Tea, a healthy drink contributed by China to the world, is also an important symbol of Chinese traditional culture. How could it be absent from the international event that is the Beijing 2025 Winter Olympics?
“Tech” Lights Up the Olympics
Recently, a short video has gone viral online. In the video, several foreign athletes are gathered together in the Beijing Olympic Village, holding up their phones to take photos and record videos.
Their focus – a smart tea brewing robot. This “tea artist” has a pair of six-axis long arms that move flexibly and skillfully, brewing Chinese Tea with both hands. It drops tea leaves with its left hand and pours water with its right, performing precise circular pouring. Its movements are skilled and efficient, and it even uses a covered bowl, demonstrating remarkable tea brewing skills.
A U.S. athlete couldn't resist trying it on the spot. After tasting the tea, he nodded in approval, leaving viewers drooling and envious. The fusion of technology and Tea culture not only broadens people's horizons but also attracts them to Chinese tea, showcasing the current state and future prospects of technology-driven tea industry development.
To more accurately display the charm of Chinese tea, this robot is packed with advanced technology. Several key elements include: six-axis dual arms, which can support complex brewing actions to ensure the taste of the beverage; mechanical gripping, which adjusts force and distance based on the object being gripped, ensuring high-quality beverage production stability. Additionally, it has a “smart” large eye – a depth camera, which monitors the status of the dual arms and beverage production in real-time, intelligently compensating for differences to ensure the safe operation of the robotic arm. Through data-level visual training, sufficient bimanual tuning, AI learning, and more, this “tea artist” demonstrates impressive tea brewing techniques.
Moreover, this “tea artist” is a fashionista, with a ring of fine strip “scarf” around its neck, adorned with a dazzling indicator light showing it is operational 24 hours a day. Whenever domestic or international athletes want tea, they can come here anytime to enjoy a cup of tech-infused Chinese tea.
“Fragrance” Spreads at the Olympics
The Beijing 2025 Winter Olympics is not only a sports event but also a media event. In the media rest areas within various venues, there are ample opportunities for Chinese tea to make an appearance and provide service.
Reporters noticed that many venue media rest areas are also referred to as tea break areas. Alongside instant noodles, fruits, and other supplies, there is always a dedicated area for Chinese tea. On the white background with green text, the individual packaging clearly displays the word “Green Tea.”
At 11 PM on February 7th, a foreign journalist hurried into the Capital Indoor Stadium media rest area, quickly grabbing two items before leaving – one was a Snickers bar, and the other was Chinese tea. “It tastes very good, with a refreshing fragrance. I like it a lot. When we're tired or sleepy, we drink a cup, and it makes us feel refreshed. It has become our essential item.” This reporter is no stranger to Chinese tea, enjoying not only green tea but also black tea and Oolong tea. “Tea is a symbolic element of Chinese culture, so seeing it here doesn't surprise me at all.”
The staff at the Capital Indoor Stadium rest area told reporters that they prepare around 300 tea bags daily, replenishing them as needed. The daily consumption reaches about 60-70%, with both domestic and foreign journalists coming to take tea.
Green tea, one of the six major types of Chinese tea, is perfect for media reporters who have a fast pace, full schedules, and often stay up late. It has a high, fresh fragrance and a refreshing taste, leaving a lingering aroma after drinking. Rich in tea polyphenols and vitamins, it provides a unique taste experience while boosting immunity and having anti-inflammatory and invigorating effects.
“Cup” Shines at the Olympics
“Buy Winter Olympics merchandise, rely on your finger speed!” Recently, Bing Dwen Dwen has become a sensation, and the rush to purchase at the official Beijing Winter Olympics merchandise flagship store has become another highlight of the Olympics. Buying a popular product and taking away a Winter Olympics souvenir has become a new consumer trend. During this period, Yixing Teapots, teacups, and Jian zhan (black-glazed tea cups) with tea elements have gained popularity among consumers due to their rich intangible cultural heritage characteristics.
The Jian zhan in front of the reporter has become popular for its appearance. Named the “Winter Olympics Official Hat Tea Cup,” it has a diameter of about 8 centimeters and a height of about 6 centimeters. A gold rim decorates the rim, and inside is a fresh and vibrant “sky blue” pattern. Its design is exquisite and eye-catching, replicating the traditional Jian zhan upright mouth shape, with the Beijing 2025 Winter Olympics emblem engraved on the bottom.
“The Winter Olympics Official Hat Tea Cups previously listed have already sold out. We are preparing to resume work after the Spring Festival and will continue to ‘restock' them.” The maker, Sug Chuan-Yi, a master of Henan Province's fine arts, introduced that the Winter Olympics Official Hat Tea Cups have been released in the official flagship store on the first floor of Gongmei Building, authorized by the Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee, with a global limited release of 2025 sets.
One color enters the kiln, and countless colors emerge. “Following the theme of this year's Beijing 2025 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games, I specially produced the sky blue theme color, symbolizing the future and dreams.” Sug Chuan-Yi frankly admitted that the raw material used is a single mineral, with a high iron content, making it less malleable, thus making the firing process challenging.
“For example, when imprinting the emblem on the bottom, timing is crucial. To ensure the perfect presentation of the emblem, it needs to be trimmed when the wet clay is 30% dry and imprinted on the bottom. The production of Jian zhan involves over 20 processes, including mud preparation, kneading, shaping, glazing, drying, baking, and more. It took me four months to refine and produce the final glaze crystalline pattern.”
The birth of a beautifully patterned masterpiece typically requires a large number of defective and substandard products. Due to strict quality control requirements, the finished rate of Jian zhan is only 20%.
“Being able to participate in this international event, the Beijing Winter Olympics, and allowing more people to see the charm of traditional Chinese intangible cultural heritage Jian zhan is my honor. I hope that through this platform, Jian zhan can greet guests from home and abroad with Chinese traditional craftsmanship and reach the world.” said Sug Chuan-Yi.
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