The Fujian tea ceremony ( 功夫茶 Gongfu tea ), is a specific way of preparing tea — specifically oolong ( 乌龙茶 ), although sometimes used also for black teas. The process is considered inappropriate for the much more delicate nature of green teas.

For the ideal execution of this particular tea-brewing system, there are several key components required:

A set of Yixing ( 宜兴 ) pots — ideally of a small size (about 150 mL or 6oz.).

A good source of just-boiled water. (Black and oolong teas brew best in high temperatures.)

A drip tray to catch the water spilled during the brewing process.

Note that having an especially high-quality tea is not a prerequisite to this brewing ceremony. A mediocre tea brewed properly will taste better coming from the gongfu cha ceremony than will a high quality tea brewed improperly.

The teapots used in this ceremony are best made from unglazed yixing clay, not porcelain. This is primarily because clay pots hold heat for a long time, thus keeping the temperature even and high for a long period of time. It also has the additional effect of melding the flavours from previous brews with the current one as the oils in the tea fill in the holes of the unglazed clay.

Ideally the pot should be small and paired with a second serving pot to help evenly blend the tea flavour. The equivalent of approximately one teacup of tea is brewed at a time in this approach and the tea is consumed from very small cups. This permits very fine control of temperature vs. brewing time.

When such specialty pots are not available, regular-sized pots are also usable, but they suffer from a lack of control over brewing times and temperatures, reducing the quality of the ensuing tea as a result.

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