Steeped in history, Chinese tea crosses borders

Today, Sigley sees tea culture evolving in Australia as young people embrace Chinese traditions. "Young people have opened Chinese-style teahouses, promoting gongfu tea, tea ceremonies, and the Zen-inspired lifestyle of 'tea and meditation as one'."

He describes this emerging movement as a form of "tea diplomacy "and envisions future collaborations through cultural exchanges, research dialogue, and sustainable business ventures.

Others are echoing Sigley's belief in tea as a global connector. Eyup Saritas, Sinology professor and director of Yunus Emre Turkish Cultural Center in Beijing, believes tea is a vital cultural link between China and Turkiye.

"From the 1840s to the 1950s, whether in big cities or small towns, cafes — which in Turkiye are essentially teahouses — were everywhere," he says. "For the past three centuries, tea has been an inseparable part of our daily lives."

Saritas notes that since China's reform and opening-up, cultural exchanges between China and Turkiye have grown, and Chinese tea culture is gradually influencing Turkish youth. "Young people in Turkiye really like Chinese tea," he says. "Nowadays, many of them no longer add sugar when they drink it."