Song Dynasty Dian Cha and Tea Competitions: More Challenging Than Coffee Latte Art?!

The Art of Tea Painting: Creating Masterpieces on Tea Foam

A beautiful pattern on a beverage can truly transform an ordinary drink into something delightful. Usually, when we see attractive patterns on drinks, it's the latte art in coffee shops. But have you ever wondered if it's possible to create beautiful patterns on the surface of tea?

Recently, Han Zheming, a Shanghai-based graphic designer, became trending on Weibo for creating traditional Chinese paintings on tea. In fact, this designer began studying painting in his childhood and worked as a graphic designer after graduating from the China Academy of Art. Years ago, he developed a passion for collecting Song Dynasty porcelain, mostly tea ware. To understand why Song Dynasty people used such vessels for tea, he encountered the Song Dynasty tea-whisking practice known as "Dian Cha."

After experimenting with different ground teas, he finally chose white tea. During the Song Dynasty, Dian Cha was enjoyed by everyone from nobles to commoners. It even led to "tea competitions" where participants competed to see whose tea foam could last longer on the surface. This process had its own special term – "yao zhan" (literally "biting the cup").

The Dian Cha process is intricate, using tea powder ground from tea leaves. The entire process involves adding water seven times. The first addition of water mixes the tea powder into a paste, while the subsequent six additions are accompanied by continuous whisking with a tea whisk to create thick foam. Compared to regular brewed tea, this whisked tea has a denser, richer mouthfeel due to its fine layer of foam.

Unlike coffee, which changes flavor when milk is added, Dian Cha uses only tea powder and water, so the tea maintains its original flavor without alteration.

Additionally, during the Song Dynasty, people would create paintings on tea foam. Following his understanding of Song Dynasty painting, Han Zheming mixes tea powder with water to create a tea paste that serves as his "paint." Unlike painting on paper with brushes, creating art on tea foam involves using a tea spoon in a "hard-meets-soft" technique on the foam. Since the foam eventually dissipates regardless of its beauty, each painting must be completed within three to five minutes, with the entire process from tea preparation to artwork completion taking about 10 minutes.

Over six years, he has recreated nearly 200 ancient paintings, including "Plum Blossom and White-eye Bird" by Zhao Ji of the Northern Song, "Autumn River Fishing Boats" by Xu Daoning of the Northern Song, "Distant View of Cloudy Peaks" by Ma Yuan of the Southern Song, and "Autumn Forest with Walking Stick" attributed to Ma Yuan of the Southern Song.

Tea Whisking and Tea Painting: Ancient Techniques

The process of creating tea foam is called "Dian Cha," while the process of painting on the tea foam is known as "Cha Bai Xi" (Tea Hundred Tricks). It's worth noting that this Shanghai designer's use of tea paste for painting on tea foam is a modern innovation, and he doesn't follow the final tea-serving step. In the Weibo comments section, netizens shared knowledge about what "Cha Bai Xi" truly entails.

According to ancient records, traditional "Cha Bai Xi" involved creating patterns on tea foam by directly adding water or using a tea spoon dipped in clear water to outline designs. This meant using tea as the canvas and water as ink – "adding water and moving the spoon."

Finally, comes the tea-serving step, where the tea is distributed into cups, one spoonful per cup, ensuring that each serving has an even amount of foam.

But with such beautiful artwork created, would you really have the heart to drink it?

Image source: Weibo, Xiaohongshu (Paoying)

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