People in different regions might use different tea sets for tea serving. While large teapots are favored in North China, those commonly used in South China, especially in Fujian and Canton, are pretty small, sometimes even as tiny as a fist.

No matter what kind of teapot they use, however, most Chinese people might regard the teapot produced in Yixing as the best. It is said that if you have used a Yixing teapot for decades, you can brew tasty tea by simply pouring boiling water into it. This is because the special porous clay called "zisha" (purple clay) from which they are made can absorb the flavor of tea, and become more and more seasoned after years of use. So, people are often recommended to prepare just one kind of tea with a pot, in case that the mixture of different teas will affect the flavor.

This porous nature gives another outstanding attribute to Yixing teapot: the ability to retain heat. With this advantage, a master of tea ceremony can fully bring out the special flavors of certain types of tea. There are also many other features to its credit. Free of any toxic element that is often found in other clay wares, it also has a solid texture, an appropriate absorption rate, as well as a low thermal conductivity.

The history of Yixing teapot can be dated back to the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279). While it was gradually growing popular among Chinese, many aristocrats and scholars began to collect those beautifully made. From then on, potters have added much more artistic creations into the daily article, and meanwhile, established the tradition of hand making. Most of the teapots are very small, just serving one person, for potters believe that anyone can find one pot that suits him well.

Written by our column writer Ye Qinfa.

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