The Yixing web tea set
Emperor Qianlong, a tea fanatic, had a fine collection of Yixing Chinese tea sets that he personally custom-ordered. He shared tea from them only with his favorite ministers.
He once described Yixing teapots to be ‘teapot of teapots,’ not only for their practical use, but also the artistry of the wonderful china tea sets.
The very name “Yixing” came from another famous emperor. Over 1,700 years ago, many warlords ruled of different areas of China. The emperor needed the support of these families to maintain control, but most of them turned against him and attempted a coup three different times! Only the family from Yixing came to save him each time, so he rewarded the town with the name Yixing, which means ‘Righteous Undertaking.’
If you visit Yixing today, you will be amazed by its beautiful mountains and rivers, and terrace after terrace of tea plants. Yixing has some of the oldest tea plantations in China. The local Zisun tea is noted for its subtle, sweet flavor, and ability to promote weight loss. In the Tang dynasty, this tea was set aside for the enjoyment of the royal family.
Masterpiece Chinese tea sets from Yixing are often sold for thousands of dollars in auctions across the world. So some of the remaining master potters are venerated as living treasures, and their work is an important piece of Chinese culture that shouldn’t be missed.
