The lid is used to stir the tea ... and after steeping is highly important to the Chinese. Enough tea for a single cup is heaped in the bottom, where it may be seen to best advantage against ...

"Gaiwan is the traditional Chinese way," said Zhong, pulling out a three-part cup that includes saucer, pot and lid used in brewing, serving and sipping the tea. Her tea isn't just for consumption; ...

There are four elements to a Chinese tea set. A teapot that holds the hot water, a tea bowl with a lid used to mix the hot water with the tea leaves, multiple cups and the tray that holds it all.

In the old days, a Chinese gentleman would begin ... And painful. To pour the tea from the pot into your now-warmed cup, you turn the lid upside down on top of the pot, slide the lid so it ...

And the thickness of the cup can help to keep the tea warm. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, tea sets returned back to simpler terracotta and china from their gold and silver predecessors.