The tea practice that I humbly cultivate and nourish, presently expressed through the Taiwanese style lǎo rén chá 老人茶 and Cháozhōu 潮州 style gōng fu chá 工夫茶 traditions, has always favoured an eclectic approach since its birth, primarily observable through the intentional, unrestricted use of utensils stemming from a wide spectrum of different provenances, types, and purposes. Crafting the foundations of one’s practice on such openness and versatility give way to the emergence of a multilayered space for musings and other explorations to further blossom. The rituals born from these traditions are then offered a dynamic canvas of personal embodiment through creativity and philosophy that infuses a new, multifaceted form of aliveness, challenging perhaps favourably the very interpretation and essence of these historical practices.
Unique, atypical, and experimental teascapes are then free to arise, offering particular and individualized experiences that sensorially further engage both the practitioner and the guests on multiple and nuanced levels. Crafting the unknown in its expansion and making it breathe while in full acceptance and awareness of the potential setbacks and divergent opinions, reveals a rewarding process that shines in a fertile field of infinite possibilities. This unbounded approach colours the art of tea with a unique essence and quality, intimately reflected through the spirit of each individual’s journey and practice with tea. Initially deeply entrenched in Japanese tea traditions, the deliberated use of Tokoname yokode kyūsus 横手急須 in the context of a Cháozhōu 潮州 style gōng fu chá 工夫茶 tea sharing would for instance become a perfectly acceptable act and occurrence depending on one’s perspective and intention within that specific framework, while preserving the core of its nature.
Nowadays, tea practices cultivated in Taiwan, and more specifically those focused on exploring the freedom offers by the elaboration of chá xí 茶席 aesthetic spaces, exhibit a plurality of approaches, forms, and elements born from and inspired by other countries and their respective traditions – more specifically and historically China and Japan – whose practitioners keep embracing, readapting, and exploring the singularities and idiosyncrasies that weave these tea cultures and their own influences. The concept of and the focus on tea as a simple beverage gradually fades out, with it now presented as a way of living and personal expression, connected with the rhythms and languages of Life while reaching wider – and perhaps previously less receptive – audiences through the natural bridge it creates.
An inclination for the study and materialization of the unknown through new and bold forms of contemplation and appreciation for the art of tea offers a unique perspective and vitality, without compromising or dismissing the importance of the historical and cultural essence of each tradition. The respect, devotion, and tolerance that emerge through such diversity ensure a certain equilibrium where each approach is given a colourful voice that further preserve tea and the precious plurality of its languages. The necessity of redefining, refining, or renewing the numerous landscapes that punctuate the practice of tea then becomes manifest, opening the doors to a rich, vibrant, and spirited cultural tapestry that honours and nourishes the spectrum of its nuances as well as the practitioners that craft and tend them on both known and uncharted grounds.
———
If you appreciate this piece of writing, please consider contributing to Le cerf-volant’s endeavour through a donation. Thank you for your unwavering and precious support.
