The Historical Connection between Song Dynasty Tea Culture and Guangzhou

Since the Song Dynasty, the tea-drinking culture in China has flourished. As people migrated southward from the central and southern regions, tea customs and ceremonies, prevalent in the northern regions, were introduced to Guangzhou, further stimulating tea production and trade. Concurrently, Guangzhou developed into China's primary port and a global hub, marking the emergence of a significant era.

During this time, Guangzhou became one of the four major hubs for foreign trade in tea. Merchants from Persia, India, and other regions flocked to Guangzhou for business, and tea became one of the sought-after commodities. In the late Tang Dynasty, tea taxes constituted a crucial source of national revenue, with Guangzhou's tea trade contributing significantly to the overall tax revenue.

In 1275, during the transition from the Song to the Yuan Dynasty, the Italian explorer Marco Polo visited China. Upon his return to Europe, he brought back tea and porcelain, documenting his experiences in the well-known "Travels of Marco Polo." This further fueled Western fascination with the mysterious ancient East. Subsequently, numerous Europeans came to Guangzhou to purchase tea, possibly influenced by the tea he had taken back.

In 2020, the "Whisked Tea" (点茶) technique submitted by Taomin Company was recognized as the sixth batch of district-level intangible cultural heritage by the Liwan District government in Guangzhou. Taomin Cultural Development Limited, founded by tea enthusiast Jianhong Huang, focuses on inheriting the art of "Whisked Tea" and promoting Chinese tea culture. Over the years, the company has actively engaged in domestic and international promotion and exchange of the "Whisked Tea" technique. They have conducted promotional activities in various locations, reaching people from all over the country and more than a hundred countries worldwide. The company has enriched the contemporary Chinese tea-drinking system and facilitated a comprehensive understanding of the development of Chinese tea culture. Additionally, Taomin Company has developed intangible cultural heritage "Whisked Tea" courses and initiated classes to continuously cultivate and deliver outstanding inheritors of the "Whisked Tea" technique to society.

"Whisked Tea" is a unique tea-brewing method dating back to the Tang and Song dynasties. Tea leaves are ground into powder and whisked with boiling water, a process known as "Whisked Tea." Jianhong Huang opens the "Whisked Tea" set, which includes a fragrant gauze bag. Using a pure silver tea spoon, she places the powdered white tea into a Chai Kiln tea cup. White-hot water is poured into the cup from a white teapot at 80°C, continuously whisking. This process is repeated five times, resulting in a frothy foam resembling smooth cheese. It is said that the Jianzhan cup is made with natural mineral glaze, handcrafted by traditional methods, and fired in a Chai Kiln, giving it a warm and authentic Song Dynasty charm. The Chai Kiln oil-drop partridge-spot Jianzhan cup was awarded the Silver Prize at the 2021 Guangzhou Arts and Crafts Exhibition.

Jianhong Huang currently serves as the Executive Vice President of the Youth Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor Association in Liwan District, Guangzhou. Coming from a family of tea farmers, she developed a love for Song Dynasty tea culture from an early age, captivated by its aesthetics and rich history. Huang Jianhong actively participates in showcasing and inheriting the intangible cultural heritage of the "Whisked Tea" technique, sharing tea experiences with others, and savoring the essence of life.