Drinking Tea Probably Goes Through Three Stages, Which One Are You In?

Previously, I made three videos about the three stages of drinking tea, with links at the bottom. Now I have new insights, so I'll add a simple written version.

1. Tea is just tea.

Tea is for drinking. If you like green tea, brew it in a large cup, or use a gaiwan or pot. One gaiwan, one pot, buy a few liang of tea leaves whenever you like. If you like it, buy more; if not, switch to another tea next time. If you like drinking Pu'er, know how to pry the tea, brew with a gaiwan, and distinguish raw from ripe—that's enough. You don't need to know too much. If you think a tea tastes good, buy two more cakes; if not, give it away. This stage is the most economical and doesn't take much time.

2. Tea is not tea.

When you start talking about tea culture, start choosing tea based on ecology, paying attention to tea's activity and body sensation, whether it's a blue-and-white gaiwan, whether it's an original ore pot, whether the water is spring water, whether the tea space is artistic enough, how to brew the tea properly... At this point, tea is no longer tea; it's everything you need related to drinking tea.

At this stage, you start to enjoy listening to various stories, many of which are fake, various legends, most of which are unfounded. Like the story of Pu'er tribute tea about Mansong, it's all made up, but many people like it, and companies promote it. Now, the story is almost becoming true.

You start attending various tea gatherings, wearing tea-person clothes, visiting various tea people and experts, even organizing your own tea parties, buying a bunch of tea books that are more than 50% repetitive, liking incense, flower arranging, beautiful tea tables, and beautiful tea artists...

Congratulations, you start spending a lot of money. Attend various trainings on tea, incense, utensils, flowers, aesthetics, go to tea mountains, buy famous tea sets, buy water that costs over a hundred per bucket, buy tea made by famous makers, decorate a tea room, choose a tea table...

Tea is not tea, money is not money.

3. Tea is still tea

The boat has passed ten thousand mountains, the clouds have parted to see the sun and moon.

After drinking a lot of tea, meeting many tea people, visiting all the tea mountains, having rooms full of tea and cabinets full of famous pots, you start to feel tired. With a cabinet full of pots, you might still prefer using that white porcelain gaiwan. With a room full of tea, you only like drinking a few kinds. You start to simplify, not attending social tea gatherings.

You start to enjoy drinking tea alone quietly. The incense box is covered in dust, you don't flip through tea books anymore, many teas are sealed away, some are given away...

Tea is tea, but you are no longer the person you were before.

Video link: The Three Stages of Drinking Tea