Tap Your Fingers When Using A China Tea Set

Tea and China tea sets have been around in China for over 5,000 years. And ancient Chinese tea customs are still often followed.

There is one custom in particular that many of you may not be familiar with. It’s finger tapping, and it’s a gesture of thanks for a great cup of tea.

It goes like this: when someone serves you tea, it’s polite not to say “thank you”, but rather to tap three fingers on the table. This lets the person know you’re appreciative of their service. It should be repeated every time you are served tea.

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 emperor at that time would go all throughout his kingdom to see how real people’s lives were going. He would travel long and far to some of the smallest towns and largest metropolises. But he would always be sure to stop in on the tea house in the town.

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.

Normally everyone would have to bow down to the emperor at first sight, and of course if the emperor ever served you tea you had to hank him in some way! But there was no way for them to bow down, because doing so would completely blow the emperor’s cover.

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.

And that’s how this custom was started. This story spread all around the country, and before long everyone was doing the same thing. It was the latest addition to Chinese tea culture!

Whenever you’re enjoying a great cup of tea, particularly if it’s from a fine china tea set, be sure to thank your host in the most traditional way: tap your fingers!

Author D. Cheng has written about Chinese history and handicrafts such as porcelain china tea sets for years. From time to time, he endorses skilled Chinese craftsmen. Check out some excellent Chinese tea sets.