H.K. exhibition has examples of culture CHINA has long appreciated the tea culture, and an exhibition in Hong Kong, "A Story About Teapots, " tells the story.

The exhibition, sponsored by the Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Services Department, allows visitors not only to view fine teapots and tea ware, but also gives them a chance to appreciate the diversity of the art across several dynasties.

The theme of this exhibition focuses on how teapots evolved, as the art of drinking tea changed across several dynasties. In past exhibitions the focus was on the poetry and the glazed colors on teapots, according to Grace Kwok, an assistant curator of the Flaffstaff House Museum of Tea Ware.

"In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the abandoning of production of tea cakes and the use of refined tea leaves caused the ensuing teapots to possess a handle and a beak," she said.

A bigger-than-usual ancient teapot is displayed to demonstrate a tea serving in larger gathering settings.

"But soon, people realized that the unused portion of the infusion with tea leaves left in the pot for too long will cause it to become bitter, and as a result, smaller tea pots were designed," she said.

The exhibition also explains how tea was made in the earliest time, such as the Han (206 B.C.-A.D. 220) and Tang (618- 970) dynasties .

Before the Tang Dynasty, tea drinking was very popular among people in the southern part of China. During this period, tea was popularly made from boiling leek, ginger, mint, date, dogwood and orange peel together in a pot, much like how tea was made in the Han Dynasty.

Whipped tea was then introduced in the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Tea leaves were ground into powder to be dissolved in water whipped with a bamboo whisk to make a frothy brew.

According to Kwok, the Ming Dynasty marked the method of tea appreciation which influenced modern tea drinking most - refined tea leaves were steeped in cup of hot water whose temperature has to be carefully controlled.

Common flowers used for scenting tea include water lilies, orchid, osmanthus and orange flowers, and contemporary examples of scented tea are jasmine, rose tea and osmanthus, she said.

The exhibition also features more than 100 items of teapots and tea wares made between the Ming Dynasty and the 20th century.

Exhibits also include Yixing potteries, underglaze-blue, monochrome or polychrome tea pots, kettles and ewers.

Alan Schumann, a visitor, said he was initially interested in the health-promoting effect of tea drinking.

"I've read about the polyphenols in green tea can consume the cholesterol and can prevent cancer as well.

"So I came to check out on any information about tea production," he said.

Kwok said that the exhibi-tion will close on March 10.

( eastday.com January 22, 2002)