The Twenty-One Steps of
Chaozhou Gongfu Tea
- A structured outline of the Chaozhou gongfu tea sequence.
Codes of a Living Brewing Tradition
To someone encountering it for the first time, Chaozhou gongfu tea may appear elaborate. In practice, the sequence is simply the accumulated habit of generations.
Warm the pot.
Heat the cups.
Pour the water high.
Release the tea low.
Each movement adjusts something—temperature, aroma, balance in the cup. None of it exists for display. The gestures survive because they work.
In the late twentieth century, the sequence commonly practiced in Chaozhou households was gathered and arranged into what became known as the “Twenty-One Steps of Gongfu Tea.”
The system was articulated by Chén Xiāngbái (陈香白), a scholar and practitioner devoted to the preservation of the Chaozhou gongfu tea tradition. His work did not invent the practice; it recorded and clarified a way of brewing already alive in daily life.
The twenty-one steps move quietly from preparation to brewing, and finally to drinking.
A. Preparation
Ní lú shēng huǒ (泥炉生火) — Lighting the clay stove
A small clay stove is lit, traditionally using olive-pit charcoal.
Shā diào tāo shuǐ (砂铫掏水) — Filling the clay kettle
Water is placed in a clay kettle and set over the flame.
Lǎn tàn zhǔ shuǐ (榄炭煮水) — Bringing the water to a boil
The kettle remains until the water reaches a full rolling boil.
B. Warming the Vessels
Rè guàn (热罐) — Heating the teapot
Boiling water is poured into the pot and discarded.
Wēn bēi (温杯) — Warming the cups
Hot water is circulated through the small cups so that each is evenly heated.
Chá shī jìng shǒu (茶师净手) — Cleansing the hands
Before touching the tea, the brewer rinses their hands.
C. Preparing the Leaves
Tóu chá (投茶) — Adding the tea
A measured portion of tea is placed in the pot. In Chaozhou this is most often Fènghuáng Dāncóng (凤凰单丛, Phoenix Dancong oolong).
Xǐ chá (洗茶) — Rinsing the leaves
A brief infusion washes the leaves and is discarded.
D. Brewing
Gāo chōng (高冲) — High pouring
Boiling water is poured from above so the stream strikes the leaves and helps them open.
Guā mò (刮沫) — Skimming the foam
Any foam rising to the surface is removed with the lid.
Gài dìng (盖定) — Closing the pot
The lid settles firmly on the teapot.
Lín gài (淋盖) — Pouring water over the lid
Hot water is poured over the pot to maintain temperature.
Gǔn bēi (滚杯) — Rolling the cups
The cups are rinsed again to maintain heat.
E. Pouring the Tea
Chū tāng (出汤) — Releasing the infusion
Tea flows from the pot into the waiting cups.
Guān Gōng xún chéng (关公巡城) — “Guan Gong patrols the city”
The pot moves from cup to cup in a continuous line.
Hán Xìn diǎn bīng (韩信点兵) — “Han Xin counts his soldiers”
The final drops are distributed one by one so the cups remain equal.
F. Drinking
Fēn chá (分茶) — Serving the tea
The cups are placed before the drinkers.
Wén xiāng (闻香) — Inhaling the aroma
The fragrance rises before the first sip.
Hé qì xì chuò (和气细啜) — Gentle tasting
The tea is sipped slowly.
Sān xiù bēi dǐ (三嗅杯底) — Three breaths of the empty cup
After drinking, the empty cup is lifted to smell the lingering fragrance.
Zhǔ rén hòu yǐn (主人后饮) — The host drinks last
Guests taste first; the host follows.
G. Closing Note
The entire sequence may take no more than ten minutes.
In Chaozhou, it rarely feels ceremonial. The steps exist because they allow the tea to open properly—heat the vessels, rinse the leaves, pour with balance. Once the pot empties, water returns to the boil and another round begins.
The conversation continues.