I thank my colleague Barbara from Viaggio intorno al tè, for giving me the opportunity to write this article on her blog.

below I report the words of Barbara Vola Tea Sommelier and Tea Blogger:

"On April 19th I was lucky enough to do a live broadcast with Cristina Hua, Tea Master, who has a tea shop in Prato Zentè . Cristina is supported by sinologist and translator Giulia Lami. As you can see from the video, as with the word tea , here too it is a question of translation and knowing not only the language but also the culture of tea. So thanks in advance to Cristina and Giulia for writing this clarifying article."

Do you know the differences between tea ceremony, chadao, chayi, gongfucha?

When a country's culture is represented abroad, words often fail to express their true meaning due to linguistic misunderstandings and cultural differences. In my opinion, this is a serious shortcoming. For example, Chinese tea culture in Italy has this problem. Many Italians get confused with the terms chayi 茶艺, chadao 茶道, gongfucha 功夫茶. The incorrect use of these words can lead to cultural confusion. In fact, when Italians talk about "tea ceremony", I cannot understand them.

I have been thinking a lot about this problem lately, because as a professional in the field, I have the duty to clarify the topic. Thanks to my colleague Barbara, who first raised the problem, I have decided to share my knowledge on the subject with you, explaining the differences of the 4 terms mentioned above.

First of all, in China the word tea ceremony does not exist. We use terms like chayi, chadao, gongfucha, but no one when preparing tea uses the term chayishi or “tea ceremony”. In fact, the way of preparing tea can give a person a sense of spirituality, of rituality so to speak, but not that sense of a real “rite”. Drinking tea is a relaxing and informal moment. If it turns into something rigid then it would be really tiring, and it would not be at all in line with the true nature, the true spirit of the Chinese chadao.

What is “Chadao”?

Chadao is the spirit, the truth, the law of nature, the origin of everything, the essence. It is often invisible and intangible, but you can get to know it through your heart, your soul.

Chinese chadao includes religion, philosophy, aesthetics, ethics and art. It is a combination of Art, Buddhist religious practice, attainment of the way (the way to the Dao or the way of practice).

Chayi and chadao have a point of union: in art there is the way, in the way there is art. the highest achievement between matter and spirit.

What is “Chayi” (Tea Art)?

The fundamental point of chayi is precisely “art” (yi), the focus is on learning the art of tea (cha), an aesthetic form that reflects the search for the spirit of tea culture, a set of cultural notions. Despite this, this form of expression must convey harmony between interiority and appearance.

The art of tea includes knowing how to prepare it and knowing how to drink it. Knowledge of preparation actually also includes learning the characteristics of the various teas, choosing the right tools and water, etc. As for the ability to know how to drink it, it indicates having full knowledge of what you are really drinking, appreciating and analyzing the color, aroma, taste and essence of the tea itself.

Only after acquiring these two skills can one truly achieve the true essence of the art of tea.

Furthermore, the ability to know how to drink it does not stop only with the individual, but also implies having the right mastery in serving it to guests.

Gong-Fu Cha (功夫茶) and Gong-Fu Cha (工夫茶)

These two terms sound the same, but differ in meaning and in Chinese the first character “gong” is written differently.

The so-called 功夫茶 “gong-fu cha” indicates that extremely careful and elegant way of preparing tea. To handle the tea and the tools requires a certain concentration and care, a skill: “gongfu” precisely.

Gong-fu cha originates from the Song Dynasty. It is very popular in the Chaoshan area of ​​Guangdong Province (Canton) and Zhangzhou in Fujian. In Quanzhou (Fujian Prefecture), Chaoshan Gong-fu cha is a form of tea ritual that combines the spirit, the rules, the preparation techniques, the art of making tea itself and the evaluation of the quality of the product. The tools used for gong-fu cha are very refined, the infusion technique is unique, even the way of drinking it is extremely well-groomed.

The preparation of gong-fu cha, generally does not involve the use of red tea and green tea, but teas such as oolong, such as tieguanyin, shuixian and phoenix tea are selected. Among these, the best is tieguanyin, because it is the only one that respects the color and fragrance required by gong-fu cha.

“Gong fu cha” 工夫茶 instead means to sacrifice a lot of time and energy to make good tea. Generally red tea is used, and it is divided by region. For example 闽红工夫 Minhong gong-fu is made in the Fujian region, 川红工夫 Chuanhong gong-fu instead in the Sichuan region, 滇红工夫 Dianhong gong-fu in the Yunnan region and so on.

To conclude, the true essence of chadao is practice.

While learning about tea, one understands the principles of life and the natural rules of Heaven and Earth.

A cup of tea is not just a sensory experience, but a reflection on oneself, knowing the world, a continuous process of self-improvement.

“Dao”, in Italian The Way, is formless, it cannot be seen, it is intangible, it is something metaphysical. The purpose of every living being

“Yi” or Art instead has form, it manifests itself externally, art is a set of tangible objects, it is part of a system, it is something physical.

In the world of tea, only Art can be expressed as a performance, but not the Dao. The art of tea is projected towards science. The “茶道” towards philosophy.

Gong-fu cha 功夫茶 is a tea-making and tasting technique with local peculiarities. The other gongfucha 工夫茶 focuses its energy and time on the processing of red teas.

I hope that the above topics can shed some light on the world of Chinese tea and the true spirit of chadao.

I wish everyone can find their own cup of tea!

We Chinese believe that a good life can begin simply with a cup of tea ！