Daily life and culture in China: Live Kung Fu Tea Ceremony

When you think of Kung Fu, the first thing that pops into most people’s heads is the Chinese martial arts. So why is the name associated with a Tea ceremony too? Yes, you read that right – there is such a thing as Kung Fu Tea Ceremony! In this live-streamed session, students get a novel opportunity to interact in Mandarin with a master of Kung Fu tea ceremony and understand its significance in Chinese culture. 

Kung Fu literally means ‘involving great skill’ and this tea ceremony is testament to why the art earned its name. The origins of the gongfu tea ceremony (as it is also known), lie in a small city called Chaozhou in the southern province of Guangdong, and is believed to date back to the era of the Song Dynasty from 920-1279 AD. Interestingly, this custom of preparing tea ceremoniously is observed even today, with each family in Chaozhou owning their own traditional tea set and tea table for the purposes of gongfu brewing. 

During this session, you will see the Kung Fu master in action as he uses martial arts-like movements to brew the tea multiple times. You are bound to be amazed by the skill and dexterity with which he handles the teapot for brewing. Students will also be educated on how gongfu tea is not a type of tea, but the act of brewing the tea in a specific manner. They can use their Mandarin conversation skills to interact with the Kung Fu master as soon as he invites questions from the viewers. 

This is a session unlike any other, where children and adults alike will be mesmerized by the martial arts-influenced way of making tea and gain an insight into why it is a significant part of Chinese culture. Along with that, they will have the opportunity to use their Mandarin speaking skills to interact with the Kung Fu Tea master and get answers to queries they may have regarding the ceremony.