The Art of Tea

“Gong Fu” means to do something skilfully, whether that be martial arts, making tea, or simply walking. The Art of Gong Fu Cha will help you best appreciate the depth and character of our tea harvested from ancient trees.

Furthermore, tea ceremony is an opportunity to bring your awareness to the present moment, to practice focusing your attention on your actions. You may use your breath as a timer for each gesture. For example, “Breathing in, I lift the tea kettle. Breathing out, I pour the hot water on the tea leaves.” We only need a few moments of mindfulness to feel refreshed and free.

There are endless variety of accoutrements that may decorate a tea table. However, only a few vessels are absolutely necessary to this ceremony of tea brewing. You may find all of these tools available for purchase in our Teaware Collection.

1) Gaiwan (Lidded Cup) or Cha Hu (Tea Pot)

2) Gong Dao Bei (Fairness Cup)

3) Beizi (Tea Cup)

Tea, like our bodies, is mostly water, so it is essential to use that which is pure and good quality. We recommend fresh spring water from a glass bottle.

Each type of tea is best brewed at a certain temperature, so we also suggest using a temperature controlled kettle. Please see recommended temperatures below.

Lu Yu, the author of The Classic of Tea, warned tea practitioners not to overboil water as it risks becoming “lifeless.” Only pour enough water in the kettle so as to minimize reheating.