Same here! Modern Rouge ftw!! I love them guys but So Han... MAN I wish I lived in the US near his teahouse. I'd spend every free minute there in order to learn the art of tea from him. There is something about Gong Fu Cha that just is calming the mind in a way I don't get from anything else. I lived in China for a year and always was very intrigued by the way some of the people had their tea and also prepared it for me. So I already know some of the details of Gong Fu Cha (e.g. the thank you gesture). As a German being able to speak a little chinese helped a ton there! But the little details, the intricacies... I know I only scratched the surface. And I want more!! @Fan So-Han (因为我不知道您的名字的字^^ 还有我不会用繁体字...) 老师好， 我叫Alex，我的中文名字叫"孔安德"。我是德国人和住在德国所以我不能就去找您的茶座儿。太可惜了！！ 我真的不知道我给您写这些字有没有用，但在我心里我觉得我应该就试试。我想问您一下: 有没有机会跟您联系? 有没有机会您教我怎么做功夫茶? 我知道您跟他们说功夫不是教育的事情。但我还是希望有您的帮助可以 "set me up for success"。 第一步肯定就是先看完所有您的功夫茶视频。 但我想知道以后有没有这个机会跟您联系，视频， 什么的，说中文，说功夫茶，说茶文化和最后茶藝。 谢谢老师！ 孔安德
I'm not a tea drinker but after watching you on the modern rogue I will start. I never realized how amazing and beautiful it is. It's not just beautiful in the setting up and serving tea but also how it brings people together. You're awesome.
I don't know if this is helpful for people trying to get their heads around the whole 'tea ceremony' thing, but what I say to people is: there's throwing tea into a mug and chugging it down. That's just a cuppa. There's 'Tea Service' where we get the nice cups out, sit down, have a bickie (yes, I'm Australian) or cake or whatever. Sit, take time out, chat, and chill. Then we have a 'Tea Ritual' - something like a tea service, but often either alone or with a partner (or anyone who wants to participate). Forming rituals in our lives is like throwing in a moment of mindfulness, having down-time for your self. Implementing rituals in our lives is apparently great for our nervous system, our psyche, our bodies, etc (if you're curious, google it - doesn't make it woo-woo, it's just a practical step to implement in our lives, giving us a moment in a stressful world to chill & get those stress hormones down to a manageable level). Also a moment to connect with those around us in a meaningful way. These three would be what we encounter most in our lives. Then there's a step up. When we get to ceremonies, it's formal. It's weddings, formal meetings, diplomatic meetings, important times in our lives where we may want a marker. This is where we have a few different levels of 'Tea Ceremony' and this is where regional differences can be wildly disparate, but very fascinating. Hope I've got that right. If I've missed anything essential or interesting, please feel free to add, or if I've got it completely wrong, please feel free to communicate/clarify. I'm totally guessing here, but Gong Fu Cha seems to fit into the 'Tea Service + Ritual' categories. Am I wildly off the mark?
Love the explanation, I´m from Brazil and beginning in this tea world. It´s difficult to find someone to ease my way here, so I´ll watch each video here !
Thanks for the video. I love those tea vessels and have a number of them at home. I must use them more often. They were ubiquitous in old-style tea houses in Hong Kong. Sadly no more. A comment about the name. I have not heard of the vessles being called Gai Wan until here. We called them Guk Tsung (焗盅). Probably a regional thing.
Harder to find places in Hong Kong doing the gong fu cha thing, huh? Interesting! And that's fascinating about the alternate name! It seems many different parts of China have their own ways of saying things. It's like that in the US to some degree, but dialects seem much more fleshed out in China/Hong Kong.
I just found you and THANK YOU! I'm here to taste the tea in a ritualistic way that is almost meditative... very happy I found you at the beginning of my journey!
Lol - this was filmed back in 2016 when we were quite a bit less refined with our presentation - very DIY space. Our style has gotten more refined over the years but there's nothing wrong with diving in with the fingies if that's how you like to roll.
Parts 1 & 2 Are SUPER & Superb; The Detail of Language in Part 2 is greatly appreciated; Though I am like a bloodhound for couping on origins of and about yggdrasils routines for resonance and familiarity-so it would have been very comely for me to listen to a more thorough expression of the presence of each word in the vessel, but this is my novel-broaching of that language As someone who appreciates Confucius alongside Lao Tzu- & as someone who appreciates the broaching comparison of gathering ceremonies gardening gandering of the tribe- i did my best to appreciate gnostic-frolickings of Presiding Above Demonstrated Ceremonies with what by contrast... i was in a very strange crucafix crusade- full circle about the taste that comes from the leaves that stories of biblical proport are we've(T) from ^^) Thanks in Munificence As many Savory Ceremonys Dew- How Gracious A Ceremony that does not hide behind parable nor summon story of far-off lands.. The Incredible Levity Cloud of Clout, Ferrying Glee, Floating on the Present- it is an Incredible and Perhaps most complete contrast to the christian sect i'm beaconing from familiarities of: very mellow-marching of "we're going to heaven & looking forward to- but not being at- the moon party while we're on earth ~jive~ Transubstantiation or "Becoming Ceremony/Staging Presence" is very Flying-Clause or Infinity & Beyond or Generally Glowing Furthering Glee of Familiar Archetypes- Phaoroh Fairy Featherings Draw up Dawnings and Awnings of Various Aspects and Aesthetics of the Serene Benvolence and Respective Lunacy of our Natural World "Stampeding Trampolines" or "Amazing the Labyrinth" i believe it's mindful representation to gild-the-lily or highlight that altar or prized-flowering of the divine: of "transubstantiation" from my quite-orthodox roman-catholic traditional-perspective, i came to understand that rather than however enjoyable the ingestion is, sort of akin to christ's union with the divine based on gnostic-unity, carrying-messages, harmony with parable, becoming sage ...that broad simple complexity of socratean equanimity easily musketeering the infinite enlightenings of credance's communing with becoming consumativity: nurturing narrative undertaking understandings, Valhalla's valence- The Affinity Lattices or Chaos Chrysalis Function on the Principle that the resonating imbiber sacrafices all prior establishment for the re-instilling of guaging what "wild" is or divining-the-divinity of "taste" -sheerness of fielding feelings fealty with Contextual "Haze Tea Wit Mist" respects the ceremony that draws that appreciation that by presence of attunement that a channel is opened for divinity to dive-in somehow and allow the medicine-ball to becomingly become meta-symbol- as we all in the tribe contribute the the circumscribing of the all-encompassing Greatest of Activating ActiviTeasings - Both Residing in Specificity and Relishing Exploration- the celebrating achieving a quanta of such quadrants allows the appreciation to be luminous unto the figures rather than the stage; as well that conZenSeuss congress-ingress between shrine & shine must strive to benefact that which is percieving as perfection - various sportings spors pouring passion charge as species storms scorn of norm...apt ark art arcs of framing flame from farmings fame- giving masterpiece is the name of the resistance game- congruent concurrent constitution constituent consistencies Ki Sane Copiously Copacetic About Discovery as Sophisticating Elegance and Peace Dialogue of Education being Grooving Along with the Synopsis of Sacred Ceremony until: "...Taking Those Leaves with everythings that's gone into them and making this: Liquid Tea That We Can Drink" sort of screen-screened me, hitting me on my humors, to really appreciate The Basic, Quintessential & Penultimate Nobility of this Dance or Communing of The Elements for the Distinctive appreciation-
Thank You once again, So Han. I say once again because i watched part 2 first, and left you a rather lengthy message there as well. I find your videos to be very informative and educational. Is there a possibility that you would consider doing a video on the History of Tea. What is the name of your company. I can't quite make it out when you say it. Thank You once again!! Take care and have a GREAT DAY!!!! SuperSniperSal The GUNNY USMC Disabled Vet
Hey Sal! Thanks so much for commenting! We've definitely considered the history of tea angle, and up until this point, we've tried to wrap some history, some vocabulary, some geography, and some practical gong fu cha stuff (pouring tips and such) into each episode - especially in Season 2, where the episodes have gotten much longer. So hopefully there's some of what you're looking for there, but this channel will be continuing to make gong fu cha educational videos for some time to come, so we'll try to tie in some more history where we can! BTW - my name is Erik - I run the channel and am the one answering all the comments. So Han's company is called West China Tea Company, and he can be found many places online, @WestChinaTea on Insta, facebook.com/westchinateacompany on facebook, etc. I also have an Insta @TeaHouseGhost if you wanna follow there too! We are currently working on a better functioning website for West China Tea, but in the meantime, if you ever want to order tea from So Han (he sources pretty much all the tea we use in the show himself direct from farmers he knows in China), you can email him at teamaster(at)westchinateacompany(dot)com !
@@TeaHouseGhost Hey Erik!! Are you located in Texas as well? First of all, I would like to thank you so very much for your response and feedback. What i specifically meant about history is a program that focuses directly on the birth of tea from the very beginning in China, and how it became what it did today. It would more than likely be a rather long video, but i know that if it was done properly, it would be a looker. Gotta go for now. I hope to talk to you again real soon. Take care and GOD Bless!! SuperSniperSal
@@gunnyoneshot69 yeah I'm also located in Austin. I help out at the teahouse a bunch when I'm not doing my usual day job, which is mixing/recording sound on movie sets. Thanks so much for the idea! We'll keep that in the back pocket for sure. As with many things in the world of tea, much is shrouded in mystery and there's not always a consensus on history, but we'll be doing our research and trying to learn as much as we can!
you missed some history. Gongcha is a very regional way of making local tea that spread to the rest of China due to Taiwanese influence. It was mostly unknown in China until the 1980s.
Hey Rui! Thank you! We're glad you like the show! The tea we steeped is a specialty puer from Nannuo Mountain in Yunnan, China called Yuan Sheng Tuo (元生沱) - you can find out more info about this tea here: westchinateacompany.com/2016/shop/puer/shu/yuan-sheng-tuo-2015-%E5%85%83%E7%94%9F%E6%B2%B1/
Yes they are the same thing. Gong Dao Bei (公道被) means "justice cup" - this name is more indicative of what the vessel is used for, which is to create an even concentration of tea before pouring into people's various cups. Cha hai (茶海) means "sea of tea" and is more of a poetic name. I've heard it is popular to call it a cha hai in Taiwan and maybe some other places on the mainland. Ultimately it's up to you what you want to call it!
@@TeaHouseGhost So Han flexing with that gaiwan. I've been hunting for one of those. So hard to find! With each video I watch the more I need it! (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
@@jakeparkon1 Not sure if its helpful but yunnansourcing.com as a few in the teapot style listed as Jingdezhen Jade Porcelain. Maybe that will help you find what you're looking for/
There are spring and summer GaiWan that differ in shape ... I would like to know if there is a difference in infusing the tea with different types of Gaiwans.
@@Charly6666666 I think the form of the gaiwan certainly plays a role! Both aesthetically and practically. Different gaiwans have different feels associated with them. Glass gaiwans will lose heat to the atmosphere faster than a clay one. Could go on. It's fun to choose the right tools for the right occasion!
Do you have a particular design in mind? There's a lot of teaware out there, both manufactured and handmade, and I'm sure there are different meanings behind design choices in each. While I would say I have a novice-level understanding of some Chinese visual symbolism, I think some Internet searching could yield some much better results than I could give 🌐
Tea House Ghost茶館鬼 I've already done some research, but haven't found the answers. I'm interested in how tea masters put their sets together with ecclectic or complimentary individual pieces. Or, why would a tea master would pick a particular set of teaware. And how many different sets of teaware a tea master would have and why. Then, designing my own if possible.
Ahhhhh - I see what you're getting at. This is pretty broad, and certainly different for each individual tea pourer, but as an example, I (as a tea enthusiast and pourer - a tea master is someone who grows or processes tea, so I can't claim that title) own maybe 10 or 12 gaiwans myself, about 4 or 5 teapots, and maybe 6 different sets of cups. Not everyone who is into tea is also into teaware, but I definitely enjoy putting together aesthetically pleasing sets for various pouring occasions! I think for me a lot of it has to do with the setting (where I'm pouring tea - at home, at the local tea house, outside in nature, etc.), the people I'm pouring for and their sentiments (if I'm pouring for anyone other than myself), and really just my mood (sometimes I like loud, busy colors - other times I'm feeling more muted and earth-tone-y). So in that way, having choices is nice. I have a particular privilege of knowing a few local and Chinese potters who provide many options for me to choose from, so I've tried to get a range of different styles to fit my various moods. Another thing that I really get a kick out of as far as teaware is clay quality and craftsmanship. We have another video about a few various types of fine, unglazed, Chinese clay and I get super nerdy about those types of teaware.
Tea House Ghost茶館鬼 chuckle, I've downloaded all your videos. I thought a tea master or tea mistress was a tea pourer with a high level of adeptness, accomplishment, or magical capabilities. Would this be something different? What would you call the tea pourers who pour tea for divination, healing, or blessings? I'm looking for a set like this and I think I'm going to have to make one myself.
This would indeed be different. We talk about this sometimes at the teahouse, like what title to give a master pourer (the current going one is Tea Ninja lol), but really I would simply say that someone like this has strong gong fu in the way of tea. I don't know of a specific title or name I would give to someone who pours for divination, healing, and blessings, but I know that we do have a few folks who do this sort of thing at Guan Yin Teahouse! I suppose I'd say they're cool tea witches?? Hahaha - best of luck with your teaset crafting!!
@@TeaHouseGhost i'm very interested in GABA oolongs also and tea strains high in teacrine. How about you? :) And have you made some content about those already? And what about some more medicinal and/or unusual teas? :)
@@goednieuwskrantje-nl I think we mention GABA in our Taiwanese Oolong episode briefly, but it's not something I've been particularly drawn to in my own tea practice. I often give people a spiel at the Tea House about how I tend to focus less on chemical effects related to specific micro chemicals inherent within tea (such as caffeine), and more on that particular tea's qi.
We have a FB but I never really check it (not really a fan of that site). No insta for Tea House Ghost, but So Han has an insta: @westchinatea and Guan Yin Teahouse has an insta @guanyinteahouse
While there are certainly other traditions from around the world that come with other styles for making tea, I would also say that WITHIN the realm of Gong Fu Cha there are TONS of styles. Gong Fu Cha is not a single style, but rather, a cultivation of one's own craft of making and serving tea, one's own relationship with each tea. Gong Fu as a word, as a concept, refers to a process of cultivating a skill through repetitive mindful practice, doing something over and over and over and over again until you no longer even have to think about it, you can just do it. As each person cultivates their own gong fu, their styles are bound to be different from one another in myriad ways. In our "How to Use a Gaiwan" episode (th-cam.com/video/cNeGKdILr7c/w-d-xo.html), So Han demonstrates a few different ways people like to pour with a Gaiwan. And there are even more ways than that. So the style game is pretty open!
There are little scoops you can use if you want to be fancy or play up a very cleanly, hygienic style (which is totally the way to go sometimes!), but since you're going to pour boiling water on these dry leaves anyway, the germ factor is not so much a worry, I think. Some people like to rub dry leaves in their hands before putting the leaves into the gaiwan to kind of pre-activate their fragrance. There are many ways to do gongfucha. It's not just one style. Ultimately, these practices are for you to determine each time you sit down to make and serve tea. (This being said, it's usually considered bad form to reach your hands into the gaiwan after you've begun making tea, but if you wanna show some people a steeped leaf or something and don't have little tweezers (茶夾 ／cha jia), I wouldn't get too bent out of shape about it)
No Guan Gong Xun Cheng (關公巡城) fill the tea to the cup and do not stop until the pot is empty(the cup should be placed side by side as a triangle) Which means equality and show respect to the customer and Han Xin Dian bin（韓信點兵）which means don't waste a single drop of the tea. What's more, you not even place the cup as 品 (to taste in Chinese)shape (place the cup next to each other as a triangle)which is the soul and the symbol of the kung fu tea------to taste.
Hey Oliver! I have seen this style you're describing and it is indeed quite a cool way of doing things! I love it how something like the shape an arrangement of cups makes can mimic a word or symbol in Chinese! It's just something we don't have in English. That being said, there are many ways to do Gong Fu Cha! As many ways as there are people doing it. Everyone has their own unique style, and people can be drawn to different aesthetics at different times. I see the variety as a good thing.
As a Catholic, your comment at 2:00 struck me. The communion wine is made into the literal blood of Christ. In protestantism it might be considered symbolically, in Catholicism and Orthodoxy, it most certainly is not.
Thanks for your comment. I hope this didn't come off as offensive. The intention was simply to illustrate what form or quality of importance tea plays in Japanese tea ceremony vs. Chinese Gong Fu Cha culture.
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I've arrived here thanks to modern rogue, I'm ready to learn.
Thanks for coming by! Excited for you on your journey through the world of Gong Fu Cha and Chinese Tea!
Same here! Modern Rouge ftw!! I love them guys but So Han... MAN I wish I lived in the US near his teahouse. I'd spend every free minute there in order to learn the art of tea from him. There is something about Gong Fu Cha that just is calming the mind in a way I don't get from anything else. I lived in China for a year and always was very intrigued by the way some of the people had their tea and also prepared it for me. So I already know some of the details of Gong Fu Cha (e.g. the thank you gesture). As a German being able to speak a little chinese helped a ton there! But the little details, the intricacies... I know I only scratched the surface. And I want more!!
@Fan So-Han (因为我不知道您的名字的字^^ 还有我不会用繁体字...)
老师好，
我叫Alex，我的中文名字叫"孔安德"。我是德国人和住在德国所以我不能就去找您的茶座儿。太可惜了！！
我真的不知道我给您写这些字有没有用，但在我心里我觉得我应该就试试。我想问您一下: 有没有机会跟您联系? 有没有机会您教我怎么做功夫茶? 我知道您跟他们说功夫不是教育的事情。但我还是希望有您的帮助可以 "set me up for success"。
第一步肯定就是先看完所有您的功夫茶视频。
但我想知道以后有没有这个机会跟您联系，视频， 什么的，说中文，说功夫茶，说茶文化和最后茶藝。
谢谢老师！
孔安德
Same!!! So happy to be here 🤗
Everyone here from mr love it
Wonderful explanation of how gong fu cha is NOT just the Chinese equivalent of the Japanese tea ceremony.
japanese tea is not a true ceremony either, its closer than gong fu tea but its still not a ceremony
@@randomperson2187 no, it's a ceremony
The purpose of Gong Fu Cha isn't to drink tea. The purpose of Gong Fu Cha is to taste tea.
i thought it was to get tea drunk
I'm not a tea drinker but after watching you on the modern rogue I will start. I never realized how amazing and beautiful it is. It's not just beautiful in the setting up and serving tea but also how it brings people together. You're awesome.
I was taught this when I was young n always did it as a way of how I do things. I just now realized it’s more than that! Glad I got cultured
I don't know if this is helpful for people trying to get their heads around the whole 'tea ceremony' thing, but what I say to people is: there's throwing tea into a mug and chugging it down. That's just a cuppa. There's 'Tea Service' where we get the nice cups out, sit down, have a bickie (yes, I'm Australian) or cake or whatever. Sit, take time out, chat, and chill. Then we have a 'Tea Ritual' - something like a tea service, but often either alone or with a partner (or anyone who wants to participate). Forming rituals in our lives is like throwing in a moment of mindfulness, having down-time for your self. Implementing rituals in our lives is apparently great for our nervous system, our psyche, our bodies, etc (if you're curious, google it - doesn't make it woo-woo, it's just a practical step to implement in our lives, giving us a moment in a stressful world to chill & get those stress hormones down to a manageable level). Also a moment to connect with those around us in a meaningful way. These three would be what we encounter most in our lives.
Then there's a step up. When we get to ceremonies, it's formal. It's weddings, formal meetings, diplomatic meetings, important times in our lives where we may want a marker.
This is where we have a few different levels of 'Tea Ceremony' and this is where regional differences can be wildly disparate, but very fascinating.
Hope I've got that right. If I've missed anything essential or interesting, please feel free to add, or if I've got it completely wrong, please feel free to communicate/clarify.
I'm totally guessing here, but Gong Fu Cha seems to fit into the 'Tea Service + Ritual' categories. Am I wildly off the mark?
Love the reference to gong fu as a discipline. Thanks for your hard work on this video.
Thank YOU for watching!
Love the explanation, I´m from Brazil and beginning in this tea world. It´s difficult to find someone to ease my way here, so I´ll watch each video here !
Thanks for watching!
I just discovered your channel and I'm thankful for your time and quality content you put online!
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge
Here from modern rogue! Hoping to learn a bit going into the new year! Thanks for making this so accessible!! 🥰
Wonderful! So excited I found you here in Texas! This was an excellent explanation of Gong Fu Cha vs the Chado. Now on to Epistode 2 :)
Stumbled in here from the Whiskey Tribe. I’ve seen you on a few of their videos. Hoping to explore the world of teas a little bit.
This is the tea master I’m watching
Thanks for the video. I love those tea vessels and have a number of them at home. I must use them more often. They were ubiquitous in old-style tea houses in Hong Kong. Sadly no more.
A comment about the name. I have not heard of the vessles being called Gai Wan until here. We called them Guk Tsung (焗盅). Probably a regional thing.
Harder to find places in Hong Kong doing the gong fu cha thing, huh? Interesting!
And that's fascinating about the alternate name! It seems many different parts of China have their own ways of saying things. It's like that in the US to some degree, but dialects seem much more fleshed out in China/Hong Kong.
I just found you and THANK YOU! I'm here to taste the tea in a ritualistic way that is almost meditative... very happy I found you at the beginning of my journey!
Thanks for watching! Excited for you setting out on your tea journey!
great series, we need more like this, love it !
Beautiful 💙🌱 thank you
Was a little surprised to see the use of fingers to fish the tea out of the box. When the tongs are like...right there.
Lol - this was filmed back in 2016 when we were quite a bit less refined with our presentation - very DIY space. Our style has gotten more refined over the years but there's nothing wrong with diving in with the fingies if that's how you like to roll.
so well put, thank you
Hey very nice informative video series. I'm from Spain, studying Chinese in Xiamen, extremely intrested in this discipline. Thanks for the lessons!
Glad you're liking the show and finishing it informative!
Very nice video and that tea ware 🖐🏻
Awesome! your video is super helpful to explain what Gong Fu Cha really is. I guess that discipline makes the name Gong Fu Cha.
Parts 1 & 2 Are SUPER & Superb; The Detail of Language in Part 2 is greatly appreciated; Though I am like a bloodhound for couping on origins of and about yggdrasils routines for resonance and familiarity-so it would have been very comely for me to listen to a more thorough expression of the presence of each word in the vessel, but this is my novel-broaching of that language As someone who appreciates Confucius alongside Lao Tzu- & as someone who appreciates the broaching comparison of gathering ceremonies gardening gandering of the tribe- i did my best to appreciate gnostic-frolickings of Presiding Above Demonstrated Ceremonies with what by contrast... i was in a very strange crucafix crusade- full circle about the taste that comes from the leaves that stories of biblical proport are we've(T) from ^^) Thanks in Munificence
As many Savory Ceremonys Dew- How Gracious A Ceremony that does not hide behind parable nor summon story of far-off lands.. The Incredible Levity Cloud of Clout, Ferrying Glee, Floating on the Present- it is an Incredible and Perhaps most complete contrast to the christian sect i'm beaconing from familiarities of: very mellow-marching of "we're going to heaven & looking forward to- but not being at- the moon party while we're on earth ~jive~ Transubstantiation or "Becoming Ceremony/Staging Presence" is very Flying-Clause or Infinity & Beyond or Generally Glowing Furthering Glee of Familiar Archetypes- Phaoroh Fairy Featherings Draw up Dawnings and Awnings of Various Aspects and Aesthetics of the Serene Benvolence and Respective Lunacy of our Natural World "Stampeding Trampolines" or "Amazing the Labyrinth" i believe it's mindful representation to gild-the-lily or highlight that altar or prized-flowering of the divine: of "transubstantiation" from my quite-orthodox roman-catholic traditional-perspective, i came to understand that rather than however enjoyable the ingestion is, sort of akin to christ's union with the divine based on gnostic-unity, carrying-messages, harmony with parable, becoming sage ...that broad simple complexity of socratean equanimity easily musketeering the infinite enlightenings of credance's communing with becoming consumativity: nurturing narrative undertaking understandings, Valhalla's valence- The Affinity Lattices or Chaos Chrysalis Function on the Principle that the resonating imbiber sacrafices all prior establishment for the re-instilling of guaging what "wild" is or divining-the-divinity of "taste" -sheerness of fielding feelings fealty with Contextual "Haze Tea Wit Mist" respects the ceremony that draws that appreciation that by presence of attunement that a channel is opened for divinity to dive-in somehow and allow the medicine-ball to becomingly become meta-symbol- as we all in the tribe contribute the the circumscribing of the all-encompassing
Greatest of Activating ActiviTeasings - Both Residing in Specificity and Relishing Exploration- the celebrating achieving a quanta of such quadrants allows the appreciation to be luminous unto the figures rather than the stage; as well that conZenSeuss congress-ingress between shrine & shine must strive to benefact that which is percieving as perfection - various sportings spors pouring passion charge as species storms scorn of norm...apt ark art arcs of framing flame from farmings fame- giving masterpiece is the name of the resistance game- congruent concurrent constitution constituent consistencies Ki Sane
Copiously Copacetic About Discovery as Sophisticating Elegance and Peace Dialogue of Education being
Grooving Along with the Synopsis of Sacred Ceremony until: "...Taking Those Leaves with everythings that's gone into them and making this: Liquid Tea That We Can Drink" sort of screen-screened me, hitting me on my humors, to really appreciate The Basic, Quintessential & Penultimate Nobility of this Dance or Communing of The Elements for the Distinctive appreciation-
Best intro ever. Thank you!
Yay!! I'm so glad you think so! Thanks for watching!
Very informative!
Awesome! Thank you so much!
Thank You once again, So Han. I say once again because i watched part 2 first, and left you a rather lengthy message there as well. I find your videos to be very informative and educational. Is there a possibility that you would consider doing a video on the History of Tea. What is the name of your company. I can't quite make it out when you say it. Thank You once again!!
Take care and have a GREAT DAY!!!!
SuperSniperSal
The GUNNY
USMC
Disabled Vet
Hey Sal! Thanks so much for commenting! We've definitely considered the history of tea angle, and up until this point, we've tried to wrap some history, some vocabulary, some geography, and some practical gong fu cha stuff (pouring tips and such) into each episode - especially in Season 2, where the episodes have gotten much longer. So hopefully there's some of what you're looking for there, but this channel will be continuing to make gong fu cha educational videos for some time to come, so we'll try to tie in some more history where we can!
BTW - my name is Erik - I run the channel and am the one answering all the comments. So Han's company is called West China Tea Company, and he can be found many places online, @WestChinaTea on Insta, facebook.com/westchinateacompany on facebook, etc. I also have an Insta @TeaHouseGhost if you wanna follow there too! We are currently working on a better functioning website for West China Tea, but in the meantime, if you ever want to order tea from So Han (he sources pretty much all the tea we use in the show himself direct from farmers he knows in China), you can email him at teamaster(at)westchinateacompany(dot)com !
@@TeaHouseGhost Hey Erik!! Are you located in Texas as well? First of all, I would like to thank you so very much for your response and feedback. What i specifically meant about history is a program that focuses directly on the birth of tea from the very beginning in China, and how it became what it did today. It would more than likely be a rather long video, but i know that if it was done properly, it would be a looker. Gotta go for now. I hope to talk to you again real soon. Take care and GOD Bless!!
SuperSniperSal
@@gunnyoneshot69 yeah I'm also located in Austin. I help out at the teahouse a bunch when I'm not doing my usual day job, which is mixing/recording sound on movie sets. Thanks so much for the idea! We'll keep that in the back pocket for sure. As with many things in the world of tea, much is shrouded in mystery and there's not always a consensus on history, but we'll be doing our research and trying to learn as much as we can!
I love tea|cha from Thailand
you missed some history. Gongcha is a very regional way of making local tea that spread to the rest of China due to Taiwanese influence. It was mostly unknown in China until the 1980s.
wonderfull!
I have three small purple clay teapots, but I don't have the proper equipment. I've developed my own process and I equate to a spiritual experience.
repping Glenn Copeland in the intro/outro hell yeah
Oh big time! Glenn is such a gem! 💎
What size is that gaiwan? I have one but it's much smaller than that and only makes one very small cup at a time unlike this one.
Great explanation! Love this series :D
I was the one thousandth like, also I’m here from modern rouge
I do prepare it many times, :)
Excellent start, please keep it up. Just a question please, if you do not mind: what was the tea that you steeped? Xie Xie. Rui
Hey Rui! Thank you! We're glad you like the show!
The tea we steeped is a specialty puer from Nannuo Mountain in Yunnan, China called Yuan Sheng Tuo (元生沱) - you can find out more info about this tea here: westchinateacompany.com/2016/shop/puer/shu/yuan-sheng-tuo-2015-%E5%85%83%E7%94%9F%E6%B2%B1/
Great techniques and explination. I will def try this out.
Xiexie
Thanks for watching!
I am new to this, this looks interesting.
Modern Rogue started this adventure. What is a good starter tea?
Ah a tough question! Maybe start with a jade oolong! Or a shu Pu'er. Both are easy to make and won't get bitter and taste amazing!
Can you please explain, are "Gong dao bei" and "Cha hai" the same thing? Thanks!
Yes they are the same thing. Gong Dao Bei (公道被) means "justice cup" - this name is more indicative of what the vessel is used for, which is to create an even concentration of tea before pouring into people's various cups. Cha hai (茶海) means "sea of tea" and is more of a poetic name. I've heard it is popular to call it a cha hai in Taiwan and maybe some other places on the mainland. Ultimately it's up to you what you want to call it!
@@TeaHouseGhost Thank you for you answer. :)
wow that gaiwan is so beautiful. where did you find it?
Keith J Carberry not exactly sure! So Han found it somewhere in China years ago!
ah a mystery then. maybe one day i'll find something like it and remember this video.
@@TeaHouseGhost So Han flexing with that gaiwan. I've been hunting for one of those. So hard to find! With each video I watch the more I need it! (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻
@@jakeparkon1 Not sure if its helpful but yunnansourcing.com as a few in the teapot style listed as Jingdezhen Jade Porcelain. Maybe that will help you find what you're looking for/
There are spring and summer GaiWan that differ in shape ... I would like to know if there is a difference in infusing the tea with different types of Gaiwans.
Are you asking about mixing teas together? I'm not sure I understand your question. Would you mind rephrasing?
Does the Form of the GaiWan play a Role when you make tea or its just a diffrent Form.
@@Charly6666666 I think the form of the gaiwan certainly plays a role! Both aesthetically and practically. Different gaiwans have different feels associated with them. Glass gaiwans will lose heat to the atmosphere faster than a clay one. Could go on. It's fun to choose the right tools for the right occasion!
So the form doesn't matter if it's a spring or summer gaiwan ?
@@Charly6666666 can you describe what you mean by spring and summer gaiwan?
Would you know how tea set designs are chosen for manufacturing? Or, the symbolism of the designs?
Do you have a particular design in mind? There's a lot of teaware out there, both manufactured and handmade, and I'm sure there are different meanings behind design choices in each. While I would say I have a novice-level understanding of some Chinese visual symbolism, I think some Internet searching could yield some much better results than I could give 🌐
Tea House Ghost茶館鬼
I've already done some research, but haven't found the answers. I'm interested in how tea masters put their sets together with ecclectic or complimentary individual pieces. Or, why would a tea master would pick a particular set of teaware. And how many different sets of teaware a tea master would have and why. Then, designing my own if possible.
Ahhhhh - I see what you're getting at. This is pretty broad, and certainly different for each individual tea pourer, but as an example, I (as a tea enthusiast and pourer - a tea master is someone who grows or processes tea, so I can't claim that title) own maybe 10 or 12 gaiwans myself, about 4 or 5 teapots, and maybe 6 different sets of cups. Not everyone who is into tea is also into teaware, but I definitely enjoy putting together aesthetically pleasing sets for various pouring occasions! I think for me a lot of it has to do with the setting (where I'm pouring tea - at home, at the local tea house, outside in nature, etc.), the people I'm pouring for and their sentiments (if I'm pouring for anyone other than myself), and really just my mood (sometimes I like loud, busy colors - other times I'm feeling more muted and earth-tone-y). So in that way, having choices is nice. I have a particular privilege of knowing a few local and Chinese potters who provide many options for me to choose from, so I've tried to get a range of different styles to fit my various moods. Another thing that I really get a kick out of as far as teaware is clay quality and craftsmanship. We have another video about a few various types of fine, unglazed, Chinese clay and I get super nerdy about those types of teaware.
Tea House Ghost茶館鬼
chuckle, I've downloaded all your videos. I thought a tea master or tea mistress was a tea pourer with a high level of adeptness, accomplishment, or magical capabilities. Would this be something different? What would you call the tea pourers who pour tea for divination, healing, or blessings? I'm looking for a set like this and I think I'm going to have to make one myself.
This would indeed be different. We talk about this sometimes at the teahouse, like what title to give a master pourer (the current going one is Tea Ninja lol), but really I would simply say that someone like this has strong gong fu in the way of tea. I don't know of a specific title or name I would give to someone who pours for divination, healing, and blessings, but I know that we do have a few folks who do this sort of thing at Guan Yin Teahouse! I suppose I'd say they're cool tea witches?? Hahaha - best of luck with your teaset crafting!!
where did you get that tea tray
So-Han found it somewhere in China a long time ago. We've been looking for others like it but haven't been able to find any at a decent price.
whoever disliked this video has never had good tea.
說得好！
謝謝阿！
jokes aside this guy got some real wisdom
🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Do you know of any salted teas and/or soups with tea?
Yeah! Check out this video on TikTok So-Han posted about You Cha - www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRmqp4qY/
@@TeaHouseGhost Personally i also know of lactofermented green tea leaves sauce named Laphet from Myanmar and of course Tibetan butter tea. 👍
@@TeaHouseGhost i'm very interested in GABA oolongs also and tea strains high in teacrine. How about you? :) And have you made some content about those already? And what about some more medicinal and/or unusual teas? :)
@@goednieuwskrantje-nl I wanna try them all!
@@goednieuwskrantje-nl I think we mention GABA in our Taiwanese Oolong episode briefly, but it's not something I've been particularly drawn to in my own tea practice. I often give people a spiel at the Tea House about how I tend to focus less on chemical effects related to specific micro chemicals inherent within tea (such as caffeine), and more on that particular tea's qi.
Do you have a Facebook and or instagram page as well?
We have a FB but I never really check it (not really a fan of that site). No insta for Tea House Ghost, but So Han has an insta: @westchinatea and Guan Yin Teahouse has an insta @guanyinteahouse
What is that gaiwan made from?
This one is glass, I believe
Are only gongfu style or there are other styles.
While there are certainly other traditions from around the world that come with other styles for making tea, I would also say that WITHIN the realm of Gong Fu Cha there are TONS of styles. Gong Fu Cha is not a single style, but rather, a cultivation of one's own craft of making and serving tea, one's own relationship with each tea. Gong Fu as
a word, as a concept, refers to a process of cultivating a skill through repetitive mindful practice, doing something over and over and over and over again until you no longer even have to think about it, you can just do it. As each person cultivates their own gong fu, their styles are bound to be different from one another in myriad ways. In our "How to Use a Gaiwan" episode (th-cam.com/video/cNeGKdILr7c/w-d-xo.html), So Han demonstrates a few different ways people like to pour with a Gaiwan. And there are even more ways than that. So the style game is pretty open!
Tea House Ghost茶館鬼
Thank you I do appreciate your explanation :)
shoutouts to all the friends i've sent this video to who have like no idea what he's talking about
Thanks for bringing other folks on board! It's pretty "once you pop the fun don't stop" over here
Is that a jade gaiwan?! 😱😱😱😱😱😱
Mato OTAM it's not real Jade, no. That would be so expensive! But awesome!
Tea House Ghost茶館鬼 then what material is it? Glass?
Quite right! Glass indeed =)
Tea House Ghost茶館鬼 It is a really beautiful gaiwan ✨
Om Ah Houm
is it also gong fu style to stick the fingers into the tea?
There are little scoops you can use if you want to be fancy or play up a very cleanly, hygienic style (which is totally the way to go sometimes!), but since you're going to pour boiling water on these dry leaves anyway, the germ factor is not so much a worry, I think. Some people like to rub dry leaves in their hands before putting the leaves into the gaiwan to kind of pre-activate their fragrance. There are many ways to do gongfucha. It's not just one style. Ultimately, these practices are for you to determine each time you sit down to make and serve tea.
(This being said, it's usually considered bad form to reach your hands into the gaiwan after you've begun making tea, but if you wanna show some people a steeped leaf or something and don't have little tweezers (茶夾 ／cha jia), I wouldn't get too bent out of shape about it)
no use finger, there is an intrusment to pick the tea up....
XIE XIE NIN SIFU
No Guan Gong Xun Cheng (關公巡城) fill the tea to the cup and do not stop until the pot is empty(the cup should be placed side by side as a triangle) Which means equality and show respect to the customer and Han Xin Dian bin（韓信點兵）which means don't waste a single drop of the tea. What's more, you not even place the cup as 品 (to taste in Chinese)shape (place the cup next to each other as a triangle)which is the soul and the symbol of the kung fu tea------to taste.
Hey Oliver! I have seen this style you're describing and it is indeed quite a cool way of doing things! I love it how something like the shape an arrangement of cups makes can mimic a word or symbol in Chinese! It's just something we don't have in English. That being said, there are many ways to do Gong Fu Cha! As many ways as there are people doing it. Everyone has their own unique style, and people can be drawn to different aesthetics at different times. I see the variety as a good thing.
As a Catholic, your comment at 2:00 struck me. The communion wine is made into the literal blood of Christ. In protestantism it might be considered symbolically, in Catholicism and Orthodoxy, it most certainly is not.
Thanks for your comment. I hope this didn't come off as offensive. The intention was simply to illustrate what form or quality of importance tea plays in Japanese tea ceremony vs. Chinese Gong Fu Cha culture.
I cringed a bit every time the gaiwan made a mess... sigh