From old teahouses to pearl-milk tea stands and wide selections of instant tea on the convenience store shelves, tea is without a doubt an integral part of local culture. It is so much a part of everyday life that it often goes unnoticed. Starting next Wednesday, tea connoisseurs, dealers and industry professionals from home and abroad will assemble in the capital for the first time in 50 years to attend the Taipei Tea Culture Expo (台北茶文化博覽會) organized by the Taipei City Government. Their mission: to promote tea culture in Taiwan as a valuable cultural asset.
Eight exhibition halls will be open to the public from Wednesday to Sept. 10 at Taipei Arena (台北巨蛋).
The written history of tea dates back to the first definitive tome on the subject, Chajing (Tea Classic, 茶經), written by Lu Yu (陸羽) in the Tang Dynasty. The contents of this book will be illustrated by tea experts with the aid of ancient tea sets and historical documents from personal collections.
PHOTO COURTESY OF REN TAN JU CHU TEAHOUSE
Local tea merchants and developers aim to furnish visitors with a better understanding of the evolution of tea culture in Taiwan, and will touch on topics ranging from organic tea growing, local tea plantations, varieties and distinguishing features to innovative uses for tea in the modern world.
Visitors can also sample the diverse tea cultures from around the world: representatives from six prominent teahouses run by connoisseurs in Japan, South Korea, the UK, India and Tibet will give demonstrations on how their countries consume tea. Remember to bring your own teacup as the expo aims to provide an environmentally friendly environment.
Following the exhibition, guided tours, international tea art performances and parties, a month-long series of forums and musical events will begin.
A Korean tea ceremony and Japanese chado of the Urasenke School will be performed next weekend to demonstrate the appreciation of tea ceremonies as spiritual and religious practices.
“There will be 40 tea connoisseurs and artists from South Korea and masters and members from the Urasenke School in Japan attending this event. They will also hold demonstrations at Taipei Arena. This is really a rare opportunity to gain an insight into the tea cultures of both countries,” said Agathe Shih (施纓姿), marketing manager of the Espro Acoustiguide Group (凱雅文化導覽), the expo organizers.
Ren Tan Ju Chu (人澹如菊), a teahouse located in Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), hold a tea banquet to illuminate the cultural, philosophic and aesthetic aspects of tea drinking, which have developed over many centuries.
Tickets for the performances cost from NT$300 to NT$2,500, and are available through ERA ticketing outlets. Detailed information about the schedule and venues can be found at the expo’s official site at tea.culture.gov.tw
Free guided tours of Dadaocheng are also on offer. As Taipei’s former economic hub, Dadaocheng prospered through the tea trade in the late 19th century and early 20th century. It was the island’s largest tea exporting center, shipping tea to over 80 countries in its heyday. A trip to the old teahouses and factories on Guide St. (貴德街) takes visitors back to where it all began.
Members of the general public are also encouraged to take a breath of fresh air while learning more about local teas in the hills around the capital. Free cultural and ecological tours are available to the osmanthus orchard tea trails in Nangang (南港), home to baozhung tea, and the hiking trails in Maokong (貓空). Registration information can also be found on the event’s Web site.
If you are not exhausted by all the activities mentioned above, regional festivals such as the Pinglin Chao Tea Festival, Shihding Easter Beauty Tea Festival and Nangan Osmanthus Festival offer other perspectives and the chance to visit tea museums and processing plants, ecological parks and do-it-yourself workshops. Of course, there will also be plenty of opportunity to drink tea and eat tea snacks. — hoyi
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