Tea set, the quintessential Chinese gift

Many foreign tourists ask me the question, “What is most quintessential Chinese gift?” To which I always respond, “A Chinese tea set.” A tea set describes much about the Chinese culture, from its porcelain material, to traditional art and calligraphy, to conveying the importance of teas in the minds of Chinese.

QingCi LanTing in LiuLiChang, Xuanwu district offers a large variety of tea sets from Longquan. The area is renowned as the celadon – a type of porcelain with a pale green glaze - capital of the country. Interested, I went inside for a visit.

Inside, I saw tea sets in various shapes and patterns, made with celadon porcelain. I took a close look, and noted the unique greenish color and a translucent glaze Longquan porcelain’s known for. The owner said that in ancient times, they followed a sophisticated process to make these pieces, and therefore only the very rich can afford them. I looked at the set I was holding. Thankfully, it’s now at a much more affordable RMB 130.

In addition to wonderful celadon tea sets, the shop also sells china, vases, jars, and pendants made from Celadon. The owner speaks a little English, communication shouldn’t be a problem.  

What I appreciate

Beautiful tea sets, reasonable prices

What customers appreciate

Quality celadon, large selection