Introduction
Building a tea house and organizing its activities are tasks that require excellent knowledge of the complexity of key concepts in Chinese art history. The tea ceremony is the core element in understanding Chinese cultural life and its development patterns (Schroeder, Borgerson & Wu 2015). In China, tea drinking is more than a mere ritual of consuming food and nourishing the body; for a Chinese person of exalted cultural background, it is the process of nurturing one’s very soul and spirit.
This understanding will inform the process of constructing a tea house, decorating it, and managing its activities. The following project aims to detail the main factors connected with launching a successful tea house project including the location of the facility, the decoration patterns, the tea serving ceremony, and the organization of cultural activities.
Chinese Culture Implications of Building a Tea House
The origin of tea is associated with Shennung, a mystical tribal leader widely known for his investigations of all types of natural herbs for medicinal purposes. Shennong is believed to have discovered tea some 4,500 years ago (Yu 2014). In Shennung’s time, tea was used as a detoxification substance that people chewed as a gum (Yu 2014). However, later they started to boil it to prepare soup or stir-fried meals. Gradually, the modern recipe for tea was invented when people discovered the technology of drying the tea leaves under the sun and preserving them in containers (Tu 2015).
At the beginning of tea’s history, the primary tea production area was North-West Xichuan but later spread to the spacious areas along the Yangtze River (Yu 2014). By the fourth century AD, the educated class in China had adopted the habit of using tea as their main daily product. A whole new occupation of tea makers and sellers was introduced. After the mid-Tang dynasty, tea acquired the status of a valuable trading good and taxable product with more than 150 species produced in fifteen provinces and cities in China (Benn 2015).
Today, tea has become an integral part of life for people in many countries, and traditions connected with consuming tea have become central habits in such prominent cultures as Indian, British, Sri Lankan, and Japanese cultures—not to mention China, the country that leads the field, and the hundreds of other countries where people cannot imagine their daily lives without at least a couple of cups of tea. Still, Chinese tea remains the best product in the field. Its export trade annually goes beyond 250 million kilograms, which comprises over seventy percent of all exported tea in the world (Benn 2015).
The Chinese Tea Dao is believed to originate from Lu Yu from Hubei. Lu Yu lived during the Tang dynasty rule, from approximately 740 to 800 AD (Benn 2015). Lu Yu composed the Tea Bible in three parts, with ten chapters and around seven thousand words in total (Benn 2015). The main themes of this remarkable work are the discovery and history of tea, methods of preparation, facilities, tea ceremony details, and production regions. In all, the book summarizes the entire scope of information available on the origin of tea and its traditions before the Tang dynasty, and it provides a systematic record of every detail connected with the Tea Dao (Benn 2015). Lu Yu left his trace in Chinese history as an unwearying perfectionist who always aimed to achieve the highest tea art.
The Philosophy of Tea is based on the main elements of tea art and is described by Lu Yu in two sentences of poetry (Benn 2015). As Benn notes, “Lu’s poem – which continues to be popular and much-quoted both in the original Chinese and in English translation – presents tea as a kind of powerful elixir that can transform both the body and the mind” (2015, p. 15). To achieve the ultimate harmony, tea should be prepared with the use of a metal stove, wooden fuel, clean water, fire, and wind-air for burning (Benn 2015). During the Han dynasty, Tea Philosophy was updated according to the principle of Yin and Yang elements (Benn 2015). Tea Philosophy incorporates the teachings of three schools: Confucianism, Taoism, and Zen Buddhism (Benn 2015).
In today’s China, tea drinking is still considered to be an art (Tu 2015). Moreover, the activity is closely associated with spiritual development and the perfection and betterment of an individual’s inner world (Tu 2015). According to Schroeder et al. (2015), tea is believed to be the blessing of all deities and a means to promote piety. It is also the means to drive away evil spirits and keep the five internal organs in harmony (Schroeder et al. 2015). Also, tea disciplines the body and mind and promotes friendship (Schroeder et al. 2015). The folk customs of tea drinking diverge in terms of habits, etiquette, and beliefs among the representatives of various provinces, occupations, and social classes.
Contemporary Tea Art is based on the study of an elevated tea ceremony practice (Benn 2015). It is no wonder then that Chinese people expect far more of the tea-drinking process than merely satisfying their nutritional needs. An individual who intends to organize a tea house business needs to keep in mind the huge significance of tea drinking in Chinese culture (Hill, Jones & Schilling 2014).
Tea House Building and Decoration
Because tea has far deeper significance in Chinese culture than most other cultures, an individual attempting to arrange a tea house business must first consult the deep cultural practices, beliefs, and traditions connected with tea (Wang & Bramwell 2012). In Chinese culture, tea is associated with the beautiful (Benn 2015). Therefore, when building a tea house, a business owner needs to focus on achieving a sophisticated look and appropriate atmosphere.
To achieve the required standards of inner decoration and create the necessary atmosphere, it is necessary to approach the decoration process with special reverence, keeping in mind that the premises for serving guests should reflect only the best traditions of Chinese decorative styles (Benn 2015). Only conservative approaches to decoration will be acceptable to Chinese customers because they best fit the ancient spirit of the tea ceremony in China (Benn 2015).
The Range of Products Served in a Tea House
The range of products served to guests of the tea house will include the seven main types of tea: green tea, white tea, yellow tea, oulong tea, red tea, black tea, and flower tea. Examples of green non-fermented tea intended for sales in the tea house are lung in and bilochun (Topotea.com 2016). Some white tea with weak ferment souchong is siumei (Topotea.com 2016). Junsan silver needle will be one of the main yellow teas with weakly fermented or post-fermented souchongs in the tea house’s product range (Topotea.com 2016). Next, the main souchong of oulong tea with half fermentation is tieh guan yin (Topotea.com 2016).
Examples of red tea with full fermentation are qimen and laichee (Topotea.com 2016). The facility will serve a wide line of post-fermented black tea, including the star of the collection entitled puer (Topotea.com 2016). The flower tea varieties will include jasmine, chrysanthemum, and xianpian (Topotea.com 2016).
The firm will purchase teas from Yixin in Jiang Su province. Teas will be served in purple clay tea wares. The water chosen for the tea house will be from fountains, wells, and rivers with additional options of tap water and mineral water (Topotea.com 2016). The support staff will also be taught to boil water for a short period of time to maintain its high quality (Topotea.com 2016).
The Procedure of Serving Clients in the Tea House
The procedure of serving clients in the tea house will be in full accord with the five main achievements of the Tea Dao: the spirit and essence of tea, the personality of the tea artist, an attractive look and beautiful manners, the environment, the wares, and the ceremony (Benn 2015). The manager of the client service will interact with the employees in all facilities and control the entire performance (Goetsch & Davis 2014). The focus of attention will be on full control of the appropriateness of the ceremony and each and every client’s needs. In addition, the task of the client service manager will be to train all staff members to be quick-minded in case of an unexpected incident.
Tea Ceremony and Cultural Activities
During the tea ceremony, the main focus and the main art that takes place is the art of tea presentation. Japanese tea ceremonies, often conducted by geishas, have become a standard of cultural performance during tea drinking (Benn 2015). Over the centuries, the Japanese tea drinking ceremony has been updated many times with new traditions to increase the pleasure of the ceremony and to provide more rewarding activities for guests (Benn 2015). Today, it serves as the model example for industry business owners, providing the guests not only with a sophisticated, unique experience of the tea-drinking tradition but also with an opportunity for inner growth, including both cultural and intellectual development through cultural activities and training (Benn 2015).
This artful approach can be well implemented by an entrepreneur who aims to open a new tea house business (Goetsch & Davis 2014). The business owner can decide to provide such cultural activities and training classes as opera, musical performances, live painting and calligraphy demonstrations, training classes, and even teaching Tea Dao classes to train visitors to participate in both formal and informal tea ceremonies with increased understanding and skills (Benn 2015).
Interestingly, visiting tea ceremony concept classes has become very popular among wealthier people around the world (Goetsch & Davis 2014). For this reason, many travel agencies with good reputations offer their clients tours of Asian countries where they can learn the secrets of formal and informal tea ceremony handling and participation.
The Four Tea Principles
The four immeasurable tea principles are “harmony, respect, purity, and tranquillity” (Benn 2015, p. 58). Harmony refers to the balance in one’s inner and outer world and a lack of conflict with nature. Respect involves generosity and mutual reception with a simple and honest heart. Purity signifies having both a physical and mental heart that is free of contamination and that leads to spiritual and physical liberation. Tranquillity means achieving a calm and stable ultimate existence on one’s own. These principles should become the guiding ideology during the organization of all activities in the tea house business.
To promote the art of tea to the general public and younger population, I aim to relate the four immeasurable tea principles to all of the service provision concepts in the tea house (Goetsch & Davis 2014; Wang & Bramwell 2012). The spirit of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquillity will affect all of the activities related to the organization of the tea house, beginning from the very first day of construction and ending with the organization of all service procedures for my guests. In contemporary society, it’s easy for people to continue to lose their connections with the philosophies of the past and begin to operate with contrary values (Goetsch & Davis 2014).
They may believe that if they want to have a cup of tea, they can do so at home without omitting anything important. Therefore, my task is to help them see what considerable additional value they may gain by participating in a tea ceremony in my tea house. The service they get should refresh their spiritually, enrich their inner world, and present them with new positive emotions of uniting with nature and the surrounding world, as well as the world of spirituality and ancient traditions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, tea drinking is considered art in modern China, and it is closely associated with spiritual development and the improvement of an individual’s inner world. Tea is believed to be the blessing of all deities, a means to promote piety, and a way to drive away evil spirits. An individual who has the intention to organize a tea house business should dedicate sufficient time to studying the cultural and philosophical aspects of the Tea Dao because the organization of a tea house business is a complex process that entails multiple factors connected with the culture and tradition of the tea ceremony in Asian countries such as China and Japan.
An entrepreneur organizing this type of business should mind every single detail related to the business, including the conceptual design of the tea house building, the approach to tea preparation, the procedure of welcoming guests and serving tea to them, and the tea ceremony itself including the cultural and educational activities it includes. While providing service to clients in the tea house, it is important to be guided by Tea Philosophy and the four immeasurable tea principles of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquillity. Implementing this approach for the popularization of the Tea Dao will help revive the wider public’s loyalty to the ancient traditions of tea culture and attract a new generation to learn them and become faithful followers.
Reference List
Benn, J 2015, Tea in China: A religious and cultural history, Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong.
Goetsch, D & Davis, S 2014, Quality management for organizational excellence, Pearson, London.
Hill, C, Jones, G, & Schilling, M 2014, Strategic management: Theory, an integrated approach, Cengage Learning, London.
Schroeder, J, Borgerson, J & Wu, Z 2015, ‘A brand culture approach to Chinese cultural heritage brands,’ Journal of Brand Management, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 261-279.
Topotea.com 2016, Topotea. Web.
Tu, W 2015, ‘Confucian rituals,’ Asian American Religious Cultures, vol. 328, pp. 1-112.
Wang, Y & Bramwell, B 2012, ‘Heritage protection and tourism development priorities in Hangzhou, China: A political economy and governance perspective,’ Tourism Management, vol. 33, no. 4, pp. 988-998.
Yu, S 2014, ‘Learning to be a tea art practitioner: an anthropologist’s self-reflection,’ Journal of Literature and Art Studies, vol. 4, no. 6, pp. 450-465.