Each month, on the 15th at 12 o’clock sharp Paris time, we post a photo on a theme chosen by Photo of the Month, a group of worldwide amateur bloggers and photographers. An opportunity for us to share our photos or to innovate.
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The theme of this month is Hands at work, chosen by Lavandine83. Oh my… It seems that being late is turning into a habit for me. That’s not good… But that’s not the less busy time of the year.
Gōngfū chá
Here are the gestures made by a pretty young saleswoman during a tea ceremony (gōngfū chá) in a renowned tea production house. This is a beautiful memory from our adventures in the Jing Mai Shan Mountains, in the depths of the Yunnan Province (China), where thousand-year-old tea trees grow. This is from the place where green and fermented Pu’er tea is produced for the whole China.
Gōngfū chá is the art of brewing and serving tea. Young Chinese women we met on the road explained us the rudiments of this very subtle art. And it turns out that it’s a ritual with many codes and it should be executed in the most graceful way possible. We can see on the photo that the young woman pours with extreme care the tea she has just brewed in this special porcelain pot with a lid. She bends her wrist and serves tea with only one hand, without allowing any drop to fall or without breaking anything. And I can tell you that it requires a long training. (More info here if you’re interested.)
Update: I didn’t do that on purpose but the 15th of December is actually the International Tea Day! Yeah! ;-)
Let’s see what the other participants have posted:
écri’turbulente, Sinuaisons, Je suis partie voyager, Luckasetmoi, Calamonique, Alexinparis, ÔBD, A chaque jour sa photo, Mamysoren, Tuxana, Nicky, Noz & ‘Lo, Lair_co, Koalisa, Danièle.B, Angélique, Philisine Cave, La Fille de l’Air, Akaieric, Paul Marguerite, Julie, Laurent Nicolas, Krn, Morgane Byloos Photography, Lavandine83, Pilisi, Josiane, Milla la galerie, Escribouillages, Lavandine, Mamounette et ses aiguilles, The Beauty is in the Walking, Giselle 43, Frédéric, Lilousoleil, Tambour Major, Chiffons and Co, Evasion Conseil, KK-huète En Bretannie, El Padawan, Nanouk, Sweets Mix, Philae, DelphineF, E, Lau* des montagnes, Cricriyom from Paris, Testinaute, Carole en Australie, Chloé, MauriceMonAmour, Céline in Paris, Eurydice, J’habite à Waterford, Pat, magda627, Alban, BiGBuGS, François le Niçois, Christophe, CécileP, Aude, Gine, La Tribu de Chacha, Gilsoub, Mirovinben, Lyonelk, Jess_TravelPicsAndTips, Renepaulhenry, Josette, Sous mon arbre, Xoliv’, Cécile, Chat bleu, Who cares?, Blogoth67, Brindille, Sense Away, Estelle, Autour de Cia, Dr. CaSo.
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Have you ever seen a tea ceremony? Where was it? Tell us!
