BEIJING, China, August 13. THE sixth episode of To Beijing and Back takes viewers inside a traditional Chinese teahouse for a crash course in the finer points of a Chinese tea ceremony.
Six types of teas are used in a tea ceremony. Ginseng tea is great for the body’s health, and a Chinese guide shows the procedure used to prepare the tea, including pouring boiling water inside and outside the teapot to make the pot warmer and extract the fragrance of the tea.
Chinese tea ceremonies are about more than drinking tea. The fragrances of the tea are to be savored and enjoyed, using a special container and rolling it between your hands to absorb the fragrance in your hands, and touching it on your cheek.
Men and women hold the teacup differently, and the guide shows the way a man holds the teacup to show power and the way a woman holds it to show elegance.
The presentation of the teacup used for jasmine tea leaves is remarkable. Watch as the dragon and phoenix on the teacups change colors when hot water is added.
And the lychee fruit black tea is mixed with rose flower petals to help with skin complexion. It is a popular tea among women.
