The Zisha teapots produced in Yixing city in east China’s Jiangsu Province are considered to be the best tool for making tea. According to literature, the first Zisha teapot was created during the Song Dynasty in the 10th century.
Different types of clay used for making Yixing teapots, mainly purple clay, red clay, green clay and mixed clay, are collectively called Yixing clay. Yixing clay is referred to as “zisha” in Chinese because purple clay is most commonly used. To make a Zisha teapot, the material should be carefully selected and processed before it can be used. The most important step to make Yixing teapots is to keep pounding (拍打) the clay with a special wooden stick. They are not produced in factories by machine.
The Zisha teapot is considered as the best tea pot that the tea made in it tastes especially nice. And the tea can be stored overnight in it without going bad even in summer. The clay is highly porous (多孔的), but water cannot leak (渗漏) from it. This is the biggest specialty of Zisha clay.
Another famous characteristic of Yixing teapots is that they can absorb tea flavors (吸收茶香) with each brewing. Over time, Yixing teapots can smell aromatic even without tea in it.
The production technique of Yixing Zisha teapots was listed among China’s Intangible Cultural Heritages in 2006. Many people collect Zisha teapots, since it is not only a daily necessity, but has come to be considered as a work of art.
Title: Yixing Zisha Teapot
| When was it created? | It was created during the Song Dynasty in the 10th century. |
| How is it made? | It is made of Yixing clay which |
| It can only be made by | |
| What’s | It makes the tea taste much better. |
| It has the | |
| It has become a work of art which is | |
