gongfu cha

a tradition over 200 years old, gongfu cha, directly translated from chinese means “making tea with skill.” Often times, gongfu brewing is referred to as the chinese tea ceremony; not to be confused with chado, the japanese tea ceremony. gongfu cha is style of brewing tea which has been carefully crafted to fully appreciate the complexities of camelia sinensis, aka tea.

gongfu cha utensils

stack of neatly folded tea towels, symbolizing attention to detail at eternity's gate.

Cha jin

“tea towel” - cha-keen

used for cleaning spills during the ceremony. spills are common.

wooden tea scoop used for precise tea measurement, contributing to authentic tea preparation.

cha chi

“teaspoon” - cha chee

used for handling tea.

displaying tea leaves during a traditional chinese gongfu tea ceremony at eternity's gate.

chá hé

“tea lotus” - cha who-uh

used for displaying the tea leaves before brewing.

traditional gongfu tea ceremony setup, enriching cultural inheritance at eternity's gate.

cha pan

“tea tray” - chaban

used as the base for ceremony. catches and holds tea waste.

serving glass for tea during traditional chinese gongfu tea ceremonies at eternity's gate.

Gong dao bei

“fairness cup” - gong-dow-bay

used as decanter for tea between steeps. ensures homogenous tea.

clay teapot warmer to ensure proper tea temperature during traditional chinese gongfu tea ceremonies.

Cha lou

“tea strainer” - cha-low

used to strain tea fines.

hand holding delicate ceramic teacup, capturing the essence of tea tasting.

Wen xiang bei

“scent cup” - when-shyang-bay

used to appreciate the aroma of tea before drinking.

porcelain gaiwan used in traditional chinese gongfu tea brewing.

gaiwan

“cup with lid” - guy-wan

used to brew tea.

or

traditional clay yixing teapot, symbolizing cultural heritage at eternity's gate.

cha hu

“teapot” - cha-who

used to brew tea.

beautiful floral ceramic tea jars, preserving tea freshness and cultural tradition.

cha guan

“tea caddy” - cha-gwan

used for storing tea.

traditional clay yixing teapot, symbolizing cultural heritage at eternity's gate.

Shui hu

“water kettle” - shay-who

large water kettle, traditionally clay. any kettle will suffice.

wooden handle awl, or tea needle, used in traditional chinese gongfu tea brewing.

Cha zhui

“tea awl” - cha-jay

used for breaking apart pu’er tea cakes and bricks.

Close-up of tea utensils in use during a traditional tea ceremony at eternity's gate displaying tea pets.

cha chong

“tea pet” - cha-chong

used as decorations atop the chábán (tea tray).

porcelain tea cup with floral design filled with tea on a tea cloth.

Pin ming bei

“tasting cup” - pinying-bay

used to appreciate the flavor of tea. pairs with Wén xiāng bēi.

hand holding bamboo tongs during traditional chinese gongfu cha brewing.

Cha Jia

“tea tongs” - cha-zya

used to strain tea fines.

hand displaying bamboo chinese tea scoop during traditional gongfu ceremony.

Lou dou

“funnel” - low-doe

used for transfering tea from chá guàn to chá hé (Tea lotus).

displaying the use of a tea-pick within a traditional chinese teapot during gongfu cha.

Gua Chi

“scraping spoon” - gwa-chee

used to remove spent leaves from chá hú / gàiwǎn.