Learn the art of tea and taste spring tea — visit Taipei Confucius Temple this weekend for a tea ceremony experience

By MOOK Travel & Lifestyle Network, Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported

 

Historical texts have long recorded that “spring tea is the most prized.” With moderate temperatures and ample rainfall in spring, spring tea shoots are plump and emerald green, exuding especially fresh and strong aromas. Since ancient times, literati and scholars have savored tea and its fragrance as a refined pastime to cultivate the mind. This year, Taipei Confucius Temple will hold its first-ever “Spring Tea Tasting Fun” on April 13, 27 and May 11, 25. Tea ceremony master Dai Ruimin will share the essence of tea art, complementing the Confucian culture of the temple and offering visitors the chance to learn tea ceremony and enjoy fine tea at Taipei Confucius Temple.

This tea tasting event invites Master Dai Ruimin, who has taught tea culture courses at Taipei’s Datong Community College and Beitou Community College for over 10 years, to lead small-group tea ceremony sessions. Dai Ruimin explained that brewing tea involves following specific steps before it can be enjoyed. Though it may seem time-consuming, the resulting “cup of tea” offers more than just quenching thirst and refreshing the spirit. It embodies the essence of nature’s sunlight and dew, along with the historical crystallization of human wisdom. In that moment, you can feel that “tea is tea, but it can also be more than just tea.”

 

April is the peak season for spring tea production in Taiwan. During the April 13 and 27 events, participants can taste “Four Seasons Spring” and “Jin Xuan,” the most abundantly produced and fragrant tea varieties in Taiwan. May marks an important season for high-mountain oolong tea in Taiwan, as well as the ideal time to enjoy teas that have been carefully refined and aged. On May 11 and 25, guests can sample traditional “Dongding Oolong Tea” or the widely loved black tea, including the uniquely Taiwanese “High Mountain Small-Leaf Black Tea.” The experience sessions are held at 1:30 PM and 3:00 PM each event day, totaling 8 sessions. Each session lasts about one hour and is limited to 24 participants. For registration details, visit the Taipei Confucius Temple website: www.ct.taipei.gov.tw.

 

Event Schedule:

Session	Date	Time	Tea Variety
Session 1	April 13 (Sat)	1:30 PM – 2:30 PM	Four Seasons Spring
Session 2		3:00 PM – 4:00 PM	Jin Xuan
Session 3	April 27 (Sat)	1:30 PM – 2:30 PM	Four Seasons Spring
Session 4		3:00 PM – 4:00 PM	Jin Xuan
Session 5	May 11 (Sat)	1:30 PM – 2:30 PM	Dongding Oolong Tea
Session 6		3:00 PM – 4:00 PM	High Mountain Small-Leaf Black Tea
Session 7	May 25 (Saturday)	1:30 PM – 2:30 PM	Dongding Oolong Tea
Session 8		3:00 PM – 4:00 PM	High Mountain Small-Leaf Black Tea