Chinese tea ceremony brings authentic experience to Sun City

In China, tea has brewed its own culture, complete with a detailed method of preparation that calls for equal attention to not only tea leaves, cups, and teapots, but to the pouring method and water used.

Angela Moy (left), of Wilmette, Ill. speaks while Jenny Wang (right), of Northbrook, Ill. demonstrates traditional tea preparation at Glenview Public Library on January 15, 2012. (Photo provided)

In modern America’s tea culture of instant packets and 99-cent cans, the notion of making tea into an event seems quaint and distant.

Eastern tea culture is heading west this month to Sun City, as residents will get the chance to experience an authentic Chinese tea ceremony on February 11 from 2-3 p.m. in the new Fountain View Center.

Though traditional Chinese tea ceremonies feature several varieties of tea, the ceremony in Sun City will feature just one type of Oolong tea to fit the program’s schedule.

A few residents will be selected from the audience to receive the tea in the ceremonial way. After the ceremony, all residents will be able to try the tea.

Along with the tea will be refreshments prepared by Sun City resident Jean Koo. The refreshments include a mini spring roll, whose golden brown color represents prosperity, and sesame seed balls, which symbolize treasure.

While attendees enjoy the tea, they will get the chance to learn more about Chinese history and culture from two performers from Shen Yun Chicago.

Shen Yun is a performance company established in New York in 2006. Their shows have become known for their elaborate costume work and animated backdrops that create a 3-D type of effect on stage.

The tea ceremony is held to help promote the Sun City Community Association’s trip to see a Shen Yun performance at Chicago’s Civic Opera House on April 21.

“It’s a way of bringing [ancient Chinese culture] back to life through classic Chinese dance and music in full color,” Yi Liu, cultural events coordinator with Shen Yu Chicago, said. “The core of it is the classic Chinese dance.”

According to Liu, there are about 20 short programs in the performance, and it quickly changes between dynasties and eras, encompassing the history of China in a sort of artistic history lesson.

The tea ceremony not only coincides with the Shen Yun performance, but also with the Chinese New Year, which began on January 23. The zodiac symbol of 2012 is the black water dragon.

If a year bearing a black dragon sounds ominous, fear not. In China, dragons stand for good fortune and power, and with the fortune-friendly spring roll and sesame seed ball, the tea ceremony may be the luckiest way to begin 2012.