Cultural feast for tea lovers

Rongbaozhai, a time-honored brand and cultural enterprise in Beijing with a history of over 300 years, held a tea culture event on June 19.

The event was divided into three sessions, each with a different focus. Not only did participants learn about the prevalent "Tasting tea using two cups", which is a unique tea tasting style in Taiwan, but also issues like cross-Straits cultural exchanges, the integration of traditional tea culture and painting traditions and the internationalization of Chinese tea culture, were extensively covered. A diversity of perspectives, dimensions and depths were presented to shed light on the new charisma embodied in the time-honored tea culture, which might bring out new inspirations in modern-day tea lovers.

One of the highlights at the event was when He Jiansheng, a master tea expert from Taiwan, unraveled the historical background and later performed the traditional double-cup tea tasting ceremony. As the name suggests, the process involves two teacups, a tall one for breathing in the scent of the tea and a short one for tasting. The whole procedure seems to be time-consuming and complex, but this is the very essence of tea tasting. It can not only stimulate the senses of your body through the aroma and the texture of the tea, which is a physical aspect - the more important factor is that you get to appreciate the beauty and the aesthetic value of the tea tasting ritual.

As a traditional drink, tea has contributed more than we think to shaping the temperament of Asian people. People here are more reflective and tend to explore the inside to seek the true self. This is to a large extent due to the calming qualities of tea and the sedative atmosphere brought by the aroma in the process of tea brewing, tasting and drinking.