The 3D animated movie Tea Pets was released in China on July 21 and fired people’s enthusiasm in learning more about the increasingly popular tea pets-porcelain (陶瓷的)figures placed on tea trays. The followings are some typical tea pets with various forms and shapes.

Pi Xiu

Tea pets in the form of Pi Xiu -a mythical animal similar to a Chinese unicorn - are very popular among businessmen. In traditional Chinese culture, Pi Xiu, the ninth son of a dragon, can bring fortune to people. It only takes money as food and never lets it out. Moreover, it is believed that pi xiu can protect a house from evil spirits.

Three-legged toad

In Chinese myths, three-legged toads spit money from their mouth and help the poor. Thus, it has been considered a lucky animal for a long time in Chinese culture. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter series, this little toad might be a good reminder of Hogwarts and magic.

Little foot with a spider

In the shape of a little fat foot with a spider on it, this tea pet might look strange to non-Chinese speakers. In the Chinese language, spider is zhi zhu and foot zu. When the two pronunciations are combined, it would be a homophone (同音字)for “satisfied” in Chinese. It is designed to remind people of having a satisfied attitude towards life and being grateful for every little gain.

The best way to raise a tea pet is to brush it with the fresh tea you are drinking. Only use one kind of tea to pour on a tea pet, rather than many kinds. Oolong, such as Tie Guanyin, and green tea are better choices to raise a tea pet apart from Pu’er tea.

English playwright Arthur Wing Pinero said, “Where there\s tea, there's hope.” Similarly, a Chinese saying goes that “Firewood, rice, cooking oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea are the seven necessities to begin a day.”

Tea is, without doubt, welcomed all over the world. According to Statista, a German online portal for statistics; global tea production reached approximately 5.8 million tons in 2018. It has become the most consumed beverage in the world — after water, of course.

In order to celebrate the popular drink, the United Nations General Assembly has designated May 21 as International Tea Day. According to the UN, tea is much more than just a hot drink. It's a big part of many cultures around the world.

You probably know that people in China use top-grade tea to show respect when receiving important guests. Meanwhile, the British tradition of afternoon tea is an important part of that country's identity. Making Malaysia's pulled tea has become a sort of art form, where drinkers take pride in its entertainment aspects. As an expression of Moroccan hospitality and tradition, mint tea — a mix of green tea, spearmint leaves and sugar — is served during gatherings and negotiations.

Apart from its cultural significance, tea is also a medicine, used from ancient times to modern day. “Tea is cold and lowers the fire,” Chinese Ming Dynasty herbalist Li Shizhen once said. The health benefits of tea are still being discovered today: preventing heart disease, obesity and cancer have all been linked to drinking green tea, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information in the US. The mania for healthy tea products continues into a new decade as it's used in moisturizers, lip balms and other beauty products.

Hot or cold, bagged or loose-leaf, tea is more than a drink — it's a social custom and also a magic medicine, a link to the past and a way of life.

Let’s play games from different countries and learn about different cultures.

It is played alone with five small sandbags. The player kneels down behind the sandbags, throws one in the air, then uses the same hand to quickly pick up another bag and catch the first. Keep going until you’re holding all five. Too easy? Throw up all the bags and catch them on the back of your hand.

Fengzhengs or kites are believed to have been invented in China during the fifth century BC by Mozi and Lu Ban. By the fifth century AD, paper kites were being used for military purposes such as signaling and measuring distances. These days, locals commonly fly handmade kites to mark the arrival of spring. In Beijing, the kite string is traditionally cut to allow bad luck to be blown away by the wind.

Germany is the world’s top exporter of chocolate, so no wonder this game is based on the sweet reward. Put some chocolate under an overturned cooking pot. Kids take turns crawling on the ground blindfolded and lightly strike whatever’s in their path with a wooden spoon. When the spoon hits the pot, the chocolate hunter gathers up the treasure.

It is a favorite group circle game for kids. One plays el gato (the cat); another is el raton (the mouse). The rest hold hands, forming a circle around the mouse. As the group skips and sings “the cat wants to get the mouse”, the cat runs outside the circle trying to touch the mouse. The players forming the circle raise and lower their arms to block the cat, and the mouse runs around to avoid being touched. When the cat “gets” the mouse, start over with a new cat and mouse.