In the long-standing Tea culture, the concept of “welcoming guests with tea, valuing harmony, and prioritizing purity” has always been central, carrying profound humanistic connotations and etiquette norms.
Tea tasting is far from simply placing tea leaves in a cup and pouring hot water over them. The requirement for “purity” is an essential part of the process of tea tasting. To truly achieve the realm of tea tasting, one must have a clean environment, clean utensils, pure tea, and pure water. This word “pure” is the fundamental premise and core element of tea tasting.
Before welcoming esteemed guests, meticulous preparatory Cleaning is particularly critical. Before the guest steps into the tea room, the entire space should undergo a thorough and detailed cleaning. Every piece of tea ware must be ensured to be free of stains and water marks, presenting an immaculate state inside and out.
This not only provides a visually clean and tidy impression but also has strict requirements in terms of olfactory experience. Opening windows in advance to ventilate and introduce fresh, pleasant air creates a pure and comfortable atmosphere. During this process, it is not recommended to spray chemical products like air fresheners, as these may interfere with and affect the original aroma of the tea, compromising the purity and naturalness of the tea-tasting experience.
Hygiene during tea drinking cannot be overlooked. Avoid handling tea leaves directly with your hands, as this can damage the integrity of the leaves and transfer bacteria and odors from your hands to the tea, affecting its quality and taste. At the same time, avoid touching the spouts of Teapots, fairness cups, and other utensils to prevent contaminating the tea that will be consumed.
Particularly when passing cups to guests, attention to detail and etiquette is crucial. It's best to use special cup mats or tea trays to pass cups. If this isn't possible, be sure to hold the lower half of the cup without touching the rim, ensuring guests can enjoy pure tea with confidence.
During the tea preparation process, there is a subtle yet important action that tea masters perform: before handling tea utensils, they gently dab them on a tea cloth. This is because tea utensils placed on tea trays tend to accumulate water stains at the bottom. Before placing cleaned cups in front of guests, pouring tea from the Teapot into the fairness cup, or using the fairness cup to serve guests, the water stains at the bottom of the tea utensils are wiped dry to maintain a dry and neat tea brewing and serving process.
However, the essence of “purity” goes beyond surface-level cleanliness of the environment and tea utensils. Beyond external environmental purity and the purity of tea utensils, inner purity is a deeper pursuit in the process of tea tasting. The act of cleaning utensils is, in fact, a form of self-cultivation. When cleaning tea utensils with a cluttered mind, it's easy to become distracted and accidentally drop the utensils. Therefore, focusing on cleaning the utensils can gradually calm one's mind and reach a state of undivided attention.
When we gently wipe away dust from the surfaces of utensils with soft cloths and rinse away hidden dirt with clear water, our minds seem to be purified in the process. In this seemingly simple action, we can discard distractions, return to inner peace and tranquility, and feel a sense of purity and serenity from within.
In the busy and noisy modern life, people often lose themselves while chasing material wealth and fame, leaving their souls tired and polluted. The “purity” concept in tea hospitality provides an opportunity to return to our true selves and purify our souls. When we create a clean and tidy environment for tea tasting and treat every piece of tea ware and every leaf of tea with care, we unconsciously cultivate our inner selves, making them purer and stronger.
Prioritizing purity is not only a sign of respect for guests but also a way to honor and preserve tea culture. Each cleaning and every small gesture contains love for life and a pursuit of beauty. Through this process, we learn to feel, give, and cherish with our hearts.
Tea, as a medium, brings people closer together, allowing their souls to blend in tranquility and harmony. And “purity” is the foundation of this blending, enabling us to find our own tranquility and harmony amidst the fragrant world of tea, valuing harmony, and savoring the beauty and truth of life together.
In the days to come, no matter how busy life gets, no matter how the world changes, let us not forget the original intention of “purity.” Let us welcome each tea-tasting moment with a clean environment and a pure soul, feeling the warmth and strength that tea culture brings, allowing this ancient and beautiful tradition to flourish with new vitality in modern society.