Wilson’s traditional Chinese tea ceremony advertised on Airbnb Experiences was a highlight of my trip to Penang. It offers a charming insight into the time-honoured culture of tea, with hands on experience and tasting.

It takes place in Wilson’s traditional Chinese home which he is soulfully renovating with collections of traditional, retro, and contemporary artefacts. I was joined by two young men from South Korea and we enjoyed three tea rituals each taking place in a different room of the house, which further emphasised the different style of ceremony.

As part of the experience, Wilson who is also a professional photographer, took many photographs and these were sent to us at no extra cost and were a perfect treasured memento of the experience.

An overview:

Tea Ceremony 1 – situated on a raised floor area, common in many traditional houses, we sat around a low wooden table on wicker mats and observed Wilson artfully measure, infuse and pour an aged black tea whilst explaining the process and the reasons for each step.

After tasting, each participant moved to the front of the table and attempted to replicate Wilson’s composed demonstration. Having never done anything like this before, I was at first a little nervous, but I was soon put at ease by the room’s calm ambience and gentleness of the company.

Wilson also gave us the historical context to the ceremony, answered our many questions and explained how he became interested in the stress relieving qualities of tea rituals after visiting a monk.

Tea Ceremony 2 – took place around a seated table in another ground floor room with a melange of intriguing artifacts displayed in cabinets and on shelves.

Wilson introduced an alternative style of tea ceremony, using a different type of tea pitcher to infuse and serve the tea. This time we were treated to Oolong Tie Guan Yin, which has delicate floral tones and was my favourite. Again, after watching the meditative demonstration, we each enjoyed taking part, this time a little more confidently and beginning to take in the tranquillity of ritual.

Tea Ceremony 3 – this time in a room, with a more contemporary chilled out feel, we sampled the tea equivalent of espresso, Wuyi Mountain Cliff tea. It was brewed in the daintiest of little clay tea pots and served in tiny porcelain cups on a ceramic draining tray, and this tea sure had a zing!

Following the ceremonies, we were treated to some refreshing fruit to clear our palates.

Do I recommend this Airbnb Experience?

Absolutely!

I wholeheartedly recommend this Airbnb Experience. I knew virtually nothing about tea, and it was the perfect introduction. It actually inspired me to buy my own tea set when I got home, as I loved the quiet meditative aspect of the ceremony. It’s the perfect way to take some time out and share a calm ritual with a friend or partner.

This was also my first Airbnb Experience and after such a positive time, I can’t wait to try more.

---

Update on this Post – Christmas Day 2022

Such was my love for Wilson’s Tea Ceremony, on my second visit to Penang I returned with a friend on Christmas day to take part in the tea ceremony again. A perfect Christmas day treat! Wilson also surprised us with some delicious cake.