A lesson steeped in tradition

On a quiet morning at Chengnan Middle School in Xiangqiao district in Chaozhou, Guangdong province, the familiar scent of tea drifted across the campus, soft but unmistakable.

In a classroom temporarily transformed into a tea space, Ye Hanzhong — a national-level representative inheritor of Chaozhou gongfu cha, a traditional tea-drinking practice that demonstrates the skills of the Chaozhou people in making the drink — patiently guided students, teachers and parents through the rituals of brewing and tasting.

With each movement of the teapot, he unfolded not only the techniques, but also the values and worldview distilled into a single cup. From water temperature and timing to the etiquette of serving, Ye spoke in the cadence of tea itself — measured, attentive, unhurried.

He introduced the students to a simplified system refined from the tradition's 21 classic movements. Covering preparation, brewing and sharing, the demonstration offered a practical entry point into a centuries-old practice without losing the essence of gongfu cha.

Yet, the lesson went far beyond tea. In Ye's telling, gongfu cha is a quiet philosophy of life: the discipline of striving for precision, the wisdom of harmony, and the enduring virtue of hospitality.

Proper preparation teaches patience; seizing the right moment determines success; attention to detail shapes quality; and sharing the final brew reflects cooperation and mutual respect. When the students later served the tea to their teachers and parents, the ritual reached its most intimate moment — an unspoken expression of respect and gratitude.

Students also presented teathemed creative works they had designed, which deeply moved Ye.

"The students' creativity allows me to see the future inheritance of Chaozhou people's cultural DNA," he says.

Rooted in everyday life rather than courtly ceremony, Chaozhou gongfu cha has always belonged to the people. In 2022, it was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as part of the "traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China".

Today, it is finding new pathways into classrooms and younger generations, extending beyond its origin to a wider world.

President Xi Jinping noted during his visit to Chaozhou in October 2020 that the region's tea culture — alongside its embroidery, porcelain, wood carving, sculpture, opera and cuisine — constitutes a precious strand of Chinese civilization.

He urged better protection of the city's heritage, noting that proactive efforts should be made to train inheritors of the intangible cultural legacy.

Daily ritual

At 62, Ye remains inseparable from tea. A native of Chaozhou, he often says that local people begin drinking tea almost from infancy. His own path into the profession began in 1986, when he formally entered the tea industry.

Over the years, Ye has played a pivotal role in codifying Chaozhou gongfu cha. He participated in drafting the official technical specifications for brewing tea, now adopted as a local standard in Chaozhou, and served as chief editor of the textbook for Chaozhou gongfu cha practitioners, training generations of professional tea artists.

Tracing the tradition's origins, Ye notes that Chaozhou gongfu cha began to take shape during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), when descendants of declining aristocratic families migrated from the Central Plains to the southern region. They maintained high standards in daily life, and over time, that refined pursuit evolved into the tea practice observed today.

For Ye, the defining feature of Chaozhou gongfu cha is its sense of ritual. Tea may be brewed anywhere and at any time, but the tools and procedures must be complete and precise — the stove, the teapot and the cups all matter.

To ensure the tradition can be more easily passed on, Ye distilled the classic 21-step process into a widely applicable framework he calls "three steps and seven methods".

The first step, "preparation", includes preparing the utensils, water and tea. The second, "brewing", emphasizes pouring from a specific height to release the aroma, distributing the tea evenly among the cups, and finishing each cup drop by drop. The third step is "sharing", enjoying the fragrant tea together.

A single cup of tea, Ye observes, contains values worth safeguarding.

"Only good water can make good tea, and having good water also reminds us to respect nature and protect the ecological environment," he explains.

"When brewing, the water must be poured from a certain height to release the tea's aroma."

Even the arrangement of cups carries meaning: three cups in a triangular formation — one for the host, two for guests — reflect a selfless, altruistic spirit. The final few drops, evenly distributed among the cups, embody balance, fairness and consideration for others, he says.

"There is a saying in Chaozhou: 'Work hard, eat comfortably,'" Ye says.

"It means you must put in effort, but when it is time to eat, life should slow down."

Drinking tea is called shi cha, or "eating tea", in Chaozhou, highlighting the central role of tea in daily life.

Beyond technique, Ye has also been involved in setting standards for traditional gongfu cha utensils, from clay stoves to teacups and teapots. He believes the proportions passed down from ancient times are already perfectly balanced and deserve to be preserved.

He likens the transmission of intangible cultural heritage to restoring a once-beautiful but damaged vase: repairs should respect the original form, yet adapt to contemporary aesthetics and real conditions, allowing the object to be reproduced, used, and integrated into modern life without losing its essence.

For Ye, simplifying gongfu cha into "three steps and seven methods" is ultimately about cultural communication — a way to let people sense and reflect through a single cup, to understand and pass on the core of traditional Chinese culture.

This year, he brought the method to Shenzhen in Guangdong through training sessions, and he hopes to carry the tea culture to many more places in the years ahead.

Soul in the leaves

Yet, no ritual can exist without its material foundation. Behind the gestures, philosophies and systems of Chaozhou gongfu cha lies a single leaf shaped by mountain climate, soil and human labor — a tea that gives the tradition its aroma, structure and soul.

For Li Xuan, a national senior tea maker with more than 20 years in the industry, the story begins with Fenghuang (Phoenix) Dancong — the indispensable tea variety of Chaozhou gongfu cha.

Grown in Fenghuang town in Chao'an district, with Fenghuang Mountain as its core production area, Phoenix Dancong is both the material foundation and aromatic soul of the tradition.

Li has long studied its production and is now applying to become an inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Phoenix Dancong tea-making techniques in Guangdong. She apprenticed with Chen Xiangbai, an inheritor of Chaozhou gongfu cha.

Phoenix Dancong's most striking feature is its aroma. "Many people fall in love with it after just one cup," she says.

Known as the "perfume of tea", Phoenix Dancong is celebrated for its complex and ever-changing fragrance. "It has extremely intricate aroma classifications — rich and captivating," Li says.

Its longevity sets it apart as well. While many teas lose their fragrance after repeated infusions — especially under the demanding 21-step gongfu cha process — Phoenix Dancong continues to release a lingering aroma even after multiple brews.

"Local people treasure Phoenix Dancong tea, and its production is carried out with great respect and care," Li says.

When she learned tea-growing on the mountain from veteran farmers, she was repeatedly reminded that Fenghuang Mountain's climate, water and soil together make such tea possible.

Tea, Li observes, permeates everyday life in Chaozhou. "If you walk through the streets and alleys, you'll see people drinking tea everywhere."

She once saw a roasted chestnut vendor tending his stall with a charcoal stove and a full set of utensils beside him, pausing between batches to take a few sips.

Ritual, she notes, is never mere formality. Although only three cups are used, they are rinsed with boiling water after each round so that every guest drinks from a clean cup.

"These ritualized habits are extremely important. They naturally shape daily life," Li says.

Many matters in Chaozhou are resolved over tea.

"Making tea takes time — you boil water, warm the teapot, cups and utensils, and wait. During this process, people calm down. By the time the tea is ready, many conflicts have already softened," she adds.

For Li, this reflects the deeper philosophy behind gongfu cha. Closely aligned with Confucian thought, it emphasizes harmony, equality and order. Though the steps may appear simple and are performed with ease by locals, she stresses that this fluency comes from years of practice.

Beyond a daily habit, gongfu cha also represents regional spirit. "Gongfu means investing time and effort," Li says.

"No step can be careless — whether in growing tea or brewing it. The process reflects the meticulousness and dedication of the Chaozhou people."

She has observed that gongfu cha is increasingly embraced by younger generations. As many Chaozhou people venture out into the wider world, they carry their tea culture with them.

"The brewing method is ritualistic and distinctive, and young people are receptive to it," she says.

"This kind of cultural transmission requires time — gradual promotion, familiarity, and deepening understanding.

"In modern life, people face intense pressure and a fast pace. Being able to sit down and slowly enjoy Chaozhou gongfu cha is good for both the body and mind. Promoting and sharing the tea culture is, in itself, a very good thing."

Back in the Xiangqiao classroom, the students quietly lifted their cups, savoring the warm, fragrant brew they had prepared themselves. Each sip carried the care, precision and patience that Ye had taught them — a small, living embodiment of Chaozhou gongfu cha, now passing gently into the next generation.

Contact the writer at liyingxue@chinadaily.com.cn