Highlights
- Join a traditional tea ceremony and learn about Chinese tea culture
- Learn the basics of Chinese calligraphy and complete a piece to take home
- Choose either the dongxiao flute or guqin and learn about its history
- Enjoy a short performance and try basic playing posture and techniques
- Gather around the tea table for a final tea refill and a relaxed discussion
Description
Begin your journey with a traditional Chinese welcome ritual, including hand cleansing and tea snacks — a symbolic gesture of preparing the body and mind for a moment of calm and appreciation.
Take your seat accompanied by the gentle sound of the xiao flute, an ancient Chinese wind instrument known for its pure and tranquil tone. Discover the art of Chinese calligraphy, a practice once cultivated by scholars and literati for self-expression and inner refinement. Under guidance, learn basic brush techniques and create your own piece of calligraphy to take home as a meaningful keepsake.
Experience a Gongfu tea ceremony and Song-style whisked tea demonstration accompanied by the elegant sound of the guqin, a Chinese zither with a history of over 3,000 years. Once admired by scholars as a symbol of wisdom, harmony, and cultivated taste, the guqin represents the refined lifestyle of ancient Chinese literati.
Learn about the history of Chinese tea culture, from tea varieties and water selection to traditional tea wares. Discover Gongfu tea, a carefully practiced brewing method that reflects patience, precision, and respect for the character of each tea. Taste two selected teas guided by a tea master.
Continue with a hands-on Gongfu tea brewing session, then experience Song-style whisked tea — an elegant tea ritual that flourished among the royal court and educated elite during the Song dynasty. Learn how powdered tea was finely whisked into a delicate foam and once became a celebrated expression of taste, artistry, and refinement.
Choose between appreciating the guqin or dongxiao flute. Learn about the history and cultural meaning of these traditional Chinese instruments, enjoy a short performance, and experience their unique connection with nature, poetry, and classical aesthetics.
End the experience by gathering around the tea table for a final tea refill and a relaxed conversation about how these ancient practices can inspire a more mindful and elegant way of living today.
The experience concludes with a farewell gift.
Includes
Welcome ritual with hand cleansing and tea snacks
Introduction to Chinese tea culture
Explanation of tea varieties, water selection and traditional tea wares
Guided tasting of two selected Chinese teas
Gongfu tea ceremony demonstration
Hands-on Gongfu tea brewing session with tea master guidance
Song-style whisked tea demonstration and hands-on experience
Choice of guqin or dongxiao flute appreciation
Tea table gathering and cultural conversation
Complimentary tea tasting and relaxed cultural conversation after the scheduled experience
Photography service and selected photos
Farewell gift
Excludes
Transportation to the meeting point
Additional photography or customized photo services beyond the included package
Important Information
- The guide will contact you via WhatsApp one week before the experience to confirm details
- Search for '初山学堂' on your map app for directions to the meeting point
Easy cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
