What is the gongfu cha ceremony?
I've seen the elaborate tea pouring videos — is there an actual ceremony or just a style?
Gongfu cha (功夫茶, 'skilled tea making') is a Chinese brewing approach that originated in Chaozhou and spread through Fujian and Guangdong. It's less a fixed ceremony than a disciplined method: small vessels, high leaf-to-water ratio, multiple short steeps, careful temperature control, and unhurried attention. Unlike the Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu), gongfu has no scripted choreography — masters develop personal rhythms. The 'ceremony' you see online is usually a tea-house service style adapted for sharing.
— Yurii — 931 Tea, 931 Tea