Wuyi Tea Custom constitutes the most important part of Wuyi Tea Art, which has substantial content, including Wuyi Tea Art Performance, Calling at the Mountain and Worshipping the Tea Ceremony, Folk Tea Competition and so on.
Inheriting the tradition of tea-boiling, tea-pouring, tea-dividing and tea-making, there are altogether 18 steps:
Step 1: Ignite the incense to purify the soul.
Step 2: Show the tea leaves to the guests.
Step 3: Boil the spring water alive.
Step 4: The bathe of Meng Chen.
Step 5: The dark dragon marching to the palace.
Step 6: The plunging fall from the high-hanging kettle.
Step 7: The breeze of spring brushing the cheek.
Step 8: Rewash of the face of an angel.
Step 9: The bathe of Ruo Chen.
Step 10: Lark about the mountains and the waters.
Step 11: Guan Gong ( the God of War) patrolling the fortress.
Step 12: The roll call by Han Xin.
Step 13: Three dragons shield the “ ding”.
Step 14: Appreciate the three colors.
Step 15: Sniff the captivating scent.
Step 16: Take delight in the taste of the cliff.
Step 17: Dexterous dragons frolicking with the water.
Step 18: Bottom’s up and auld langsyne.
Calling at the Mountain and Worshipping the Tea Ceremony:
Wuyi folk people used to have the custom of offering a sacrifice to Tea God and Mountain God. In Yuan Dynasty, the Imperial Tea Plantation in Mount Wuyi deduced the custom into a ceremony of unsealing the mountain. On every Jingzhe ( The third of the 24 solar terms, on March 5, 6,or 7 when creation stirs after the winter sleep), officials from local government and the Imperial Tea Plantation and tea farmers would go to the rostrum in the mountain to offer sacrifice to Tea God ant tea, prostrating themselves in worship, reading out the worshipping address and shouting altogether “ Tea sprouts! Tea sprouts! ……”, wishing to have a good harvest of tea and a successful work of tea-making.
Wuyi Folk Tea Competition: There has been tea competition, or “ Ming Zhan”, since the Song Dynasty. Fanzhongyan, a famous writer in Song Dynasty, recorded it vividly in his Working on Tea Competition Song with Zhan Min. Now we hold this competition every year to encourage better product and strengthen the bonds of friendship.