"Let’s drink tea together!" A Chinese Cultural Salon on Chinese Tea

Source: School of Chinese as a Second Language
Written by: Shaun Aaron McDonald 
Edited by: Wang Dongmei

In the evening on November 14, the “Chinese Cultural Salon” series returned for a night of tea, culture, and fun, held in the building of School of Chinese as a Second Language (SCSL). The event was organized by first year postgraduate students from the major Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages, and participants in the event came from all over the globe, including Italy, Ukraine, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Tajikistan and Mexico. A total of more than 30 students spanning 10 nationalities took part in the event.
 

The international student is learning how to make tea.
 

The night kicked off with singer Jay Chou’s music video “Ye Ye Pao De Cha” (Tea made by Grandfather) being played to set the tone for the night’s theme: tea. Following on, the hosts introduced the origins of tea, its varieties, as well as their different functions and benefits. After this came a performance of tea ceremony given by two Qipao-clad ladies, and some participants received one-to-one tuition in tea ceremony. The attendees were also treated to another video clip, this time of a long-spouted teapot ceremony performance. As they watched the video, the participants themselves got a chance to taste and savour different varieties of tea whilst chatting and making new friends. After having some time to get to know each other, the students then assembled into small groups to take part in some activities and games, including a tea-tasting quiz, number passing-on game, and last but not least, a bitter tea drinking competition!

When the night drew to a close, the participants not only learned a lot about the traditions and culture of Chinese tea, but also had the chance to try these different teas first hand, as well as make new friends from all over the world. From this relaxed and entertaining atmosphere, the attendees felt a deeper understanding of the significance of Chinese tea culture, and at the same time improved their Chinese communication skills, while bringing students from SCSL closer together.