In late October, the Chinese National Collegiate Competition for Tea Art 2016 which was held in Fuzhou, China, where the DUT Confucius Institute Tea Art Team- a unique group of five from different races and cultural backgrounds (South Africa and China)- successfully presented the ingenuity of Chinese jasmine tea art and won a prize for excellent performance at the competition.

The group included Karin Stewart, Thulile Msimang and Suveer Singh, who are DUT Confucius Institute learners.

The competition was organized by the Chinese National Experimental Education Demonstration Centre and was hosted by the Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University (FAFU).

A total of 268 participants from 23 universities in China competed in the event by showcasing versatile and fantastic tea art from different cultures and nations.

Dressed in white and blue flowers of South African Indian traditional costumes, Suveer Singh, a third-year student from the DUT Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, attracted the eyeball of the audience by a graceful procedure of Chinese tea ceremony. From tea-set rinsing to tea-leaves brewing, from tea-presenting to tea-tasting, the South African Indian young man won rounds of applause, together with the other performer, Josh Xin Xiao, a DUT CI staff, who impressively dressed in traditional South African Zulu costumes, echoing and synchronizing Suveer Singh, both presenting a fabulous cultural communication and assimilation.

Meanwhile, a classical Chinese folk song “Jasmine Flowers” and a Chinese folk dance, presented by Thulile Msimang, a young student from the DUT Faculty of Arts and Design, stunned the audience. A closing South African song “Thulile” by the CI Tea team highlighted the indigenous rich culture of the rainbow country South Africa.

By the perfect and well-received cultural combination, the DUT Confucius Institute Tea Team impressed the panel of judges and won a prize of excellent performance.
– Copy: supplied
Pictured: The DUT Confucius Institute Tea Art Team.