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.
You may think this comes from some strange, mystical superstition. But really, this custom comes from a very real incident during the Qing dynasty.
At that time, the ruling emperor traveled all over the empire to see how everyday people were doing. He would go literally everywhere in the country. But he never missed a visit to the local tea house.
In one small village, the emperor and his entourage were greatly impressed at how the local tea house owner poured tea for his guests. They did it by leaning in an acrobatic way all around the table. The emperor decided he must try this technique himself.
Normally everyone would have to bow down to the emperor at first sight, and of course if the emperor ever served you tea you had to hank him in some way! But there was no way for them to bow down, because doing so would completely blow the emperor’s cover.
Then one of the ministers thought of a way to thank the emperor: he tapped his fingers on the table, thereby symbolizing the bow he would have usually performed.
So that’s how this custom was started. It wasn’t long before everyone in the country was doing it, and even today people across the country and the world follow this tradition.
Now you know what to do the next time you’re enjoying a great cup of tea. Some Chinese hosts will roll out their best china tea sets for overseas guests, so be sure to show your appreciation by tapping those fingers!
D. Cheng has written about Chinese culture, calligraphy, and arts & crafts such as Jingdezhen china tea sets for years. Once in a while, he endorses skilled Chinese craftsmen. See samples of quality China tea sets.
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