This passion blog post will focus on another awesome event that is occurring in Penn State. Although this event focuses on Chinese tea and my passion blog is about Japan and all things Japanese, I decided to write about this because this organization truly makes me feel connected to my culture. Even though it focuses a lot on Chinese tea brewing methods, it still makes me feel close to Japan because brewing tea is valued in most all Asian countries. The Tea Institute also teaches Japanese and Korean tea brewing methods as well as Chinese. Regardless, the Penn State Tea Club and Tea Institute will be holding events all weekend with a world renowned Tea Master from Taiwan. His name is Tea Master Teaparker, and he will be bringing amazing and delicious teas with him that you are able to try if you attend. You may also learn how to brew tea the traditional Chinese way. On the right side is a flyer with a schedule of events for the weekend. I highly encourage people to attend as this is a very rare and special opportunity for anyone that enjoys tea. All the members in the Tea Institute are very welcoming, and we definitely want more people to appreciate tea and understand the history and culture behind it. The world of tea is very large and fascinating, and I think anyone who enjoys drinking tea will have a nice time at any of these events.
The Yixing Teapot Exhibition will definitely be an interesting event. Yixing is a type of clay that has all been mined, but the properties of the clay make it perfect for Chinese teapots. This makes the teapots incredibly valuable (easily $500 to $1000), and only very skilled people are able to make authentic yixing tea pots. There are different types of yixing pots, but all of them are incredibly valuable. On the left is a picture of a very common type of yixing tea pot, and there are several small differences to be able to tell an authentic one from a fake one. Additionally, duing these events, audience members are able to practice brewing in yixing teapots, so if you are interested, this may be your place to learn. If not, you are still able to attend and enjoy excellent tea.
The lectures are mostly done by Tea Master Teaparker. He will speak about the history, certain styles and designs of the tea pot, and do several demonstrations. Overall, it’s definitely going to be interesting, informative, and you will probably get to delicious tea, so I hope you will come!
