Amazing Acrobatic Tea Pouring in China

At Dragonfly Tea, (www.dragonfly-teas.com),
one of our most entertaining discoveries was on a trip to China. Traditional Chinese tea houses are places of music and chatter. They are also invariably very busy places. The combination of these two factors has created a bizarre and wonderful national sport tea pouring!

Competitors, dressed in 19th century attire and small circular hats, and bright satin scholar gowns or bright brocade trouser suits engage in an elaborate tea pouring ritual whereby hot tea is poured from brass teapots with 2-foot-long spouts over great height into tiny cups, without a drop being spilled. Over the shoulder, across the body, across the table with different acrobatic poses and contortions all incorporated to demonstrate pouring skills.

A national competition, a type of Strictly Come Pouring is televised across China, with competitors from well-known teahouses across China. Don't try it yourselves; this year's new champions showed us the scars on the backs of their necks from when it all went wrong.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Tea
• Pouring
• Champoinship
• Dragonfly
• Chinese
• Fine
• Green
• Houses