China: The Renaissance of the Art Dian Cha in Tea (1)

It's common to see a barista create coffee art, but it's a whole different ballgame doing same thing with tea. Han Zheming has managed to perfect the skill, creating tea art in cups, or dian cha in Chinese, which used to be a ritual during the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

如今，咖啡拉花已经很常见，不过在茶汤上作画就鲜为人知了。韩喆明就是这门手艺的传承人，他学习并完善了这一艺术。中文里，这项艺术被称作“点茶”，曾是宋代（960-1279）的一项仪式。

It's also his intention to bring the old ritual back to modern life and have more people appreciate its charm. Dian cha in modern brewing enhances the taste of tea, Han says. "It is similar to the foam on top of a cup of coffee, except that it is made of tea rather than milk."

他还希望这种古老的中国点茶文化能与当代人的生活相结合，让更多人欣赏它的魅力。韩喆明说，点茶能增强茶的味道。“你可以理解为咖啡上的奶盖，只是它是由茶做的，而不是由奶做的。”

Chinese tea culture started to enjoy popularity during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and flourished throughout the Song Dynasty, when tea had become a necessity for almost everyone, from nobles and scholars to common people, just like other indispensable items, such as rice, oil and salt, as suggested by Song politician and thinker Wang Anshi.

中国茶文化在唐代（618-907）开始发展起来，在宋代达到了“盛造其极”的境界。正如宋朝政治家、思想家王安石所记录的：彼时茶已成为几乎所有人的必需品，从贵族、学者到普通人，它就像米、油和盐一样不可缺少。