FAQ
Is there one authentic Chinese tea tradition?
No. The exhibition shows many regional, social, commercial, and everyday traditions. Authenticity is a question to investigate, not a label the exhibition awards to one method.
Are herbal drinks really tea?
In botanical terms, tea comes from Camellia sinensis. Drinks made from other plants are more precisely herbal infusions or tisanes. Everyday language often uses “tea” more broadly.
Who invented bubble tea?
Pearl milk tea developed in Taiwan in the 1980s. Hanlin Tea Room and Chun Shui Tang both claim invention, so the exact origin remains contested.
Does goji cure illness?
This exhibition makes no medical claims. It focuses on migration, gardens, memory, trade, and practices of care.
Why are paintings and calligraphy included?
They do interpretive work. The artworks shape how visitors think about movement, dwelling, attention, difference, and the material life of tea.
What does “harmony without sameness” mean here?
Living together does not require everyone to become the same. Difference should not be turned automatically into hierarchy or suspicion.
May I photograph the exhibition?
You may photograph the display unless a label says otherwise. Ask permission before photographing visitors, volunteers, artists, or community contributors.
Why might there be no tasting?
Festival food and beverage service requires approved procedures. The exhibition’s core experience is designed to work through looking, smelling sealed samples where permitted, making, reading, and conversation.