RSSChina Tea Sets And Tea Customs: Finger Tapping
Dec 04
China Asia, beverage, China, China Tea Sets, Chinese History, chinese tea customs, culture, customs, emperors, food, history, society, tea, traditions No Comments
Although the first fine china tea sets were used over 5,000 years ago, many ancient customs from that time are still popular today.
One such custom is called “finger tapping” and it is a common sign of respect. Many people who are not familiar with this custom may find it strange or odd.
It goes like this: when someone serves you tea, it’s polite not to say “thank you”, but rather to tap three fingers on the table. This lets the person know you’re appreciative of their service. It should be repeated every time you are served tea.
You may think this comes from some strange, mystical superstition. But really, this custom comes from a very real incident during the Qing dynasty.
The emperor at that time would go all throughout his kingdom to see how real people’s lives were going. He would travel long and far to some of the smallest towns and largest metropolises. But he would always be sure to stop in on the tea house in the town.
One day, the emperor and his two companions stopped by a tea house, where he became amazed by the way the waiters leaned across the table and poured tea without spilling a single drop. So he decided to try it out and pour Chinese tea for his companions.
Normally everyone would have to bow down to the emperor at first sight, and of course if the emperor ever served you tea you had to hank him in some way! But there was no way for them to bow down, because doing so would completely blow the emperor’s cover.
Then, in a stroke of brilliance, one of the emperor’s companions tapped his fingers on the table, representing the bow that was usually demanded.
So that’s how this custom was started. It wasn’t long before everyone in the country was doing it, and even today people across the country and the world follow this tradition.
Next time you visit a Chinese tea house, try to observe the interesting finger tapping technique to quietly thank your host for their delicious Chinese tea and beautiful China tea sets!
Author D. Cheng has studied Chinese history and handicrafts such as porcelain china tea sets for years. Sometimes, he endorses skilled Chinese craftsmen. See samples of quality China tea sets.
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