Tea Ware Museum

     This is the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware in Hong Kong Park, which I visited this afternoon.  It's the oldest existing Western building in Hong Kong.  Built in 1846, it was the office and home of the Commander of British Forces in Hong Hong until 1978.  In 1984 it was converted into the museum.
     The twin towers of the Lippo Centre in the background make quite an architectural contrast.    They're nicknamed The Koala Trees because the unusual protruding windows look like koalas climbing a tree.  The Australian architect wanted the design to avoid the usual harshness of business district skyscrapers.
     The ground floor of the museum had historical information and displays about brewing tea in China.  Although tea has been  consumed in China for more than 2000 years, the museum started in with the Tang dynasty around 1500 years ago.  The tea at that time was pulverized into a powder and brewed for a very short time with salt.  Many scholars and nobles were tea-brewing experts.  The process of making tea was thought to tranquilize the mind.

     During the Song dynasty a little more than 1000 years ago "whipped tea" was the type most commonly prepared.  Boiling water was poured over powdered tea and the mixture was whipped with a bamboo whisk to make it froth.  Tea connoisseurs would have contests to see who could whip up the most froth that would stand up the longest.
     The teapot on the left is from the late Tang or early Song dynasty.  The shape is supposed to be that of a persimmon.
     During the Yuan dynasty cream was added to tea before serving--the precursor to milk tea?  This practice was probably introduced by the Mongols.  At that time people liked to eat nuts with their tea--walnuts, almonds, chestnuts and pine nuts.  That was the beginning of drinking tea with a meal.
     Tea-making became simpler during the Ming dynasty.  Tea was now different and needed to be brewed longer to extract the flavor.  Powder was no longer used, and instead tea leaves were steeped in the hot water.  Tea brewers began adding flowers to the tea for additional flavors:  jasmine, rose and osmanthus.  I'd never heard of osmanthus before reading about it today, but now I can look for this variety of tea.  It's supposed to have an apricot flavor.

  

     The second story of the museum was devoted to tea sets made in the last 15 years or so by ceramic artists.  The museum has sponsored ceramic tea ware-making contests to promote Chinese tea culture, and some of the winning entries were on display.  Many of the artists seemed to be trying pretty hard to create something unusual.  Their creations would not, in my opinion, make tea brewing and drinking the pleasant and tranquil experience that traditionally has been important to the Chinese.
     At right is one of the less unusual modern tea sets from the display.  Inspired by animation from a favorite childhood movie?