 2 cups on my hands. The taller one is for smelling the fragrance of oolong tea. And the another is for tasting. 2 cups for 1 sip. So interesting!
Besides the quality of tea and water, there are 3 important aspects to be taken into account when performing a traditional tea ceremony.
# 1 Attitude means everything. What bothered me was that why even if the same tea, It always tastes better in tea ceremony than in a ordinary cup. That is the power of attitude. We believe that one’s state of mind can be passed easily to the others. That is why before actually performing the tea ceremony one needs to relax first, take some deep breath, think about positive aspects of life, and focus on the tea itself. We should respect the guests in front, respect the nature ,even respect entire Universe. So we could create a peaceful and unique ceremony.
#2 Don’t forget the atmosphere. My teacher reminded me of wearing a cheongsam and make-up when attending the exam, otherwise I might lose scores. Why ? Because the atmosphere is an important part of tea ceremony. A peaceful and calm ceremony needs a comfortable smiling tea specialist, a quiet ,bright and clean room with green plant and soft classical music. We use artwork and beautiful items to enhance the overall atmosphere so guests feel relaxed and fully enjoy the entire rites.
#3 The technique needs to be perfect. The perfect attitude and atmosphere aren’t perfect without a technique to match them. The manner of serving should be relaxed and graceful through sitting posture , hand movements and facial expressions. Devil lies in the details. For example, When I put down the teapot like that, what is the problem? Spout may point at some guests, and it is impolite. And When I show the gestures means “please have a taste”，I should take my thumb back.
So simple but so beautiful, remind me to respect and love nature and individuals. That is magic journey through the world of the tea ceremonies. Hope you enjoy it like me.