Zipping through the wide highways of the Chinese megacity of Guangzhou, our translator pointed out the Panyu “tea district” out the side of our mini-van window. We knew we had to get over there.
After spending the morning stumbling through a few crowded electronics markets and a massive wholesale restaurant goods market, we were ready for something a bit more relaxed.
Luckily the streets of Panyu were relatively quiet and we haphazardly stumbled into one of the small tea shops. While our intent was really just to window shop and get our bearings, within a minute the proprietor had us sit down and began preparing for ‘gong fu’ tea.
Loosely translated as “making tea with skill” gong fu is a traditional way of brewing tea for a gathering—using high quality loose leaf teas in high doses but many small steeps. The tools are many but simple. The cups are small but continuously filled. The water is spilled with purpose. The process is slow and intentional.
We were served at least 6 different teas, from a somewhat-wild tasting white tea, to a few different oolongs (I recall Dan Cong & Big Red Robe), a malty and earthy black tea, and—as I remember—some fermented Pu-erh.
Gong fu is interesting to me in so many ways: it’s experiential yet it’s focused, it’s a culinary experience yet it’s accessible, it’s process-driven yet it’s not scientific—and at it’s core it’s a slow meditation through a communal experience.
After a few slow hours passed sipping tea, we found ourselves quite “tea drunk.” We purchased some teas to take back with us, said good bye to our host (and her dog) and dropped back into the continuous movement of the city.
