From craftsmanship to designs and processing techniques, festival integrates modernity with tradition, Yang Feiyue reports.

Zhang Zhehao was busy crafting various tea lacquerware in his studio in Sanlitun, Beijing as the Mid-Autumn Festival approached.

Lacquerware and ceramic pieces adorn his place within a quiet community of the bustling commercial area, adding a particularly pleasing vibe.

He felt all his efforts had paid off and took pleasure in that his lacquerware pieces for tea rituals were well-received by visitors to the Teanage (tea and age) Life Fest last weekend through Tuesday, which presented new ways of integration of traditional tea culture and modern life.

"Lacquer-made tea utensils are lighter and resistant against bumps," said the man in his 30s originally from Northwest China's Gansu province.

After finishing animation studies in Guangdong province in 2013, Zhang worked at a local advertising agency for two years when he began to explore lacquer crafting.

"The more I practiced and learned about its history, the deeper I was drawn to it," he said.

In 2016, he quit his job, established his own brand Terra, and started selling lacquer-made tea utensils, including saucers, cup holders and coasters.

"I liked tea since childhood and have found its taste varies with different brewing utensils," he said.

Lacquer has always paired best with wood. The earliest lacquerware discovered from ancient times was made with a wooden core, Zhang noted.

Before the advent of ceramic and metalworking techniques, materials from the natural environment, such as gourds, melons and leaves, were used to craft objects. However, these materials would easily deteriorate over time. Thus, lacquer was discovered as a special coating to render fragile objects more durable.

Zhang uses bark-made paper as a base and applies lacquer before piling more layers into a whole lacquerwork.

"Paper comes from wood, which retains the tradition, but it takes longer to build a piece since a layer has to dry properly before being built upon," he said.

He also ingeniously designed new patterns ranging from insects and plants to minerals on the lacquerware surface through inlaying or mounting.

"The patterns are favored by young people, who find them interesting and pretty," Zhang said.

In his creations, he has also favored other natural materials for lacquerware production, working with the inherent forms of objects.

"For example, I would use gourds as a base and then highlight their appealing features to create pieces. This way, the object is true to its inner and outer beauty, embodying the vision I seek," Zhang explained.

He has spent a great deal of time introducing the culture of lacquerware to visitors who have come to his stand during the event.

"I hope more people find my work interesting and they move on to appreciate tea," he said.

Beyond lacquer

Zhang is among more than 20 young artists who have brought their innovative tea-related works ranging from porcelain painting to tea making, proving a feast for the eye at the Teanage Life Fest.

The artists arrive from across the country, including Fujian, Jiangxi, Jiangsu and Yunnan provinces, said Li Qianrun, who founded the festival.

As a tea lover, Li has gone to major tea and teaware production areas, finding many surprises among the younger generation of artists.

"They love traditional Chinese culture and have good taste in Chinese aesthetics," Li said.

"Many have made a career out of tea and teaware and have integrated tea into urban life," she noted.

Li hosts the festival because she believes there should be more room, especially in urban settings, for tea culture.

She found and invited the young artists to show the more exciting aspects of tea. Xu Zhiwen is one such artist.

At Xu's booth, porcelain ware bearing anthropomorphic pandas cooking tea, and playing mahjong or instruments, as well as rabbits wearing a silk robe resembling figures on the murals in the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Gansu, have attracted curious visitors.

"I insist on combining modern and ancient elements, rendering lovely animals with a human touch to reach young customers," Xu, in his 30s from Jingdezhen, East China's Jiangxi province, said.

Most of his works carry auspicious Chinese symbols that represent good fortune.

Xu has brought in products of a dozen themes, including the Mid-Autumn Festival.

"My style is mostly inspired by the scholarly elegance of the Song Dynasty (960-1279)," Xu said.

He achieved a bachelor's degree in sculpture from Jingdezhen Ceramic University in 2013, which he said gave him a good understanding of form and structure, laying the foundation for his porcelain painting.

He made inroads in traditional Chinese porcelain painting over two years following graduation to acquire the necessary skills and started his own business in 2019, which combines traditional Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) porcelain-making techniques with modern concepts that target a younger market for ceramic tea sets.

"I am fascinated by ancient styles but don't aim to create replicas," Xu explained his drive to create modern elements in a historical setting.

His love of tea has focused his attention on design and making tea utensils.

Xu uses gas and wood-fired kilns to craft porcelain that bears a smoother texture resembling that of Xuan paper originating from ancient China, which is known for its excellent presentation of both Chinese calligraphy and painting.

"The materials I use undergo a unique process where pine wood is added midway to produce ink-like textures. Then I create artwork based on these natural textures," he said, adding that since natural ash would fall onto the surface differently during each fire session, each piece is one of a kind.

Under a magnifying glass, one can see the fine details, such as the feathers on a crane's wings, of Xu's hand-painted patterns.

He has two other business partners and can produce around 200-300 pieces each month.

"I hope that when people use my products, they feel joy and happiness, adding to the pleasure of tea drinking," he said.

Passion for leaves

Diverting from the other two teaware artists, Pu Pengtao, from Guangdong province, and his team deliver the traditional kung fu tea ritual with various tea species.

"We've been exploring tea regions such as Wuyi Mountains in Fujian province, Fenghuang Mountains in Guangdong province and Dongting Mountain in Jiangsu province, over the years to thoroughly understand the local growing environments, culture and tea-making techniques," said Pu in his 40s who cofounded the Ten Plus Terrace tea house in Beijing.

Pu's team has carefully selected seasonal varieties from hundreds of tea samples that align with traditional values while meeting modern tastes, he added.

Pu said there are many lesser-known tea types as the market is dominated by mainstream popular types.

"We want people to appreciate the country's diverse tea resources," Pu said.

He has found that many young people, especially those with higher education, have taken a shine to the different yet interesting taste of niche tea varieties.

"They have been actively attending the tea gatherings we host three to four times every week," Pu said.

"I intend to have those in big cities realize that time can slow down over a cup of tea, which can relax and cure us," he said.