Mom, where does tea come from
A leaf, falling into the water, changed the taste of the water, and from then on, tea was born

Perhaps due to my obsession with traditional Chinese culture, I always hope to incorporate more Chinese cultural elements into my travel list with my child. So, when invited by friends for tea, I gladly accepted.

China is the hometown of tea, and I naturally hope to sow a small seed in his heart from a young age, waiting for it to slowly sprout and overflow with the fragrance of tea leaves.

So, a journey to pursue traditional Chinese tea ceremony culture began. This is a two-day journey, and instead of hoping to teach my child tea, I would rather teach him etiquette.

The tea ceremony etiquette is in line with Chinese etiquette. For me, I also hope that my child can learn tea art, exercise their concentration through hands-on and mental processes, and also increase their cultural cultivation.

In the morning, departing from downtown Shanghai, it takes about an hour's drive to arrive at the Taihui Life and Culture Park.

As a native of Shanghai, I was amazed by this place, but after visiting it, I was amazed. It is definitely a hidden existence in the city, and I regret not discovering this paradise earlier.

As soon as the car entered the park, it was attracted by the antique cultural atmosphere of the entire cultural park. The Diamond Museum, Mingyue Tea Fairy, Ancient Architecture, and Liuli World are all places where traditional Chinese culture is gathered. From art exhibitions to tea culture and ancient architecture, tea, Zen, and art are integrated into this garden, making it more like a cultural and artistic sanctuary for spiritual cultivation.

We drive directly to the hotel, which is also part of the Taihui Life and Culture Park. The children's tea ceremony class is also here, so it's very convenient

Entering the hotel lobby, the modern Chinese style design is simple and elegant, and the fragrance of tea can be smelled throughout the air.
The tea culture elements that can be seen everywhere in the room, ranging from tea fragrance and soap to tea utensil decoration, fully showcase the elegance and refinement of traditional Chinese culture.

I received the teaching aids for the entire course at the front desk, and unexpectedly found a set of tea clothes prepared for the children inside. Dress the baby in the room and officially embark on a two-day and one night children's tea ceremony journey.

The Etiquette Chapter of Tea Ceremony Culture

It's not time for class yet, but the children have already arrived one by one, wearing small tea clothes and already sneaking into the classroom to play. For them, this is not just a course, but also a place to make friends. The children are really simple with each other, chasing each other for a few laps, and they all become friendly.

The class starts at 10 o'clock on time, and the teacher starts summoning them to queue outside the classroom. The students are arranged in four columns from short to high, wearing tea clothes and carrying their own backpacks, with a sense of ceremony.

But it's not that easy to enter the classroom. Etiquette comes first, and as a country of etiquette, etiquette is also a very important part of tea ceremonies in China.

So 'tea ceremony' became their first introductory lesson. And bowing is the first etiquette they learned.
Bowing, as the name suggests, means bowing and paying respect to others. It is a formal etiquette that expresses respect for others. The children learned from the teacher's appearance, bowing and bowing, although not yet neat, but they also learned with a certain style.

After children have a preliminary understanding of bowing, the door to the "Children's Tea Ceremony" is officially opened for them. The teachers held the children's hands and lined up to enter the classroom and take their seats one by one.

Children sit in their own seats, while parents can listen in the adjacent area. Our children in this period range from under 2 years old to 16 years old, and are equipped with multiple teachers or influenced by tea culture. The teachers here speak softly, are gentle and gentle, and take care of each child.

Many children are here for the first time, but there are also children who have been here 2 or 3 times already. Those parents also planted a small tea culture seed for them from a young age, and now that it has begun to sprout, they will come back to learn more deeply.

The children who are new here are full of curiosity, and the joy in their eyes cannot be suppressed. The teachers said that students who perform well in each stage today will have paper labels, and three paper labels can be exchanged for small tea bags carefully prepared by the teachers for the students. The reward effect is always effective for children, and the little ones are more motivated

Introduction to Tea Fragrance at First Sight

She was dressed in a plain dress, with her hair cascading down to her waist. She walked lightly onto the stage, and the children exclaimed, "Wow! It's the Tea Fairy!" The regulars in the children's etiquette class were the first to recognize her.

She smiled with ease and elegance in her every move and gesture. The Tea Fairy, as its name suggests, when holding cups and pots, she is gentle like a fairy from the sky. But after putting down the cup and pot, it seemed like she had fallen into the human world again, more like a mother, blending in with her children

The children stood up at the table and bowed to the tea fairy as they had just learned

This is a tea lesson, where children take out a book from their backpacks called 'Tea Fairy | Drinking Tea Fun'. This book was written by the tea fairy herself, and the content is light and easy to understand, with cute illustrations. The children seem to be reading picture books.

The Tea Fairy teacher started with a leaf and led the children into the colorful world behind the tea leaves.

Some people may ask, even adults only have a basic understanding of tea culture. Can children understand it? Before coming here, I also had concerns, but when I watched the children answer the questions raised by the Tea Fairy fluently, I realized that their potential is truly infinite.

From the over 700 aromas of tea, to the five flavors of tea, to the types of tea, all of them were quickly mastered in a short period of time.
In order to make the knowledge in books more intuitive, Tea Fairy brought six types of tea, including green tea, white tea, yellow tea, oolong tea, black tea, and black tea, for children to recognize on stage.

At the same time, parents and children also brewed three types of tea for their children to taste: green tea, yellow tea, and black tea.

I don't know if it's the tea that nourishes her or if she warms the tea, but the tea brewed by the Tea Fairy always has a pleasant aroma.

The fragrance of tea leaves lingers on the lid bowl, and the tea fairy lets the aroma flow through the children's noses. Children who are new to the tea fragrance can't help but exclaim, "Truly fragrant

Listening to the aroma of tea and observing the color of the soup, the children all showed great interest in this interactive activity. Except for my 2-year-old baby, who couldn't hold it anymore, but fortunately it was almost lunchtime.

At noon, everyone dined at the hotel restaurant, where the dishes were carefully designed for children. The combination of meat and vegetables was very suitable for children's tastes. The influence of the environment is really powerful for a child. Along with his siblings, the baby in my family who never wants to eat by himself even picked up a spoon and ate it happily, bite by bite.

After lunch, I went back to my room for a nap, had a good sleep, and continued with the afternoon class. At this moment, the Tea Fairy was sitting in front of the tea table, planting a small tea culture seed for each child in a book.

Introduction to the Layout of Tea Sets

Brewing tea requires picking it up five hundred times with seriousness, only then can one cultivate a calm and elegant way of letting it go
A sentence from the Tea Fairy to the children.

If the morning is all theoretical class, then the afternoon is practical class. The children who have already learned a little about tea have started to have their own famous brands and new identities, the little tea fairies.

The children each received a set of tea sets, which became their treasure, and carefully carried them back to their seats.

The Tea Fairy teacher was explaining on the podium while demonstrating the basic process and etiquette of brewing tea.

She slowly pushed the tea leaves into the lid bowl, filled it with water, lifted the pot, soaked it, and poured out the soup... flowing with clouds and water, one move at a time, showcasing the gentle Eastern temperament without a doubt.

As I listened to the lecture on the side, I suddenly realized that this seemingly simple tea art step actually requires a lot of attention. The amount of tea added, the temperature of the water, and the soaking time all affect the taste of the tea soup.

When the children opened the tea set as if they had found a treasure, parents were also asked to assist their children on site. The first thing to learn is the placement of tea sets. During practice, the teacher prepares cold water for the children. For beginners, there is no need to worry about getting burned.

The Tea Fairy chose Phoenix Dancong Duck Shit Fragrance for the children, which sounds strange and precious like the cat poop coffee in the coffee industry. I really feel a bit distressed that the good tea is upset by the children.
But the Tea Fairy said that in order to let children's taste buds feel the aroma of tea, they must remember the aroma of the first sip of tea in their hearts, so that they can have a balance in their hearts to distinguish the quality of tea in the future tasting. Phoenix Dancong is famous for its aroma, which can overflow even when brewed cold, so it is perfect.

When children focus on the world of tea art, the whole world becomes quiet, their temperament becomes gentle, their hearts become calm, and their focused expressions are like small tea fairies.

Although the appearance is still somewhat immature, the teachers will personally go to each child's side to correct and guide their tea brewing process and gestures.

My Kaikai is also learning to be serious. He doesn't forget to smell the fragrance of the brewed tea, then take a sip and say in a milky voice, "Fragrance

Brewing tea is not an easy task, just as the tea fairy teacher gave to the children, "Brewing tea requires five hundred serious pickups to cultivate a calm and elegant letting go once." To cultivate a calm and elegant posture, practice becomes the only choice.

As for a child, it was slightly sour when he repeated a movement and raised his hand. Therefore, the intermission break became a good regulator. Every day, the children looked forward to having some fresh Dim sum, and had time to play together after eating. The rest area was full of playfulness.

Interactive section of parent-child party

The evening time belongs to parents and children. How long has it been since you left work and quietly accompanied your children? At this moment, time quietly lingers in front of you.

Every child is like a little elf with unique skills, graceful and graceful on stage. From poetry recitation to singing and dancing, they can perform several shows in a row. My 2-year-old baby was originally thought to be too young, so I didn't sign him up for the stage. However, I became unwilling and insisted on asking the teacher for a microphone to show off my talents on stage.

This group of children held up a performance, and the parents in the audience burst into laughter. It was a show dedicated to their parents and their childhood.

Awakening Journey - Reading Classic Tea

The next day's class moved to the Diamond Museum, which is one of the biggest highlights in the entire park. Unlike other museums, it is the largest private museum in Shanghai, consisting of ten exhibition halls including the Modern and Contemporary Masters Hall, Oil Painting Hall, Ancient Stone Carving Hall, Wenfang Antique Hall, and Glass Art Hall. There are no less than 40000 rare collections such as calligraphy, painting, sculpture, etc. in the museum.

And the children's class this morning started at the Mingyue Tea Expo Hall, one of the top ten exhibition halls. Entering the Mingyue Tea Museum, the Chinese style is rich, like opening a historical book of Chinese tea, showcasing natural civilization, technological civilization, and deductive development in the most intuitive way for children.

From tea mats, tea utensils, and tea leaves, children have gained a new understanding of tea culture. It turns out that there are so many intricacies in tea art.

Passing through the exhibition area of tea's interpretation of civilization, one arrives at the Awakening Exhibition Area, which showcases the natural civilization of Chinese tea. It gathers over a hundred ancient tree tea samples from tea mountains, and each tea reaches the hands of tea lovers through mountains and valleys. Rather than being a cup of tea, it is more like a carrier of China's natural civilization in the tea world.

Children sit quietly on the ground, surrounded by tea culture, smelling the fragrance of tea and feeling the life of tea.

Under the guidance of the teacher, reciting China's most famous tea book, "The Classic of Tea," together may be a bit difficult and awkward for the children. However, at this moment, the children can calm down and recite with the teacher. Even if they cannot fully understand the meaning, the cultural atmosphere has left a mark of tea culture in their hearts.

And as we listen on the side, perhaps it is another profound realization. This is not only a tea ceremony cultural lesson for children, but also allows parents to let go of the secular noise and quietly feel the wisdom of tea art and Zen.

Cultivating Linglong Heart Together - Tea Chapter

After the recitation, the elementary school students returned to the classroom with the Tea Fairy teacher to continue practicing the tea making class in the tea ceremony culture, preparing for the graduation report performance in the afternoon.

Children have already memorized the process, but to truly achieve elegance and etiquette, they still need to practice multiple times.

Yesterday, the children were still using cold water to brew tea, but today it has become more difficult. Older children can choose to use warm water or hot water to brew tea. The appropriate water temperature can release the aroma of the tea. In order to brew good tea, children are eager to try.

My little Kaikai is also rare to see him so focused, with a certain demeanor when serving and serving tea. When the old mother drank the tea he handed her, she was really relieved.

At 2 pm, the graduation report performance of this youth tea ceremony training will take place, and elementary school students will take the stage one by one to give presentations on tea making and serving. The children transformed into little tea fairies, fully demonstrating the knowledge and skills learned in these two days of classes.

The children were divided into small groups and reported on stage one by one. They sat in front of the tea set, imitating the elegant posture of the tea fairy as much as possible.
From the beginning of the ceremony, cleaning the utensils, to brewing, every time the tea is served, the children devote their whole heart and concentration, which is also the calm determination of tea lovers.

The Tea Fairy sat quietly under the stage, admiring the every move of these elementary school students, reminding them to uphold justice from time to time, and giving advice and encouragement to each child.

Every child will offer two cups of tea, one to the Tea Fairy and the other to their parents. When the children hold the tea to their eyebrows and hand it to their parents, gently saying, "Please have tea," the pride and joy in their hearts are indescribable.

Finally, the most touching moment for me was when the classroom lights dimmed and the big screen on stage showed every child's little moments from the past two days. The children came up one by one to share their thoughts on the past two days.

If children's expressions are still somewhat immature, then parents' confession is the highlight summary of these two days.
We either have limited time to spend with our children due to work, or we always hold them in our hands and underestimate their abilities.
A mother said that at home, she never dares to touch hot water for fear of spilling and scalding. But today, when she picked up the teapot and poured out cups of tea fragrance, her child's potential is always infinite.
Every parent has experienced their child's transformation and growth during these two days.

And bringing 2-year-old Kaikai here, I originally just wanted him to experience the atmosphere of Chinese tea culture, with more rules and constraints. However, I unexpectedly discovered that he had also learned the entire process of brewing tea. Although his hands were still small and he couldn't proficiently master the lid, he could already secretly imitate it.
From being scattered throughout the classroom at the beginning, to now being able to sit quietly on a chair and brew tea, the atmosphere of the classroom and the cultural atmosphere of tea ceremony have spread in his little heart.

After the performance report, each young student received a certificate of completion for their youth tea ceremony training. This is not only a recognition for the children, but also an expectation for them. Although the children's tea ceremony class only lasted for two short days, the seed of "tea" planted in their hearts is deeply rooted. It not only grows into a "tea" tree, but also contains more Chinese etiquette.

After the performance report, each young student received a certificate of completion for their youth tea ceremony training. This is not only a recognition for the children, but also an expectation for them. Although the children's tea ceremony class only lasted for two short days, the seed of "tea" planted in their hearts is deeply rooted. It not only grows into a "tea" tree, but also contains more Chinese etiquette.

The WeChat on the phone next to the computer kept ringing. Although the course had ended, the children's enthusiasm for tea had not diminished. The tea set they brought back had to be dug up every day to practice their hands, making a cup of tea. A small seed was sprouting in their hearts...