A taste of Chinese tea culture
AUSTCS proudly announces the final guest speaker for our 2018 event: Chloe Liang of the China International Tea Culture Institute.
China has the longest history of tea cultivation in the world, so it is unsurprising that it also boasts the richest tea culture on the planet. But when Starbucks is a trendy venue and multinational brands such as Twinings and Teavana are making inroads with the younger set at the home of tea, it prompts the question: has Chinese tea culture lost its way in the modern era?
The best person to answer that question is Chloe Liang, Deputy Director of the China International Tea Culture Institute (CITCI), the organisation behind the largescale International Tea Cultural Seminar, Tea Expo, Cultural Forum and tea competition held in Hangzhou earlier this year. We are pleased to announce that Chloe will be joining us in Melbourne this September as our second international guest presenter.
Chloe's depth of knowledge and breadth of experience is unmatched by Australian standards. The Zhejiang Agricultural and Forestry University graduate, in addition to her role at CITCI, has formal credentials from the Chinese Government as a tea taster, judge and Certified Tea Ceremony Master.
Her domestic travels allow her to experience tea culture in different regions. "I am fortunate to travel extensively around China, particularly in the tea-producing regions, attending and arranging conferences, seminars and expos. Tea culture as I’m sure many of you are aware, is a large part of our Chinese lifestyle," she says.
When not attending or arranging tea cultural events, or liaising with international guests, Chloe plans and writes tea books, such as A Taste of Chinese Tea, and papers including 'Tea Culture in the Grand Canal' and 'On the Main Characteristics of Shaanxi Tea Culture'.
Her role also sees her work with some of China’s most respected professors and scholars in the field of tea and tea culture, as well as international academics, professors and specialists—including AUSTCS founding director David Lyons.
"The time spent with these people has presented me with opportunities to gain vast knowledge and an insight into their experience in the world of tea," she notes.
Chloe also holds the position of Vice Principal of the Zhejiang Huayun Vocational and Technical School and she has a special interest in tea education, including teaching tea ceremony to young schoolchildren.
Her experience also extends beyond China. "My position at the institute also enables me to see tea cultures overseas. Recently I have participated in tea cultural exchanges in Japan, Korea, America and Italy and I look forward to adding Australia to this list."
