It seems like yesterday, yet it has truly been an era of vicissitudes; the smoky clouds of the Song Dynasty have faded, but the long river of history has left behind the immortal legend of the purple Clay Teapot.
The teapot says, “I am still waiting, waiting for that tea that understands me.”
The tea says, “I have always been waiting for that purple clay teapot that embraces me.”
Thus, a tea leaf falls into the pot, meets water, and from then on there is tea, leaving in the human world a tale of tea that can never be fully told.
Tea leaves are sentimental. China is the homeland of tea, where there is no shortage of tea brewing vessels. However, tea leaves have a special fondness for this particular pot—the purple clay teapot.
The purple clay teapot is also loyal to the tea leaves. For the sake of tea, it gives everything it has, devoting its entire life to protecting the tea.
The tea says, “There are countless fine teas in the world, but why do you always overlook them and choose only me?”
The teapot says, “In the world of purple clay, the ancient adage ‘serve one master for life' has been passed down through generations. This is related to our unique structure. We have a special double-pore structure that easily absorbs the flavor of tea. To maintain the freshness and purity of each type of tea and avoid mixing flavors, we remain steadfastly loyal.”
The tea says, “You give me a rich and lasting aroma, a treatment I cannot enjoy with any other tea brewing vessel. Here, I feel unique.”
The teapot says, “To prevent your unique aroma from dissipating too early, I beg the potter to make my inner walls rough and gradually reduce the size of my spout… To ensure the brewed tea is even more fragrant and flavorful, even if my inner walls become rust-stained, I persist. Because I fear that one day you will no longer choose me as your unique teapot, I can pour boiling water into the pot to make your aroma re-emerge.”
The tea says, “I fear the situation of being left cold after people depart, so I chose you, who can provide warmth for a long time.”
The teapot says, “Inside my walls are many small bubbles filled with non-flowing air, and air is a poor conductor of heat. That's why I can retain heat for such a long time.”
The tea says, “People often praise my tea for staying fresh overnight during the heat of summer and having a unique fragrance. But I know that it's all because of your presence.”
The teapot says, “Both inside and outside, I am unglazed, which allows tiny pores to have good breathability. Under conditions where they neither breathe nor let water through, they have strong adsorption properties. This greatly helps preserve the aromatic oils that form when heated, improving the late-stage acidity of the tea broth and serving a function of both preservation and Sterilization. So it delays the spoilage of the tea.”
The tea says, “Sometimes I worry, might there come a day when you suddenly crack while being boiled at high temperatures? What would that be like?”
The teapot says, “My coefficient of thermal expansion is higher than that of other tea brewing vessels, and since I am unglazed, the finished purple clay teapot can withstand sudden changes in temperature due to hot and cold. Its slow heat conductivity allows me to transition freely between temperatures over a hundred degrees and below zero without cracking.”
In the stories of parting and reunion, joy and sorrow, the purple clay teapot and tea listen quietly to the sound of flowers blooming and falling in the courtyard, sitting together to watch the clouds roll by. With devoted care, even the simplest existence becomes the most beautiful scenery. The tea and the purple clay teapot are destined to pass down a beautiful story, a tea tale.