An outstanding tea-themed exhibition, ‘The Palace Museum’s Tea World – Cultural Relics Exhibition’, is currently on display at the Zhejiang Provincial Museum of China. It features 114 rare artifacts that were transported from the Palace Museum, many of which have never before been shown outside of Beijing. The collection includes calligraphy, precious objects, surviving tribute teas, and rare books from the Jin, Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, which together provide a glimpse into the ancient world's tea culture and art.

Zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, flowers, and tea, known as the ‘Eight Elegant Pursuits of the Ancients’, are uniquely Chinese cultural elements in ancient time. In Song Dynasty, elites enjoyed playing Zither, chess, writing calligraphy, painting, reciting poetry, and drinking tea together, making these parts of a fine culture centered around tea. The exhibition showcases numerous authentic calligraphy and paintings by prominent intellectuals of Song and Tang Dynasties, including even the emperors and senior government officials.  

The legacy that the Qing Dynasty left behind is unlike any other: actual tribute teas. This exhibition reveals a treasure trove of over ten types of tribute teas: the delicate Longjing buds, the rich Longjing leaves, fragrant ginseng paste, and the refined Yangxian Tea, and Biluochun, each cradled in its elegant tin or wooden box. Among them, Longjing Tea, which hails from Zhejiang, is now back in its hometown after centuries away. The Qing Dynasty is a significant period in tea culture development, not only because of the increased variety of teas, but also because its tea brewing method was simplified, allowing for commoners to drink tea like they do now, rather than keeping it as a beverage only for the imperial court.