This teahouse is named for a famous Chinese seafarer, Zheng He, and while only 350 years old, it's purported to be within the original facade used by the seafarer himself. Zheng He is an interesting character who made impressive nautical expeditions in the early 1400's, you can read up no him here. What makes him such a revered man in this part of the world is his role in supplying the many Chinese sailors who stayed on in Malacca and married the local Malay women, creating the Peranakan culture. Part of the teahouse is a museum that celebrates Nonya (or Peranakan) history.
As teahouses go, this is a beautiful one. It has an open stone courtyard with trees and a large bell, which I am guessing is made of brass.
I visited the upstairs and looked down into the courtyard. The building is so solid, that two steps into it all the tourist clamor and street noise gently fades.
There is a well downstairs, presumably where the water was drawn for the tea-making of earlier centuries.
One of the nicest areas is the narrow shaded walkway between the teahouse and museum. It's barely wide enough for one and as I walked through it the hanging vines slowed me with taps to my head and shoulders. It was probably ten degrees cooler here.
There was a full-size replica of a giraffe in the museum, which caught me off guard. Its presence is explained below.
We ultimately sat for tea. The tea master was an older gentleman who was shadowed by his granddaughter. We sat at two large wooden tables, eight a piece.
I'd never sat for a tea ceremony and didn't know what to expect. I certainly didn't anticipate the sleight of hand used by the tea master. Watching him pour, pour out, re-pour, juggle and mix was mesmerizing. I felt like I was in NY watching "follow the queen." Check it out for yourself.
The teacups were tiny but as soon as I emptied mine, it was re-filled. I must have had the equivalent of 11 regular cups by the time it was over. I was floating, filled with black, grey, green and other color teas.
3 comments:
I keep thinking we'll see pix of golf courses & things. Did you take your clubs to Singapore?
Not that I'm not enjoying the tourist pix, cuz I am, immensely. :-)
Sal, tourists get punished by boredom and high costs. I took the clubs, I played once and hit balls a few days.
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