A new trend is brewing

According to Shen Dongmei, a researcher of tea culture at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, brewing tea over charcoal has always been part of people's life, especially during cold winters in rural areas, especially Yunnan, Guizhou and Hunan provinces.

In Yunnan, people roast their homemade tofu on the stove. They often put a clay pot on the stove to warm up before putting the tea leaves into the pot. When the tea leaves are cooked and start to give off an aroma, water is added to the pot to boil the tea.

"For young people who may not have heard about this traditional custom, it is a fresh experience. The slow-paced activity can act as a cure to regulate the body and mind," Shen says.

Shen says brewing tea over fire is quite attractive for young people, who have a tendency to be health-conscious. "It has become popular in the past few years, which may give young people a chance to get to know more about Chinese tea. They may fall in love with tea culture as the result of a pop culture trend.

"That's the vitality of traditional culture. Even though the environment may change, it can emerge in another form that fits the era," Shen says.

As some traditional teahouses, whose main customers are businesspeople or middle-aged people, are transforming into new-style Chinese teahouses, more young people are starting to walk in and enjoy their wares.

"Such venues have been decorated to meet the preferences of young people and have created new social scenes. They are working on promoting tea culture among younger generations, which has been quite successful in the past few years," she says.

More exploration of new combinations between traditional tea culture, pop culture and modern life can be done, Shen says.