Technique and Beauty: the Art of Tea

The ancient art of tea is making a comeback in Beijing. Tea making and drinking has over 5000 years of history in China. Starting as early as the Tang Dynasty, scholars gradually developed a complete tea culture system. In the Ming Dynasty, the scholar Xu Wei described the proper setting: "Tea requires a fine house, clouds and trees, a bamboo burner, and people of character. On a frosty night under moonlit pines, with flower and birds, spring water is brought by clean hands. The girls sweep the snow away and blow the stove on the prow. Smoke rises from the bamboo grove. "Now that's art. But as society changed, Beijing's teahouses suffered a decline. Tea was used only to quench thirst.

In August 1994, the Wu Fu (Five Happiness) Teahouse opened in Beijing's Di' anmen Dajie. Though there were other teahouses, Wu Fu took the lead in reviving the tea cultural tradition and art. Talking with the owners, the couple Tan Bo and Duan Yunsong, we learned a lot that we would like to share with you.

Tea Leaves: Color, Shape, Place, and Season

The tea production areas are widely scattered, and there are many varieties of trees and processing techniques which have evolved through the centuries. Tea names also differ. Sometimes it is for the shape, such as Anhui Lu'an Gua Plan (Lu'an Gourd Slice), Zhejiang Hangzhou Que She (Hangzhou Sparrow Tongue), and Hunan Junshan YinZhen (Junshan Silver Needle). Sometimes it is for a landmark, such as Hangzhou Xi Hu Longjing (West Lake Dragon Well), Shexian Anhui Huangshan Maofeng (Yellow Mountain Maofeng), and Fujian Xuefeng Gaohan (Snowy Peak). Sometimes it is according to the harvest season, such as Ming Qian Cha (Picked Before Qingming) and Yu Qian Cha (Picked Before Guyu). Sometimes it is according to the fragrance, infusion color, process, or tree variety. There are so many names that people joke,"You can study the art of tea your whole life but not remember all its names."

Choosing a Tea Set: for Brewing the Best

From ancient times, there have been many types of tea sets. The basic criterion is the material. Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, and especially after the Ming, most Chinese tea sets have been ceramic. For many brewing methods, a ceramic tea set is ideal. The right set with the right leaves will give you the best tea. So understanding the different characteristics of pottery and porcelain is crucial in the selection process: raw material, color, glaze, firing temperature, porosity, and absorption. Place of origin is another factor.

When brewing green tea, flower tea, or black tea, you should use porcelain because it is denser. This makes the tea clear and fresh. If you use glass for high-quality green tea, the perfume will rise and you can see the leaf color and shape. With less fragrant teas such as Tie Guanyin and Pu'er, pottery is best because of its lower density. Zisha, or Purple Sand pottery, has high porosity and absorption, which enhances the fragrance. For Oolong use a Wenxiang (Smell the Fragrance) or Pinming (Savor the Flavor) cup. A Wenxiang cup's high density clay allows you to enjoy the fragrance through the different stages of brewing, all the way to the last drop.

Glazing the interior gives a high-density quality, reducing absorption and porosity. This is good for mild-tasting teas. Unglazed pottery absorbs both liquid and fragrance, so only one kind of tea should be used for each pot.

Color is closely related to mineral content, varying according to the type and amount. Pottery sets contain ferric oxide. The yellow, reddish-brown, and gray hues result from different firing temperatures. Porcelain sets are more varied in color. A white interior is best because it shows off the tea's natural color and brightness. All set pieces — pots, cups, saucers, lids, "boat" (a rack), and tray — should match.

Here are some examples of tea and set pairings.

High-quality green tea (lu cha): colorless glass, no lid. White, celadon, or celadon designs, no lid.

Flower tea ( hua cha ): Celadon or celadon designs. Lidded cups or bowls or complete sets.

Yellow tea (huangcha): Milk-white or yellow glazed porcelain. Yellow-orange tea sets, or lidded cups and bowls.

Black tea (hong cha): Zisha, white porcelain, red-glazed porcelain, and other warm-colored porcelain, all with white glazed interiors. Complete sets, lidded cups and bowls, or coffee sets.

White tea ( bai cha): White porcelain or yellow earthenware tea sets; black porcelain with colored interior.

Oolong tea (wulong cha): Zisha or white porcelain tea sets, lidded cups and bowls. Also gray or ivory earthenware sets.

Tea Leaf Appreciation: Savoring the Color and Taste

Anyone can drink a cup of tea, but not just anyone can truly drink a cup of good tea. The famous writer Lu Xun said, "Drinking and understanding tea is a form of leisurely happiness. But first you need time. Second, you must have the intuition that comes from experience."

First, consider the tea's name. Second, the shape and color. Third, the fragrance and flavor. The color can be yellow, black, green, or red. The shape can be needles, balls, leaves, or slices.

After the tea is brewed, the leaves will usually revert to their original shape, especially certain famous types. The "tenderness degree" is high, and each leaf is whole. As the leaves uncurl, they seem to dance in the water, gradually forming a tiny forest in the cup. As the leaves sway, the color gently spreads, light, then dark, inviting the viewer to taste.

Tea tasting requires a sensitive palate. The flavor depends on the quality of the leaves. Maofeng and Yunwu are refreshing, strong but not bitter, thick but not bland, with a sweet aftertaste. Biluochun and Maojian are fresh and sweet, light and refreshing. Taiwan has developed an Oolong which is no longer strong and astringent like a traditional Oolong; rather it is lighter.

Smelling the fragrance is the real challenge. Dry tea smells sweet, roasted, and light. When it is brewed, the fragrance of the processor's art is released. When the tea is cold and the aromatics have dissipated, the natural smell is left. With guidance and practice, you can learn different ways to enjoy the scents of different teas. Beginners in the art of tea are recommended to visit the Wu Fu Teahouse. They use special tea sets, including Wenxiang cups.

For me, a novice, the key to enjoying tea can be summed up in one word: consciousness. In different circumstances, in different moods, with different teas, there will be different feelings which will evoke different thoughts. How can "drinking" adequately describe all this?

The Art of Tea: Serenity and Leisure

At the Wu Fu Teahouse, the Tea Lady can take you through the entire ceremony.

First, the tea set: teapot, server, strainer, Wenxiang cups, and Pinming cups. Next to the pot are the tongs, stirrers, cloth, burner, and slop basin.

Second, water. It is just as important as the leaves. Wu Fu uses purified water, heated just until "crab eyes leave and fish eyes appear, and the wind whistles through the jade pavilions and pines." Overboiling the water makes it taste flat.

Then the Tea Lady begins to brew. The first step is Wulong Ru Gong (Black Dragon Enters the Palace). She puts Gaoshan Oolong in the pot. Second, Xuan Hu Gao Chong (Stream from a High Kettle). This is self-explanatory. Third, Chun Feng Fu Mian (Spring Breeze Caresses the Face). The Tea Lady wipes the pot with a cloth. Fourth, Meng Chen Mu Yu (Meng Chen's Bath). Water is poured over the pot to equalize internal and external temperatures. Fifth, Yu YeHulHu (Jade Liquid Returns to the Pot). This is to balance the strength. When the tea is poured into the Cha Hai (Tea Sea, the server), it's balanced, so the Cha Hai is also called the Fair Cup. Sixth and last, Then Cha Feng Cha (Pour and Serve).

Each person has two cups, Wenxiang and Pinming. The tea is first poured into the Wenxiang, then into the Pinming. The fragrance lingers in the Wenxiang. Hold it under your nose and smell. After several cups, you will agree with the poet, Zhao Puchu, head of the Chinese Buddhist Association: "Seven bowls hold the tea; one pot holds great interest. A million hollow hymns cannot match drinking tea. "

Burdensome Population a Headache for China

No matter what the issue, for example, an environmental, economic or social problem, in the end, it all comes down to China's burdensome population.

Growing Population

In 1998, the birth rate was 16. 03 per thousand and the death rate 6. 50 per thousand, creating a natural growth rate of 9. 53 per thousand. This was the first recorded time it had dropped below 10 per thousand. The total population, according to the national census, was 1.248 billion.

But, considering many births go unreported, the estimated figure of 1. 25 billion may also be too conservative. The census conduced three years ago was estimated to have missed about 10 million people, so a total population of 1.26 billion is likely.

Yet, family planning targets can still be met, so that next year, the total population will be held within 1.3 billion.

During the "baby boom" before 1980, the population once grew by 100 million in a five-year period. Since 1980, on average, it has taken seven years to reach this figure. The government plan is to extend this duration to 10 year in the first decade of the new century, and 15 years thereafter.

But demographers say that, even implementing such a strict policy, the total population will still grow by 300 million to reach 1 .6 billion by mid-next century.

So, population pressures remain, along with the need for a continued family planning policy.

Urban and Rural Structure

In 1998, around 870 million people, or 70 percent of the population, still lived in the countryside, compared to 380 million in the cities. Since 1992, the urban population has been growing by 10 million a year, but the urbanization rate is still low.

However, it is not reasonable to draw such a simplistic conclusion based on the household registration, for there exists a popular phenomenon of non-agriculture farmers. If those 50-80 million farmers working in cities or towns are regarded as urban population, then the rate of urban population will reach 33-36 percent. If their children are also taken into account, the rate will be higher.

Moreover, there are more than 130 million township enterprise workers, and in this case the ratio of urban population will reach 45-46 percent, and if their children are counted, the ratio of China's non-agricultural population is estimated at 50 percent at least. Though the farmer-turned-workers flow between the countryside and cities, and township enterprises are still in rural areas, the non-agriculture process is the start of urbanization.

China has also begun to pay more attention to its neighbors to go to China to travel

China has also begun to pay more attention to its immediate neighbors, especially Russia, Vietnam and India. The number of Russian tourists has increased by 64 percent since 1997.

According to a WTO report, China will become the fourth largest tourism source county by 2020. Most Chinese hope to tour in European countries with their wealth of . attractions. Jointly invested travel agencies are now allowed in China and regulations are being formulated. He said that the twin purposes of such agencies are to promote travel in China and to offer Chinese people opportunities to travel abroad. Agencies with extensive networks in place are especially welcome as the China National Tourism Administration is depending on them to attract more people to China.

Organic food

Xiao Wu, a young housewife, has always been worried about pollution and pesticides in vegetables and fruits.

"I don't know where to buy safe food," she often says.

Now, women like Wu do not need to worry so much because so-called Organic food has entered most of Beijing's stores.

Organic food refers to food that is by-and-large untainted by pollution.

China now has 389 kinds of organic food, including products like tea, rice, milk powder as well as organic vegetables and fruits.

Almost all food stores and supermarkets in Beijing now sell organic food at special counters.

Lao Li, a university teacher, is a regular organic food buyer. "When I first brought home 'organic' fruits, my wife didn't blame me for the high prices. Paying a high price to ensure good health is a good deal," he said.

More educated consumers like Li make up a large part of China's organic food lovers.

And foreigners in China are also welcoming these high-quality products.

Although the price of organic food is about 30 to 70 per cent higher than ordinary products, sales are still brisk, which guarantees producers large profits.

An official with the Organic Food Development Centre reveal that some organic food enterprises are developing trade with foreign countries such as South Korea and Japan.

He said that his centre is now planning to co-ordinate the import and export of organic food nationwide.

Under its supervision', strict standards will be applied to check the quality of Chinese-produced organic food products according to the international organic food standards. National uniform trade-marks will be granted to producers meeting the standards.

The inspection will consider two main aspects: the production environment and the quality of the final products.

The license is good for only three years, after which time an approved product must apply again to the Organic Food Development Centre.

My friend Mike Litman

My friend Mike Litman wrote an outstanding article this week. It's called "The Millionaire Composite" and it analyzes one of the big differences between super-successful people and everyone else. He writes "I recently visited with a Real Estate Multi Millionaire Mogul. What did I see next to his desk? His vision statement, along with a list of what he values in life—and his hand written. He told me that he reads his life and business vision and goals daily, and that he TAKES TIME to visualize exactly what he wants to create — EACH NIGHT before falling asleep."

What is your life's purpose or your personal mission statement? Is it written down? Do you review it and think about it often? Is your life organized around your purpose and a set of goals that support that purpose?

Without purpose and goals — definitely directed thought — you are like the proverbial "ship without a rudder." There is power in your purpose and in your goals. It is the power that takes you over obstacles, the fuel that propels you toward the life you envision.

All successful people are people of purpose. They hold fast to an idea, a project, a plan, and will not let it go; they cherish it, brood upon it, tend and develop it; and when assailed by difficulties, they refuse to be beguiled into surrender; indeed^ the intensity of the purpose in-creases with the growing magnitude of the obstacles encountered. And that's worth thinking about.

Under a Terrible Strain

Betty and Jean are on their way to work.

BETTY: What was the party like last night, Jean?

JEAN: Not bad at all, thanks. There was one or two interesting .people there. Why couldn't you come?

BETTY: Well, I couldn't get away from work early. And when I got home I had a headache, so I had to go straight to bed. But I was over-tired, because I wasn't able to get to sleep for hours.

JEAN: What a shame. Why didn't you take a sleeping pill?

BETTY I don't like them. I used to take them11 when I had to work overtime, you know. JEAN: How many did you use to take?

BETTY : Three every night.

JEAN: Good heavens. Why did you take so many?

BETTY: Because I was under a terrible strain: The doctor said they weren't very strong. Anyway, I used to feel awful the next morning.

JEAN: I'm sure you did.

BETTY: The doctor said I had to be careful.

JEAN: He was quite right.

BETTY: So I stopped drinking coffee late at night instead.

Ethan Frame (Continued)

During my stay at Stark field I lodged with a middle-aged widow colloquially known as Mrs. Ned Hale. Mrs. Male's father had been the village lawyer of the previous generation, and "lawyer Varnum's house," where my landlady still lived with her mother, was the most considerable mansion in the village. It stood at one end of the main street, its classic portico and small-paned windows looking down a flagged path between Norway spruces to the slim white steeple of the Congregational church. It was clear that the Varnum fortunes were at the ebb, but the two women did what they could to preserve a de¬cent dignity; and Mrs. Hale, in particular, had a certain wan refinement not out of keeping with her pale old-fashioned house.

In the " best parlor," with its black horse-hair and mahogany weakly illuminated by a gurgling Career lamp, I listened every evening to another and more delicately shaded version of the Stark-field chronicle. It was not that Mrs. Ned Hale felt, or affected, any social superiority to the people about her; it was only that the accident of a finer sensibility and a little more education had put just enough distance between herself and her neighbours to enable her to judge them with detachment. She was not unwilling to exercise this faculty, and I had great hopes of getting from her the missing facts of Ethan Frome's story, or rather such a key to his character as should coordinate the facts I knew. Her mind was a storehouse of innocuous anecdote and any question about her acquaintances brought forth a volume of detail; but on the subject of Ethan Frome I found her unexpectedly reticent. There was no hint of disapproval in her reserve; I merely felt in her an insurmountable reluctance to speak of him or his affairs, a low "Yes, I knew them both... it was awful..." seeming to be the utmost concession that her distress could make to my curiosity.

So marked was the change in her manner, such depths of sad initiation did it imply, that, with some doubts as to my delicacy, I put the case anew to my village oracle, Harmon Gow; but got for my pains only an uncomprehending grunt.

"Ruth Vamum was always as nervous as a rat; and, come to think of it, she was the first one to seem after they was picked up.

The silent village

In this much-travelled world, there are still thousands of places which are inaccessible to tourists. We always assume that villagers in remote places are friendly and hospitable. But people who are cut off not only from foreign tourists, but even from their own 5 countrymen can be hostile to travelers. Visits to really remote villages are seldom enjoyable — as my wife and I discovered during a tour through the Balkans.

We had spent several days in a small town and visited a number of old churches in the vicinity. ' attracted many visitors, for they were not only of great architectural interest, but contained a large number beautifully preserved frescoes as well. On the day before our departure, several bus loads of tourism scented on the town. This was more than we could bear, so we decided to spend our last day explore countryside. Taking a path which led out of the town, we crossed a few fields until we came to a dense We expected the path to end abruptly, but we found that it traced its way through the trees. We went through the wood for over two hours until we arrived at a deep stream. We could see that the path come on the other side, but we had no idea how we could get across the stream. Suddenly my wife spotted

moored to the bank. In it there was a boatman fast asleep. We gently woke him up and asked him to  the other side. Though he was reluctant to do so at first, we eventually persuaded him to take us.

The path led to a tiny village perched on the steep sides of a mountain. The place consisted of a gluing unmade road which was lined on either side by small houses. Even under a clear blue sky, the looked forbidding, as all the houses were built of grey mud bricks. The village seemed deserted, the sign of life being an ugly-looking black goat on a short length of rope tied to a tree in a field nearby. ! down on a dilapidated wooden fence near the field, we opened a couple of tins of sardines and had a lunch. All at once, I noticed that my wife seemed to be filled with alarm. Looking up I saw that  surrounded by children in rags who were looking at us silently as we ate. We offered them food and stop them kindly, but they remained motionless. I concluded that they were simply shy of strangers. Wt later walked down the main street of the village, we were followed by a silent procession of children village which had seemed deserted, immediately came to life. Faces appeared at windows. Men i sleeves stood outside their houses and glared at us. Old women in black shawls peered at us from doo The most frightening thing of all was that not a sound could be heard. There was no doubt that unwelcome visitors. We needed no further warning. Turning back down the main street, we quicken pace and made our way rapidly towards the stream where we hoped the boatman was waiting.

The rich city -Hong Kong

Even a quick glance reveals the fast-paced city of luxurious hotels, custom suits and endless jewelry shops, whose 5.9 million residents own the highest number of Rolls Royces per capita and drink the most cognac per capita of any culture in the world. The traditional side is more subtle, and clearly fading since T first visited eight years ago. But it still can be seen by visitors who know where to look or who simply take the time to wander.

My own strolls through the city have led past shops selling such herbal cures as deer's tail tonic tea and into narrow markets where one can pick out a live chicken to take home for dinner. To outlying islands where families live on bright wooden boats. To a tropical garden, just a quick walk from the business district, where elderly Chinese practice their silent exercises.

These two worlds collide even in the city's centre, Victoria harbor, buzzing with hydrofoils and fishing boats, tugs and Chinese junks-turned-tourist boats. The harbour is, quite simply, a thrill — especially at night, when the water glitters with the reflections of colorful lights of skyscrapers. Though one can transfer swiftly from the business district Hong Kong Island to the shopping of Kowloon on the clean, sale MTR underground system, the seven-minute ride on the Star Ferry is infinitely more charmer Boats cross incessantly and cost only a few per ride.

Generally, the closer one is to Victoria harbour, the more urban the setting.

Surely that is true in the area of Kowloon called Tsimshatsui, with its Culture Centre for performing arts, museums, neon that rivals Las Vegas, a profusion of tour hotels and the recently opened Planet Hollywood. Tsimshatsui is also the centre of ( shopper's world. Indoor shopping centers abound, devoted to state-of-the-art compilers, exquisite jewelry, custom tailors and the latest in European haute couture. T streets are lined with electronics shops, jewelers, young swells hawking designer wall fakes and countless clothing stores. Here, it seems, everything is for sale.

The cheap deals for which Hong Kong was once known are now tough to fir You can now buy camera goods as cheaply in New York, computers for about t same price in a good discount centre and leather goods more cheaply just about where else. But the choice of items here is truly mind-boggling, and some are excels value.

I found jewelry to be a better buy here than in the States though it is riskier, sin one can't easily run back to the jeweler if the stones aren't as valuable as promise Custom-tailored men's suits and shirts cost about the same as good quality reach made suits and shirts at home. Though designer styles cost as much or more than in t U.S., casual clothes, factory seconds and unknown brands found in smaller shops c be a bargain.

Kowloon is also home to two of the world's most luxurious hotels. The Pen; sulfa is the Grande dame of the East, where tea is served in its ornate lobby each after noon at 3. Just across the street is the Hong Kong Regent, a modern marvel and granite with splendid views of the harbour and equally superb service.

When I first visited Hong Kong eight years ago, Tsimshatsui was also grace with pockets of traditional Chinese life. Today, typical markets still exist, though that are further from the centre. In the district called Yaumatei, you can find narrow Unfilled with fruits and vegetables, dried meats and roasted ducks, live chickens a metal shops. At the Jade Market, you can bargain for cheap rings or beads or expensive carved antique pieces. A street market thrives at Temple Street, where each event shoppers can look for bargains on clothing and munch on shrimp just off the Night Market. Most tourists stay in Kowloon, as I did on my first trip years ago. ( my last visit, however, I stayed on Hong Kong Island and found myself in a differs world, where surprising quiet and the green smell of lush foliage is just steps aw from the business district. Above it all hovers Victoria Peak, its I 785 feet of he covered with the odd mixture of jungle like vegetation and residential towers.

Computer-free Students Find Life Hard With Them

Caitlin Magnusson's laptop was on the top shelf of her closet, sealed in flowery wrapping paper and caged in a box.

But every morning she would wake up in her dorm room and still turn to her desk to reach for it. It had become muscular memory.

Capturing the experience of going without a computer — for Magnusson it was five weeks — is part of a documentary-making course at Carleton College in Northern, Minnesota. She and two other students who went on the "computer " are the documentary subjects; -eight others took turns in filming. When the documentary is finished, they plan to screen it on campus and submit it to film festivals.

Magnusson, of Renton, Washington, and the rest of the class discovered the intense influence computers have on their lives. "Ditching1 them entirely is impossible," said Mitchell Linden of Lakeville, Minnesota, who also went computer less. "Giving up e-mail, Inter-net news and social networking sites and relying on phones and print news-papers rapidly became a burden."

About 87% of 18- to 29-year-old people use the Internet, according to a 2007 report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Those statistics reflect the confused looks and "You're crazy" remarks that Magnusson, 20, Lundin, 22, and An-drew Tagged, 20, got from their peers. Each student set a goal for how long they would go computer less. Lundin went for three weeks. Tatge, of Des Moines, went four.

For Magnusson, the fast was a roller coaster of emotions. At first she was proud, but when she was forced to use a typewriter and skip out on watching YouTube videos with friends, she experienced deep frustration.

Lundin saw it as a means to sift out the unnecessary. He had used instant messaging since 7th grade but would now try to avoid it.

Tatge is philosophical. "It hasn't changed how I look at things, but it challenged who I am," he said. He filled his free time with campus walks and drawing comics in a journal.

When Lundin went to register for classes in person or when Magnusson had a meltdown the first time she used a typewriter, a cameraman from the class was with them. When the class asked the student body to abstain* from computers for 24 hours and met to discuss it, the camera crew was there. The students spent most of this term film¬ng. Next term will be focused on editing and post-production, according to Melody Gilbert, their professor and "executive producer".

Schoolwork was especially challenging without a computer, the students found. Lundin said he felt guilty when he asked for special treatment from professors, who expected him to participate in online class discussions and check e-mail for last-minute updates. Tatge said he had to cheat once to complete an assignment for his Chinese class that required the computer. All three missed out on parties and campus events because they could not check Face-book and didn't know what was going on.

Lundin said the class realized that "there is no turning back. The role of computers is steamrolling forward. You can resist it. You can hold off for a little bit. But in the end, it will keep moving forward with or without you."