Ⅱ.Pu’er Tea Art
The art of Pu’er tea is a skill to show the brewing of Pu’er tea, which can fully release the unique and beautiful quality, provide effective application skills and feasible ways to reflect the functional ingredients of Pu’er tea from the material level, and create an atmosphere for manifesting the spirit of Pu’er tea ceremony from the spiritual level.In order to show the properties and characteristics of Pu’er tea, the art of Pu’er tea should reasonably coordinate the six elements such as tea, water, fire, vessel, environment and skill.
(I)Six Elements of Pu’er Tea Art
1.Exquisite tea
Exquisite tea refers to the Pu’er tea excellent in color, fragrance and appearance.
The raw tea is thick and tight in shape, even and clean, with obvious tiny needles.After pressed into cake, it is even and neat in shape, regular in edges and corners and clear in pattern,with no falling of layer, even surface and proper tightness.The taste is sweet, smooth, mellow,strong, soft, lively, clean and thick and the tea grounds are even, soft and bright.The raw Pu’er tea has bright soup color, such as yellow green, green yellow, light yellow, orange yellow, dark yellow, bright yellow, etc., with subtle fragrance of sweetness, honey and flowers.As the extension of storage time, the aging fragrance will gradually appear; The fermented Pu’er tea has soup color in red, bright red, dark red, thick red, red brown, brown, etc.Generally, the soup in bright and thick red is better.The fragrance is rich and mellow, sometimes like fragrance of areca catechu and longan or fragrance of lotus roots, dates and sweetness.
2.Energetic water
Energetic water refers to the clear, light and fresh spring water that can give people a feeling of returning to the original nature on the basis of meeting the physical and chemical indexes and hygiene standards stipulated by the state for drinking water.
“Water is fundamental to tea”.Only soft water can be used to brew tea, because hard water with high content of calcium and magnesium ions will be combined with the effective flavor substances of tea soup, thus impairing the taste and affecting the fragrance.
4.妙器
妙器——可以让普洱茶本身色香味充分发挥的泡茶器具。
茶、器相得益彰。视觉效果好的茶具，其工艺美术效果令人叹为观止。常用的泡茶器具主要有陶器、玻璃、瓷器三大类。不同的器物，因其材质结构不一样，茶汤的品质均有差异。因此，冲泡普洱茶要根据自身的需要进行选用。一般来说，冲泡普洱茶（生茶）可选择紫砂茶具、紫陶茶具或盖碗，推荐子冶石瓢、（建水）紫陶壶；冲泡普洱茶（熟茶）一般选择紫砂茶具，亦可选择盖碗，推荐高石瓢。
5.美席
美席——泡茶、喝茶的空间。包括泡茶的操作场所、客人的坐席以及所需气氛的环境布置。
好的品茗环境能给人带来身心的愉悦与放松。因此，享受一杯好的普洱茶，需要舒适、优雅的环境，同时要求在品茶时要做到环境、艺境、人境、心境四境俱美。
6.佳艺
佳艺——能够凸显普洱茶独特美学风格的冲泡技艺，主要包括茶艺程序编排的内涵美和茶艺表演的动作美、神韵美以及服装道具美等。
普洱茶茶艺重在“具、技、和、真”。具指以紫砂壶为宜，亦可选用盖碗；技指冲泡普洱茶必备的素质，包括掌握投茶量、冲泡时间、茶汤浓度和普洱茶知识等；和指平和、柔和，与人相处以和为贵，在冲泡和品饮普洱茶时要保持平和的心态。真指普洱茶要真，做茶人的心要真，真的普洱茶是普洱茶茶艺的根本。
（二）普洱茶艺展示
1.普洱茶（生茶）茶艺
普洱茶（生茶）冲泡时一般以6～8克茶叶、150毫升的水为宜。水温要高，通常用95～100℃的水，冲泡时间的长短视茶汤浸出情况来把握。
（1）备具行礼
茶具选择建水紫陶壶、玻璃公道杯、瓷质品茗杯、陶壶煮水器、茶匙、壶承、水洗、茶巾等，整齐有序地布置在茶席上。行礼示意，开始冲泡。
3.Lively fire
Lively fire refers to the charcoal fire with flame.It is necessary to choose fuel with high combustion value and without peculiar smell.
Modern people mostly use electric kettles (ready-to-brew)or alcohol lamp tea stoves as the main water boiling utensils, which have the advantages of cleanliness, sanitation, simplicity and convenience.The temperature of brewing water is also different for raw Pu’er tea and fermented Pu’er tea, raw Pu’er tea from different tea areas or mountains, raw materials of different grades and raw Pu’er tea of different ages.Generally, the water used to brew Pu’er tea should be higher,which is conductive to the spreading of fragrance and taste.At low temperature, the fragrance of Pu’er tea is not easy to be spread fully, so the taste is not mellow.However, for raw Pu’er tea newly processed from fresher primary tea and sun-dried crude tea, the water temperature should be relatively low, otherwise the tea will be“scalded”by high temperature.
4.Delicate vessel
Delicate vessel refers to the brewing utensil that can give fully display the color and spread the fragrance of Pu’er tea.
Tea and vessel can bring out the best in each other.Tea set with good visual quality has the breathtaking artistic craft effect.Commonly used tea-making utensils are mainly made of ceramics,glass and porcelain.The tea soup made by different utensils of various materials and structures is also different in quality.Therefore, it is necessary to select the utensils of brewing Pu’er tea according to needs.Generally, it is recommended to brew raw Pu’er tea with ceramic tea set,purple pottery set or covered bowl, among which Zizhi sand-fired pot and (Jianshui)purple pottery pot are the best; Generally, fermented Pu’er tea is brewed by ceramic tea set, covered bowl and sand-fired pot which is the most popular.
5.Beautiful environment
Beautiful environment refers to the space for brewing and drinking tea.It includes the place of brewing tea, the seating of guests and the environmental arrangement of the required atmosphere.
A good tea tasting environment can bring people physical and mental pleasure and relaxation.Therefore, enjoying a good cup of Pu’er tea requires a comfortable and elegant environment.At the same time, it is required that the environment, artistic conception, physical state and mental state should be in perfect condition during tasting.
6.Excellent skill
Excellent skill refers to the brewing method that can highlight the unique aesthetic style of Pu’er tea, mainly including the connotation beauty of tea art programming, the beauty of action,charm and costumes and props in tea art performance.
The art of Pu’er tea focuses on“utensil, skill, harmony and sincerity”.Utensil refers to the ceramic tea pot or covered bowl; Skill refers to the necessary qualities for brewing Pu’er tea, including mastering the tea amount, brewing duration, soup concentration and knowledge related to Pu’er tea; Harmony refers to peace and gentleness, which is the most important thing to get along with others.It is better to keep a peaceful mind when brewing and drinking Pu’er tea.Sincerity refers to the true quality of Pu’er tea and the genuineness of tea maker.True quality is the fundamental of art of Pu’er tea.
图5-2 备具
图5-3 行礼
（2）温杯洁具
用沸腾后的热水润洗杯具，既可起到提高器皿温度的作用，同时也再次清洗了杯具，以示对各位宾客的尊敬。
图5-4 温杯洁具
(II)Display of Pu’er Tea Art
1.Art of Raw Pu’er Tea
To brew raw Pu’er tea, it is better to adopt tea of 6-8 g and water of 150 ml.The water temperature should be high, which is generally 95-100 °C.The brewing duration should depend on the leaching of tea soup.
(1)Prepare utensils and bow in respect
For tea set, it is recommended to select Jianshui purple pottery pot, glass fair mug, ceramic tea-tasting cup, pottery boiler, tea spoon, pot pad, washing container, cloth, etc.which are arranged on the tea table orderly.Make a bow to show respect and start to brew tea.
Fig.5-2 Prepare utensils
Fig.5-3 Bow in respect
(2)Preheat and clean cups
Wash cups with boiling water, which not only increases the temperature of utensils, but also cleans the cups again, showing respect to the guests.
Fig.5-4 Preheat and clean cups
（3）鉴赏香茗
优质的普洱茶（生茶）外形条索紧结，色泽墨绿，油润显毫。
图5-5 赏茶
（4）仙茗入瓯
将茶轻轻拨入温热的紫陶壶中。飘然而下的茶叶仿佛深山中的仙子，轻松、欢快地展现她那清丽、活泼的仙姿。
图5-6 投茶
（5）洗净香肌
苏东坡诗云：“仙山灵草湿行云，洗遍香肌粉未匀。”以沸水醒（润）茶，快速将壶中之水倒出，轻轻揭开盖，热闻香气，一股清新之气、青鲜之韵、灵动之感扑面而来，让人感受到普洱茶（生茶）那活泼的韵致。
(3)Evaluate and appreciate tea
High-quality raw Pu’er tea is tight in shape, dark green in color and bright and glossy with obvious tiny needles.
Fig.5-5 Appreciate tea
(4)Put tea in pot
Gently pour the tea into the warm purple pottery pot.The tea floating down is like a fairy in the mountains, showing her beautiful and lively posture easily and happily.
Fig.5-6 Put in tea
(5)Moisten tea
Su Shi (Su Dongpo)once wrote in his poem:“This is simply the spirit grass picked from fairy mountain.Full of moisture, it is just like the beautiful girl that has not dressed up after showering.”Moisten the tea with boiling water and then pour it out from the pot quickly.Once the pot is uncovered gently, the warm fragrance is spread.The pure fragrance, fresh charm, and sense of agility come out, making people feel the lively charm of raw Pu’er tea.
图5-7 润茶
（6）仙茗起舞
将沸水高冲入茶壶，茶叶在壶中轻盈摇曳起舞。随后盖上盖子，悠然一抬手，将紫陶壶提起，自然轻松地将茶汤倒入公道杯中。
图5-8 冲泡
（7）观赏汤色
公道杯中的茶汤，清香馥郁，汤色黄亮，自然的本色尽显其中，让人心旷神怡。
图5-9 观赏汤色
Fig.5-7 Moisten tea
(6)Tea leaves dance like a fairy
Pour boiling water into the pot, and the tea leaves dance lightly.Then, cover the pot, lift the purple pottery pit gently and pour the tea soup into the fair mug naturally and lightly.
Fig.5-8 Brew tea
(7)Observe soup color
The tea soup in fair mug is fragrant and mellow in taste and yellow in color, showing the natural color and making people feel relaxed and happy.
Fig.5-9 Observe soup color
（8）分享琼浆
将茶汤均匀分到品茗杯中。可以采用循环三次分茶，以达到茶汤均匀。
图5-10 分茶
（9）敬奉香茗
将茶敬奉给各位嘉宾，并引领宾客品茶。
图5-11 敬奉香茗
（10）慢品茶韵
品饮茶汤，观其色，晶莹剔透，橙黄明亮；闻其香，清香高扬，天然幽香令人神清气爽；尝其味，甜绵甘滑，满口生津，让人感到齿有余香、口有余甘，回味无穷。
图5-12 慢品茶韵
(8)Share nectar tea
Evenly divide the soup into tasting cups.Divide the tea sour by circulation for three times to ensure the evenness.
Fig.5-10 Divide tea soup
(9)Offer fragrant tea respectfully
Offer tea cups to guests respectfully and lead them taste the tea.
Fig.5-11 Offer fragrant tea respectfully
(10)Taste charm of tea
Taste tea soup and observe color which should be crystal clear and bright yellow; Smell the fragrance which should be spread far and wide and natural to make people refresh; Drink the tea which should have a taste full of sweetness and smoothness, promote production of body fluids and leave fragrance in teeth and sweetness in oral cavity, thus offering endless aftertaste.
Fig.5-12 Taste charm of tea
2.普洱茶（熟茶）散茶茶艺
普洱茶（熟茶）散茶一般使用容量150毫升的壶，投茶量6～8克为宜，开水润茶10～20秒，第一泡20～40秒后可以出汤。
图5-13 备具、行礼
（1）暖壶温盏
在一个略有些寒意的秋日，找个小小的水洗让青花瓷杯们一个挨一个挤在一块。往壶里注满沸水，让它慢慢升温，最后将水悠悠浇入水洗。
图5-14 暖壶温盏
2.Art of Fermented Loose Pu’er Tea
The fermented loose Pu’er tea is generally brewed with a 150 ml pot and amount of tea is properly 6-8 g.Moisten the tea with boiling water for 10-20 s.For the 1st brewing, the tea soup can be poured out after 20-40 s.
Fig.5-13 Prepare utensils and bow in respect
(1)Preheat pot and cups
On a slightly chilly autumn day, find a small washing container to place the blue-white porcelain cups one by one.Fill the pot with boiling water and let it heat up slowly, and finally pour the water into the washing container.
Fig.5-14 Preheat pot and cups
（2）静心投茶
在紫砂壶中投入茶叶。普洱略浓一些的茶汤，它的暖甜会让人觉得余韵无穷。
图5-15 赏茶、投茶
（3）中注醒茶
壶中注水，让茶叶在壶内翻腾，悄然唤醒它，抬手就可以出水了。
图5-16 中注醒茶
（4）定点冲泡
无需吊水，无需旋转，让不急不缓的水流定点注入壶中，泡壶一个人品的普洱茶是不需要着急的，好似普洱茶与生俱来的个性——安静自然。不用晃动，无须拨弄，只要盖上盖，静等10秒便可出汤了。
图5-17 定点冲泡、出汤
(2)Put tea at peace of mind
Put tea into ceramic tea pot.For those who like thick soup of Pu’er tea, the warm and sweet flavor will make them feel endless aftertaste.
Fig.5-15 Appreciate and put tea
(3)Moisten tea
Fill the pot with water, make the tea churn in the pot and moisten it quietly.Raise hand to make the water outflow.
Fig.5-16 Moisten tea
(4)Brew tea from a fixed point
Instead of lifting kettle and rotating to pour water into the pot, just fill the pot with water at a gentle speed from a fixed point.This is no rush to brew a pot of Pu’er tea for just one person.It’s like the innate personality of Pu’er tea-quiet and natural.Do not shake or stir, just cover and wait for 10 s before soup is available.
Fig.5-17 Brew tea from a fixed point and pour out soup
（5）慢品茶汤
徐徐将茶汤注入杯中，红艳剔透的美丽茶汤是不应该错过欣赏的。不必急着喝茶，轻揭壶盖，清甜的精香会扑鼻而来。静品一口，醇和饱满，暖甜入心。随后的冲泡更是怡然自得，随饮随冲便是，所要做的只是静心品饮和欣赏而已。
图5-18 慢品茶汤