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Tea and China tea sets have been around in China for over 5,000 years. And ancient Chinese tea customs are still often followed.
One such custom is called “finger tapping” and it is a common sign of respect. Many people who are not familiar with this custom may find it strange or odd.
Here’s how it works. Whenever you are served a cup of tea, it’s considered respectful to tap three fingers on the table in front of you. This means “thank you” in a nonverbal way. By doing this every time you are served tea, the people around you know you are a respectful person.
There’s no otherworldly or unreasonable explanation for this custom. It actually comes from a real occurance between an emperor and his subjects in the last 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.
One of the companions had an idea, and he tapped three of his fingers on the table as a symbol of bow to his emperor.
Thus, the finger tapping gesture was born! The tale spread fast. Before long, the gesture became popular in tea drinking, as both commoners and officials alike all tried to copy their emperor.
Next time you visit a Chinese tea house, try to observe the interesting finger tapping technique to quietly thank your host for their delicious Chinese tea and beautiful China tea sets!
Tags: Asia
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