There is a long tradition of tea drinking in China, and there are many ways to drink tea. Among the most well-known practices are drinking from a capped teacup common in Sichuan and Chongqing, from a big bowl in northern China, and as morning tea in Guangdong.
In general, enjoying tea can be divided into tea-tasting and tea-drinking. Drinking tea slowly for the purpose of self-enjoyment, with a special emphasis on moods, fragrance, colour and forms, is tea-tasting. The Fascination of Zisha Teapots – Exhibition of Teaware Collection of Chui Chi Hin, organised by the Macao Tea Culture House under the jurisdiction of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, as well as the Exhibition of Tea Ware Relics from Past China Dynasties co-organised by the Macao Tea Culture House and Guangzhou Museum, are both dedicated to tea tasting. Tea-drinking, on the other hand, is quite the opposite of slow-paced tea-tasting. It involves intensive tea making and fast swallowing. The current exhibition of Macao’s tea culture is dedicated to this method of enjoying tea.
Guangdong people are known to be tea lovers. In tea houses, customers can have their own choice of traditional tea to go with several light appetisers. They may also sit around a table together with friends and relatives and chat about family matters and national or world issues. “A couple of dim sums in a small cup”, or morning tea, has always been indispensable entertainment and important for building social relationships among Macao people.
Being a melting pot of Chinese and western cultures, Macao sees rich variations of everything about tea. The Macao Tea Culture – An Exhibition of Modern Tea Houses and Tea Shops shows a total of 68 exhibits. They include paper labels, moon cake wrapping paper, the song lists of tea houses, news and advertisements in the tea industry, as well as the tea cans sold in tea shops. The comprehensive array of exhibits is rich in historical and cultural significance. As the old saying goes, “Customs change within a hundred miles”, so it is hoped that this exhibition can deepen the understanding of local tea culture among the citizens of Macao.