Chinese Tea Ceremony Workshop

In this small-group Chinese Tea Ceremony Workshop at Teasthetic in NYC, you will first take part in a guided tea ceremony, then learn to brew and serve tea yourself.

At Teasthetic, each workshop begins with an introduction to Chinese tea history, the tea, teaware, and brewing method for that session. Mengyan Gong, our founder and tea artist, will then lead a Chinese tea ceremony before guiding you step by step as you learn to brew and share tea yourself.

Duration 90 minutes	Group Size Limited to 8 guests	Experience Level Beginner-friendly
Materials Tea and teaware provided	Host Mengyan Gong	Location 89 5th Ave, Suite 701, NYC

Upcoming Workshop

All Events

Jun 14

Chinese Tea Ceremony Workshop: Brewing Raw Pu’er with Gaiwan

Join a mindful Chinese tea ceremony, and learn to perform it yourself.

See Upcoming Workshops

What Happens In The Workshop

A short introduction to Chinese tea

Mengyan will introduce the tea, the teaware, and the brewing method used in the session. You will also learn a brief history of Chinese tea, including how tea was made, prepared, and enjoyed in different periods.

A guided tea ceremony

You will sit around the tea stage as Mengyan brews and serves a tea selected for the workshop theme. This part is quiet, graceful, and participatory: a chance to settle, receive tea as a guest, and notice how a tea changes through multiple infusions.

Hands-on brewing practice

After the ceremony, you will practice brewing tea yourself. We will guide you through each step: warming the teaware, adding leaves, pouring water, decanting the tea, and serving it with care. You will also learn how the etiquette of a tea ceremony supports attentiveness, gentleness, and mutual care at the tea table.

Mengyan Gong guides guests through a Chinese tea ceremony workshop at Teasthetic in NYC, with teaware arranged on a tea stage.

What You Will Learn

Each workshop focuses on one way of preparing tea, such as brewing with a gaiwan or teapot, or practicing a bowl tea ceremony. We will also introduce the history of Chinese tea and how tea was prepared and enjoyed in different periods. You will then learn the rhythm of the ceremony by practicing it step by step, from brewing technique to the small gestures of serving and receiving tea with care.

How to prepare a simple tea stage
How to use the main brewing vessel, such as a gaiwan, teapot, or tea bowl
How the faircup and teacups support serving and receiving tea with care
How aroma, texture, and aftertaste change through multiple infusions
How to offer, receive, wait, notice, and care for others at the tea table
How to continue a tea practice at home

Hot water is poured into a gaiwan with tea leaves during hands-on Chinese tea brewing practice.

Tea is decanted from a gaiwan into a glass faircup during Gongfu brewing practice.

Tea is poured from a glass faircup into small teacups during a Chinese tea ceremony workshop.

Who Is It For

Meditation with Tea is for guests who want to slow down and experience tea before putting it into words. Choose this experience if you:

Want a quieter, more contemplative tea experience
Are curious about the connection between Chinese tea and Chan meditation
Want to taste tea without needing to speak or use tasting terms
Are new to meditation and would like a gentle introduction
Already have a meditation practice and want to bring that attention to tea

No prior tea or meditation experience is needed. Cushions and chairs are available, and the session is guided from beginning to end.

A Note From Mengyan

I design each workshop around one kind of tea and one way of brewing. This gives us enough time to slow down, look closely, and practice with care. My hope is that you leave not only having tasted a beautiful tea, but also feeling that you can continue this peaceful practice in your own daily life.

Mengyan Gong is the founder of Teasthetic and a New York-based tea artist. She has studied Chinese tea since 2015 and is a student of Li Shuyun, one of China's most innovative tea masters. Since 2022, Mengyan has hosted tea ceremonies, workshops, and cultural events in New York, sharing Chinese tea as a living practice of beauty, attention, and connection.

Mengyan Gong speaks beside a tea stage during a Chinese tea ceremony at Teasthetic.

Guest Words

"I loved all of it. So lovely having some history of tea for context, and then participating in tea ceremony, and finally getting to learn how to practice it - all in a peaceful beautiful setting."

Rena Tucker, Workshop guest

FAQ

No. This workshop is designed to be welcoming for beginners. We provide all tea and teaware, and Mengyan will guide you step by step.
The workshop includes hands-on brewing practice. If you mainly want to taste and compare several teas, join our Chinese Tea Tasting. If you want to learn how to brew and serve tea yourself, this workshop is the better fit.
Each session features one tea selected for the season and workshop theme. Across the series, we explore the six major categories of Chinese tea and different ways of preparing tea, including gaiwan brewing, teapot brewing, and bowl tea ceremony.
The workshop takes place at Teasthetic, 89 5th Ave, Suite 701, New York, NY 10003.
Each regular public workshop is limited to 8 guests, so everyone has time to observe, ask questions, and practice with guidance.
Yes. The workshop is designed to give you a practical foundation for continuing tea practice at home. The goal is not to memorize a fixed performance, but to understand how tea is prepared and shared, so the practice can continue naturally after the workshop. Mengyan can also suggest suitable teaware or teas on our website if you would like to keep practicing.