People in Fujian love to drink tea, especially oolong tea. People in Xiamen enjoy drinking oolong tea. The most renowned tea in Xiamen is Anxi tea, among which Tieguanyin is considered the top grade. Tieguanyin resembles green olives: slightly bitter at first entry, but gradually returns with a sweet aftertaste in the throat, offering endless charm. Locals in Xiamen refer to drinking tea as "brewing tea" (pao cha).

The process of brewing tea is very particular, often taking more time and effort than actually drinking it. First comes the tea set, usually a small red Yixing clay pot, no larger than the palm of a hand, called a "small palm pot" (xiao zhang). The matching teacups are even smaller. Tea brewed with such a set is called "small palm tea." Besides the teapot and cups, there is a tea tray to hold the cups and a bowl-shaped vessel for placing the teapot, called a "tea washer" (cha xi). Before and after each round of tea, all cups are placed in the tea washer and rinsed with boiling water — one of the functions of the tea washer.

The first step is to heat the pot and cups with hot water. Then, the water in the tea washer is discarded, and the teapot is placed in the washer with tea leaves added. The pot is usually filled to the brim with leaves for a strong flavor. As soon as the water boils, it is poured into the teapot. Any foam that rises is gently pushed away with the lid. After covering the lid, boiling water is poured over the pot to wash away external foam and to keep the temperature inside and outside the pot balanced. The pot is lifted, and this first infusion is poured entirely into the tea washer.

A second infusion is immediately added, filling the pot until a little water overflows when the lid is placed. The lid is then covered, and a little more water is poured over it. The tea must be poured immediately without delay; steeping is strictly avoided, as it releases tannins and makes the tea bitter. Pouring the tea requires skill: one finger presses the lid, the pot is turned ninety degrees with the spout facing straight down, and tea is quickly poured in a circular motion around the cups arranged in a row. This first stage is called "The General Inspects the City Walls" (Guangong xun cheng) — every cup is visited.

The final stage is called "Han Xin Counts the Soldiers" (Han Xin dian bing), where the last few drops — the sweetest — are distributed evenly into every cup. This ensures that each cup has the same color, aroma, and taste. A single batch of tea leaves is usually brewed five or six times. For a more refined experience, after three or four infusions, the spent leaves are discarded, and the pot and cups are rinsed again with hot water.