China~ Tea Customs, Culture & Traditions

Let’s take a trip to China to learn about tea traditions and culture. To do so, we must travel the four corners of the continent. Not all Chinese drink the same kind of tea, nor do they use the same kind of teaware.

For instance, if we traveled to the Forbidden City of Beijing in northern China, we would most likely be served jasmine tea in lidded mugs. Jasmine tea is the most popular tea and is omnipresent in northern China.

In the south or southeast toward Shanghai we would be served unscented green tea. An infinite number of green teas are produced in east central China.

In the Fujian province and Taiwan, you will find wonderful oolongs which would be brewed in the gong fu style in tiny clay teapots and served with tiny smelling cups and bowls. Tea culture is highly developed in Taiwan. Teahouses are plentiful again in China. Rustic to refined, you will find them in mountain tea fields and in the middle of bustling cities. The teahouses had been closed down in 1949 after the Communist revolution, but they are beginning to appear everywhere again and they’re all the rage, a place for the newly rich to gather. Men set up gong fu tables along the sidewalks where they sit in the evenings to sip tea, play cards and talk.

In southwestern China, PuErh is the tea of choice. This aged tea is commonly served in dim sum restaurants and is believed to aid digestion of oily foods. When you are served pu erh in restaurants and you need more water in your teapot, just turn the lid upside down or place it on the table and the waiter will know what to do. To say thanks after your tea is served, you need merely tap your fingers on the table next to your cup.

In the Sung Dynasty, it was the custom for a groom from a wealthy family to come to the bride’s home with gifts, precious stones, jade and gold, satin and silk and tea cakes.

In the Ming Dynasty, a bride would drink drink tea when she accepted the offer of marriage. It was believed that once the seeds of a tea tree was planted, it could not be moved. Moving the tree would mean death for the plant. The drinking of the tea symbolized fidelity.

It was common in China for the evergreen tea tree to be seen as the tree of love. Tea was part of the dowry and carried the blessings of family members. In many provinces of China, tea is still viewed as an important part of the engagement and wedding ceremony. Tea is served at the announcement of the engagement, the acceptance of the dowry, the farewell to the bride’s parents and the actual wedding ceremony. In the indigenous tribes of the north, tea is even more frequently seen as an accompaniment to important occasions.

Tea Customs & Culture
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