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Free tea and tea performances by seniors
By Wu Huixin |
May 14, 2013, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WHEN visitors on Southern Song Royal Street feel thirsty, they can stroll toward a modern building at the intersection of Zhongshan Road and Dajing Lane for free tea and sometimes a tea art performance.
Zhang Yinling, 71, and her other 29 Citizen Tea Art Performance Team members, all women, have volunteered at this spot for more than 10 years. Most are around 60 years old.
Tea is available all year round, from 9:30am to 3pm. Free, hygienic, disposable cups are provided.
On weekdays, they make various kinds of tea, including Longjing, Liu'an Guapian, Qimen black and Guanyin teas. On weekends they perform authentic tea art performances in elaborate costumes. These include tea ceremonies as well as dancing and songs related to tea.
Their studio is inside a modern building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Wang Shu.
Zhang used to perform in a Hangzhou song-and-dance troupe. Ten years ago, she happened to meet tea expert Xu Nanmei. Then she made contact with the local tea board and began to learn about tea culture and tea art performances.
Xu is a noted tea researcher and tea culture promoter. She graduated in 1960 from Zhejiang Agricultural University (today's Zhejiang University).
When Zhang retired from the troupe, she, her troupe colleagues and friends organized their Citizen Tea Art Performance Team under the guidance of Professor Xu.
"Tea culture is a kind of peaceful art, which needs more than appearance, but a foundation in basic skills. Self-cultivation comes first when we recruit tea members," says Zhang.
In addition to brewing tea, members of the team also train in tea art performances and other tea-related dances.
"Professor Xu gives us professional knowledge of tea culture. The choreography depends on our collective creativity," Zhang says.
After 10 years' brewing and performing, the former amateur team has been recognized by the Hangzhou Teahouse Industry Association, which promotes Hangzhou's tea industry. It is attached to the Hangzhou Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau.
According to Wu De'an, a staff member of the association, the annual cost of the free tea and the team performances is around 270,000 yuan (US$43,925), which is covered by local government.
"Though we work here without pay, our enthusiasm always runs high because we love tea art and it brings pleasure to our retirement lives," Zhang says.
Some team members run small stores and some care for grandchildren, but they manage to balance their family life and tea life.
"My child is very supportive," says 62-year-old Jiang Hong. "To make it possible for me to participate, in-laws always lend a hand in looking after my grandchild."
Without the understanding and support of families, the team could not operate smoothly, to say nothing of running for 10 years, says Zhang.
In addition to performing in their studio on Southern Song Royal Street, the team also takes free tea art performance and dance into neighborhoods and schools. It also travels outside Hangzhou and Zhejiang Province for paid performances.
Since government support is limited, payment for special performances covers various costs, including those for costumes and makeup.
Knowing that young children today are short on knowledge of China's tea culture, the team cooperates with primary schools, offering courses in tea ceremony and tea art performances.
Fang Juhua, 73, teaches at Anjilu Experimental Primary School and 69-year-old Lu Huiying teaches at Daguan Primary School.
"Today young children prefer cola to tea. Teaching tea culture and knowledge can cultivate pupils' appreciation of the ancient arts," says Lu.
"Tea is China's state drink while Hangzhou is China's Tea City. We offer free tea and tea art performances on Royal Street, which gets thousands of tourists, and aim to promote Hangzhou's tea industry," says Wu.
Zhang Yinling, 71, and her other 29 Citizen Tea Art Performance Team members, all women, have volunteered at this spot for more than 10 years. Most are around 60 years old.
Tea is available all year round, from 9:30am to 3pm. Free, hygienic, disposable cups are provided.
On weekdays, they make various kinds of tea, including Longjing, Liu'an Guapian, Qimen black and Guanyin teas. On weekends they perform authentic tea art performances in elaborate costumes. These include tea ceremonies as well as dancing and songs related to tea.
Their studio is inside a modern building designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Wang Shu.
Zhang used to perform in a Hangzhou song-and-dance troupe. Ten years ago, she happened to meet tea expert Xu Nanmei. Then she made contact with the local tea board and began to learn about tea culture and tea art performances.
Xu is a noted tea researcher and tea culture promoter. She graduated in 1960 from Zhejiang Agricultural University (today's Zhejiang University).
When Zhang retired from the troupe, she, her troupe colleagues and friends organized their Citizen Tea Art Performance Team under the guidance of Professor Xu.
"Tea culture is a kind of peaceful art, which needs more than appearance, but a foundation in basic skills. Self-cultivation comes first when we recruit tea members," says Zhang.
In addition to brewing tea, members of the team also train in tea art performances and other tea-related dances.
"Professor Xu gives us professional knowledge of tea culture. The choreography depends on our collective creativity," Zhang says.
After 10 years' brewing and performing, the former amateur team has been recognized by the Hangzhou Teahouse Industry Association, which promotes Hangzhou's tea industry. It is attached to the Hangzhou Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Bureau.
According to Wu De'an, a staff member of the association, the annual cost of the free tea and the team performances is around 270,000 yuan (US$43,925), which is covered by local government.
"Though we work here without pay, our enthusiasm always runs high because we love tea art and it brings pleasure to our retirement lives," Zhang says.
Some team members run small stores and some care for grandchildren, but they manage to balance their family life and tea life.
"My child is very supportive," says 62-year-old Jiang Hong. "To make it possible for me to participate, in-laws always lend a hand in looking after my grandchild."
Without the understanding and support of families, the team could not operate smoothly, to say nothing of running for 10 years, says Zhang.
In addition to performing in their studio on Southern Song Royal Street, the team also takes free tea art performance and dance into neighborhoods and schools. It also travels outside Hangzhou and Zhejiang Province for paid performances.
Since government support is limited, payment for special performances covers various costs, including those for costumes and makeup.
Knowing that young children today are short on knowledge of China's tea culture, the team cooperates with primary schools, offering courses in tea ceremony and tea art performances.
Fang Juhua, 73, teaches at Anjilu Experimental Primary School and 69-year-old Lu Huiying teaches at Daguan Primary School.
"Today young children prefer cola to tea. Teaching tea culture and knowledge can cultivate pupils' appreciation of the ancient arts," says Lu.
"Tea is China's state drink while Hangzhou is China's Tea City. We offer free tea and tea art performances on Royal Street, which gets thousands of tourists, and aim to promote Hangzhou's tea industry," says Wu.
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