Special tea dance festival to be held

Yunnan province’s first ever Tea Dance Festival is to be held in Lijiang on Feb 27, celebrating the region’s rich tea culture and classic folk dancing.

Throughout the month-long festival, tea will be made, historic tea sets exhibited, and beloved tea dances performed.

Created by tea specialist Fu Lihong, tea dancing combines traditional folk dance with Chinese tea ceremony.

The origins of the dance stem from a time when a teacup accidentally slipped through Fu’s fingers during a tea ceremony. Quickly catching the cup before it hit the ground, Fu maneuvered the vessel with delicate elegance and gracefully carried on with her performance. From there the tea dance was born.

In 2007, Fu began added tea dance to her tea training sessions, incorporating it the tradition and aesthetics of tea culture. Today, with thousands of followers, included one from the United States, Fu is as passionate as ever.

“I hope more people can get about tea, the culture and the tea dance through the festival,” said Fu.

Lijiang is a famous stop on the old Tea Horse Road, an ancient trade route used for tea dating back thousands of years.

Combining tea ceremonies and folk dancing, tea dance is growing in popularity. [Photo/ Yunnan.cn]

Edited by Yan Weijue and Owen Fishwick