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Tap Your Fingers When Using A China Tea Set
Tea and China tea sets have been around in China for over 5,000 years. And ancient Chinese tea customs are still often followed.
There is one custom in particular that many of you may not be familiar with. It's finger tapping, and it's a gesture of thanks for a great cup of tea.
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.
The gesture isn't superstitious at all. In fact, the story of finger tapping dates back over 200 years to the Qing dynasty.
The Qing emperor loved to travel throughout China in disguise and secretly observed the life of his subjects. Wherever the emperor went, he would never miss his favorite place: the local tea house.
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.
Now having the emperor serve you tea was something completely unheard of. Even just being in the presence of the emperor usually meant you had to bow down. So what could his companions do? They couldn't let everyone know he was the emperor by bowing down, but they had to thank him somehow.
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.
And that's how this custom was started. This story spread all around the country, and before long everyone was doing the same thing. It was the latest addition to Chinese tea culture!
Whenever you're enjoying a great cup of tea, particularly if it's from a fine china tea set, be sure to thank your host in the most traditional way: tap your fingers!
About the Author Author D. Cheng has studied Chinese culture, calligraphy, and arts & crafts such as china tea sets for ages. Sometimes, he endorses skilled Chinese craftsmen. Look at some beautiful China tea sets.
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