李泽林

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）.

Over the past six years，the 40-year-old Shanghai resident has used tea and spoons to create nearly 200 patterns based on ancient paintings.

“It's like adding bells and whistles to tea and giving people a stronger sense of occasion，so drinking tea is more fun，”Han says.

It's also his intention to bring the old ritual back to modem life and have more people appreciate its charm. Dian cha in modem 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

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.

Different from the method of brewing tea during the Tang period，in the Song Dynasty，the prevalent way of having tea was through dian cha. The process begins with hot water being poured over fine powdered tea creating a paste，then more hot water is slowly added as the tea is constantly whisked by hand with a bamboo stick. It is believed that this method later spread to other parts of East Asia，including Japan，where similarities can be seen in the way matcha is prepared today.

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。

在过去六年的时间里，40岁的上海设计师韩皓明使用茶粉和茶勺，在茶汤上勾勒了近200幅古画。

韩皓明说，“对茶进行艺术加工，可以让人们有更强的仪式感，增加品饮的趣味。”

他还希望这种古老的中国点茶文化能與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。”

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。

与唐代的泡茶方法不同，宋代盛行的喝茶方式是点茶。首先将热水倒在细密的茶粉上，调成糊状，然后慢慢加入更多热水，用茶笫不断击打，直到出现厚厚的泡沫。有人认为，这种方法后来传播到包括日本在内的东亚其他地区，与现在抹茶的制作方式十分相似。This action of pouring hot water is called dian，hence the name dian cha，which was listed as an intangible cultural heritage of Runzhou district，Zhenjiang city，Jiangsu province，in 2019.

“It is sort of like how you mix baby formula with water，”Han says about tea-whisking，adding that the key is to practice coordination between the wrist and the arm. “It usually requires whisking the mixture between 180 and 200 times before the water and the tea are fully blended and the froth appears.”

Then，one can take the liberty of making artistic designs in the froth with the concocted tea paste.

Han has been fascinated by the culture and art of the Song Dynasty，and has engaged in its artistic practices since childhood.

“My mother loves traditional culture and I have been leaning toward it under her influence，”Han says.

In 2002，Han was admitted to the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou，Zhejiang province，and spent four years learning design.

After graduating in 2006，he worked as a graphic designer for a games company in Shanghai，and took great delight in drinking tea. This led him to learning about traditional tea culture and buying ceramic tea sets，especially those made in the style of the Song Dynasty. During the process，he also met people with the same interest.

“We exchanged notes and compared our collections，”Han says.

While studying history journals trying to figure out the reasons behind the use of tea sets，he stumbled upon the art of tea- whisking.

“I was amazed by this exquisite way of drinking tea，which was also loved by Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty，”Han says.

這种加入热水的动作被称为“点”，“点茶”因此得名。在2019年被列为江苏省镇江市润州区的非物质文化遗产。

“这有点像用水调婴儿的奶粉”，韩喆明说，“点茶的要领在于练习手腕和手臂的协调性。一盏茶大约要击打180-200下，水与茶才会完全融合并出现泡沫。……