Experience Shanghai: Private Tea Ceremony Tour

Meet your local English-speaking guide at a local tea shop in Shanghai to begin your authentic tea ceremony. Over the course of the 2-hour session, you’ll enjoy unlimited samples of rare tea and learn about the importance of tea in Chinese culture from your tea master, an expert in art of tea. With the help of your English-speaking guide, find out which occasions in China involve tea drinking and gain an understanding of how tea has evolved in China. Hear about tea’s medicinal properties, its ability to teach a respect for nature and its spiritual powers, known to create inner peace and calm. Discover how to properly drink a cup of tea in order to experience its full effects. Go through the ritual of smelling and tasting the tea before and after adding the hot water. Then, sample green tea, oolong tea, black tea and Pu-erh (or Pu'er) tea, letting the teacup relax your hands and the steam sooth your eyes. You’ll also learn the specifics, including the implements needed to store tea leaves and ideal steep times and temperatures. At the end, you’ll perform the ritual yourself to impress your tea master with your newfound skills. You’ll leave this unique experience with a new appreciation for tea, as well as tips to make your own tea at home!