Our tea lady of mercy

The Legend of the Iron Goddess 

 

Often referred to as the ‘Goddess of Mercy’, Guanyin is a Buddhist legend and
an oolong myth, writes Adeline Teoh.

 

One of the most popular goddesses in Buddhism was once a man. Born mortal on the 19th day of the second month of the lunar calendar (celebrated on 12 March this year), the figure we know today as the Goddess of Mercy was an Indian bodhisattva* named Avalokitesvara.

 

Legend has it that, as the personification of compassion and kindness, Avalokitesvara often appeared in a form that was most comforting to those who suffered, manifesting as male, female or sometimes neither. And somewhere between India and China his compassion, considered yin or feminine, meant he was interpreted as a woman. In China she’s called Guanyin, loosely translated as ‘she who hears all the cries in the world’, but is also known by other names – such as Kuan Im, Quan Am, and Kannon – across Asia.

 

The Buddhist legend merged with local folk tales and soon Guanyin acquired other attributes, including the ability to grant fertility to humans and crops, and became a symbol of protection for seafarers and the troubled, including the poor, the ill and the disabled. It was some time in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) when tea producers named one of China’s most famous oolongs, tieguanyin or Iron Goddess/Guanyin, after her.

 

The myth features a Fujian farmer who notices a rundown temple on his way to the fields. The temple contains an iron statue of Guanyin. Disconcerted by its state of disrepair, the farmer – who is too poor to afford renovations – spends time in between farming to sweep and clean the temple. One night he has a dream of Guanyin guiding him to a great treasure in a cave behind the shrine. When he wakes, he finds the cave and the treasure is a tea shoot, which he plants in the field – the first tieguanyin plant.

 

A more prosaic version of this origin story is that Emperor Qianlong, sixth of the Qing dynasty who ruled in the 18th century, tasted this tea and thought its thick glossy leaves resembled iron and its graceful shape and floral fragrance reminded him of the goddess.

 

Today, tieguanyin or TGY is known as both a tea varietal and a type of oolong largely produced in Anxi county. With a breadth of oxidation and roasting levels – from jade to ‘traditional’ to dark – and with aging practices becoming more common, tieguanyin pleases a wide range of palates. It became very popular in the 1990s, which unfortunately prompted plantations to overuse pesticides and fertilisers in an attempt to increase yield, a practice we now recognise as unsustainable. Now the soil is in rehabilitation, and the oolong has fortunately maintained its status as one of China’s ten famous teas.

 

A good tieguanyin is a pleasure to drink, and I hope you will have the honour of sipping one sooner rather than later. In the meantime, the spirit of Guanyin asks us to be kind to one another and yourself – whether or not it’s your birthday or hers.

 

*Bodhisattva is a Buddhist term indicating a person who is on the path to Buddhahood or enlightenment but who delays entering nirvana to help guide those who are suffering.

 

Below: A tea pet of Guanyin (Credit: NOOLIM brand)

FAQs

 

How can I buy tickets to AUSTCS 2020 in Brisbane?

Earlybird tickets are now available for the Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th August 2020 event in Brisbane. This is the lowest priced ticket we sell and there are only a limited number, so get in quick.

 

Are you holding a Ceramic Cup Competition this year?

Yes! In conjunction with the Australian Ceramics Association we will be holding our third Ceramic Cup Competition. If you know a ceramicist who would be interested in entering, please see our website for details. Submissions close 3 April 2020.

 

What is the AUSTCS Australian Cultural Fund campaign?

The Australian Cultural Fund (ACF) recognises AUSTCS as a cultural organisation and the campaign grants us temporary Deductible Gift Recipient status. This means any donation made to Art in the Culture of Tea is tax deductible. The best way to support us will always be to attend the seminar, but a donation is always much appreciated.

 

Our connection to ceramicists through the 'Welcome by Tea' cups represents the strongest link to the arts sector we have and we hope to raise awareness of our overall mission in this complementary community.

Above: The 2020 Fish Creek Tea Cosy Festival will feature a Guinness World Record
attempt for the Biggest Tea Cosy (Credit: Fish Creek Tea Cosy Festival)

 

AUSTCS in Tea Cosy Festival debut

 

The Tea Cosy Festival is an iconic event for the South Gippsland community of Fish Creek, Victoria. This year, AUSTCS makes its festival debut.

 

“Held biennially, the Fish Creek Tea Cosy Festival is nine days of celebrating creativity and the taking of tea,” says Marge Arnup, one of the organisers of this colourful event.

 

Founded by (then) newcomer to Fish Creek Deidre Granger in 2013, the festival uses the tea cosy as a theme to reflect the rural setting of Fish Creek, “the nurturing and welcoming nature of the town and the blending of traditional and new ways of doing things by the reinvention of an iconic symbol of everyday life,” explains Marge.

 

Centred on a tea cosy competition where creative knitters enter their cosies in one of five categories (Traditional Open, Exuberant Whimsy Open, Men’s Open, Children and the theme for this year, ‘Cosies Through the Ages’) the program features an exhibition of candidate cosies and a range of tea and cosy-related activities.

 

This year, AUSTCS founding director David Lyons will present his popular Tea Essentials talk to build a relationship with this crafty community. Other key events include a Guinness World Record attempt for the Biggest Tea Cosy, AUSTCS director Kristy Moorcroft of The London Drum hosting a Tea, Cheese & Chocolate Experience and a range of workshops led by local craft suppliers.

 

“The festival is an avenue for showcasing Fish Creek to the wider community. It builds on the concept of a tea cosy keeping tea warm while it brews. In much the same way, the festival aims to insulate the creative and entrepreneurial nature of the community, keeping the locals, visitors and artists warm while they explore, develop and enjoy what is on offer,” says Marge.

 

She credits the Fish Creek Community Development Group and the committed group of talented locals with making the festival happen. All profits are fed back into the local community groups.

 

The Fish Creek Tea Cosy Festival runs from 16-24 May 2020.

Upcoming events

 

7 March: Blend Brew Love, Willetton

8 March: You, me and tea, Gunning

14 March: Tie Guan Yin tea tasting, Sydney

14 March: The Art of Chai, Melbourne

21 March: Riding the green dragon, Sydney

22 March: Japanese tea masterclass, Sydney

 

SEE THE FULL CALENDAR

(foot of the page)

 

Do you have an event to promote? Let events liaison Adeline Teoh know!

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