I started this blog in Taiwan. Sorry it took so long to post. I just miss this place beyond the point that words can explain..
So here it goes… When visiting Taiwan its wealth of history and the rich spirited culture will knock you for a six.
To nurture and grow these characteristic features and maintain public interest in the future, our far eastern friends have come up with some ingenious yet simple ways of involving and personalising the traditional experience.
Looking back at the teapot making class in New Taipei City’s Yingge Ceramics Museum – the experience is a fun-dynamic-play-with-clay-way in which the historical significance of a simple cultural artefact is emphasised, exposed and experienced!
Making teapots is a popular activity for friends, family and tourists to take part in.. . But before that – you have to visit the whole of the Yingge District. The streets are lined with shops that sell ceramic’s pottery and literally anything that is related to the area’s ceramic history. As legend has it – migrants who specialised in tea cultivation were found in this area, effectively developing and preserving this aspect of its history by keeping the area’s ‘theme’ deeply rooted in and around tea and ceramics. You have to experience the pottery streets and Museum which takes you on a journey through the amazing ceramic relic’s of past, present and even the future.
As I’ve stated previously, nothing in Taiwan is done without food… So as expected we dined to some Traditional Taiwanese foods and drinks on route to our tea-pot making training! The level of comfort achieved with my host family and friends meant that they were so open and even acknowledge the ‘strangeness’ of their taste to the rest of the world and that others (non-easterners for a lack of better words) deem it rather unpalatable, but it doesn’t distract from how vehemently proud they are of the unique and rich culture.
Onto the importance of tea – it is communicated in every facet of the life and times of all Taiwanese people and I’ll be so bold to say all Chinese people. Various types of tea, tea leaves and teapots line the streets Yingge District and you can easily personalise culture in Taiwan because learning the art of making tea / bubble tea or ornamental TEAPOTS is within your reach! And this my cue to stop ‘bubbling’ and start ‘making’ this teapot entry more picturesque!
danellebc 