Gong Fu Cha, a ceremonial tea set-up that offers a different way of drinking tea

Sia believes that the Gong Fu Cha tradition is finding traction among younger Malaysians. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star

At the beautifully appointed Upper Palace Teochew restaurant in Kuala Lumpur’s TRX, tea master Shirley Sia consults her watch, before determining that enough time has lapsed and she can now pour tea out of a beautiful purple clay teapot into three tiny little cups laid out in a row.

This ceremonial tea set-up is called Gong Fu Cha and originated from the city of Chaozhou (Teochew) in the Guangdong province during the Sung dynasty (960 to 1279). The city is situated prominently close to Phoenix Mountain, which is the birthplace of Dan Cong Oolong tea, which is the tea served at Upper Palace.