Chinese tea ceremonies are very important in the lives of all Chinese, from the ancient times to the present. Its evolution reflects its influence in the growth and significance of tea in the Chinese culture. The art of drinking and serving is in itself a major subject in each ceremony. For several years, the ritual of preparing and serving tea was well loved by Chinese aristocracy, court officials, intellectuals and poets.

In ancient times, Chinese tea was primarily cultivated and used for medicinal purposes. It was the Monks who taught the deeper values of like respect for nature, humility, sobriety and calmness. These values were incorporated in the preparation and serving of tea. In fact, the spirit of Chinese tea ceremony is known as he, jing, yi, zhen which means, peace, quiet, enjoyment and truth. This is because Monks believed they could share more philosophical concepts through tea service.

The Chinese tea is the center of tea ceremonies in China, and not the other way around. It is all about how the tea tastes, smells, and how a particular tea tasted differently than in previous ceremonies. Chinese tea ceremony is a celebration of tea, being a major aspect in the Chinese culture. The ceremony is not very strict in the manner of service, because it is not about who serves the Chinese tea, rather it is simply all about tea. Although each step in the service is respected as it is meant to be a journey of sensory exploration and appreciation.

For a tea ceremony to be successful, six important things should be considered. The host or the server should be in a happy, peaceful and calm mood. The best kind of tea should be selected not only based on smell, taste and shape, but the tea should also have a beautiful name and background story. The water should also be of the purest and highest quality so that the best tea taste and aroma is achieved. In addition, the teawares should be functional and attract the guests as the tea is served. The tea ceremony should be held in a peaceful, clean and calm ambiance. Finally, the tea should be served gracefully.

Chinese teas used in the tea ceremonies are mostly grown in the highlands of Taiwan. They cultivate teas that are refined such as the oolong and red teas. Black tea, green tea and yellow or white tea are other varieties of Chinese teas that are also grown there.

A selection of the finest Chinese Tea is available online at The Big Teas website.

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