This ideal is a prominent theme in traditional Chinese tea ceremonies. Students were invited to see this practice in action Friday at the Tea Expo hosted by the Oriental Leaves Chinese Tea Art Club.
Students were met by members of the club, who stood armed with stacks of small plastic cups they provided for guests interested in trying the tea.
“We want lots of people (at MSU) to know Chinese tea culture,” marketing senior and club president Yang Li said. “I think it is fancy and interesting.”
The room was lined with booths outfitted with posters detailing the health benefits of the different types of tea featured at each station.
As they took in the room, students were encouraged to taste the various teas.
Among the selection, the club had white, black, green, oolong and Pu’er-type tea, which is a variety of fermented black tea.
Throughout the night, members of the club paired up to perform intricate Chinese tea ceremonies.
One member delivered a commentary on the moves the other member was making as she brewed and served the tea.
Students watched as the commentator carefully laid out the steps being performed, with no move left unexplained. In one instance, a commentator even explained that it was important to keep everything clean while performing the ceremony, as it is a sign of respect.
For elementary education senior Jiaying Chen , Chinese tea culture has several meanings.
“People will give tea as gifts because it shows the highest respect,” Chen said.
The feeling of respect and being polite to people is carried over to other situations.
Chen said she joins her friends for afternoon tea tim e and the experience is calming. She prefers the conversation and relaxed personal atmosphere over the bump and buzz of a party.
Chen continues to drink tea and sometimes perform the ceremonies because it helped her stay healthy when she made the shift from high school to college.
"(I drink tea) because it is important for me to maintain a healthy body,” Chen said.
Indicative of the cultural presence the night was filled with, club members were even dressed in traditional Chinese dresses called qipaos or cheongsams .
Students also got to take part in various games throughout the night.
The games ranged from identifying which tea they were tasting to drawing a teapot on the blackboard. They were even offered the chance to try brewing the tea themselves.
The event drew a wide audience, including many students who had never tasted Chinese tea before. Some Chinese students even brought their American friends to the expo and encouraged them to try the tea.
“I’m really happy to see different people from different backgrounds,” nutritional sciences senior Qianyang He said. “If you know how the tea is made, you can enjoy the tea more.”
