Tea has long been the main drink of the Chinese people and in particular Chinese royalty from the days gone by. The art of tea drinking was very much part of formal palace life, during the times of the Tang Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty.  Formal Tea parties were the occasion for people in power to congregate, forge new friendships and alliances.

Tea Parties were conducted for Different Reasons

Tea parties featuring the finest and most exquisite of teas were held at the different royal halls at the palace in order to conduct a number of different royal functions. Court ceremonies, discussions on educational affairs and a number of civic matters were the subject matter of such formal tea parties. The Forbidden City, which is the name for the Imperial Palace situated in the capital city of Beijing, contained a number of different Halls such as the Qianqing Palace (which was supposed to be the Hall of Heavenly Purity), Wenhua Hall (which was understood to mean the Hall of Literary Glory), and the Chonghua Palace (understood as the Hall of Double Glory).

Serving of Tea was integral to these Gatherings

In these halls, which were the cultural heart of the Forbidden City, discussions of national import, learned lectures by the learned minds and sages such as Confucius took place and the serving of tea was an integral and indivisible part of these proceedings. No royal banquet was complete without tea either.

Many learned minds would discourse on a number of subjects, meant to educate and edify; often these would be attended by the emperors themselves. Tea was served not only with the practical purpose of quenching the thirst of the speakers, but also as a symbol of encouragement for education. Following the learned discourses as well, the select few present would partake of tea with the emperor, a great honor and this would typically be a ceremony of gravity and solemnity.

In certain historical accounts of these royal tea parties, it was not unknown for the emperor himself to pour the boiling water onto the tea leaves; gesture much valued by esteemed guests. The emperor himself would often be a tea connoisseur and the courtesy extended to valued guests would be an indication of expertise and knowledge of tea drinking and teas in general.

With such a rich history steeped in tea drinking (pun unintended), it is no wonder that tea drinking is so much a part of the national fabric of China even today, permeating each element of social intercourse.

Tags: China, culture, discourse, dynasty, emperor, gatherings, lecture, party, royal, tea