The “Tea For Harmony· Yaji”  Cultural Event Was Held in Morocco

China is the homeland of tea, while Morocco is the world’s largest importer of green tea. On June 25th, the “Tea For Harmony · Yaji” series of activities were held in Rabat, the capital of Morocco.
At the main venue event held at the Rabat China Cultural Center, Chinese Ambassador to Morocco, Li Changlin, delivered a speech saying that the Chinese and Moroccan people love drinking tea, and treating guests with tea and making friends with tea are the common points of Chinese and Moroccan culture. Chinese tea were sent to Morocco from the port of Sovira in the 1860s and after more than a century, it entered into millions of households in Morocco. “Tea For Harmony · Yaji” cultural event has become an annual celebration of the tea culture between China and Morocco, which will help promote cooperation between the two countries in cultural, economic and trade fields. Chinese tea will continue to emit fragrance in promoting a better life and advancing dialogues between civilizations.

Mustafa, Director of the Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Culture, Moroccan stated that tea is not only a simple beverage, but also symbolizes harmony, dialogue, and communication, serving as a bridge between Moroccan and Chinese cultures. He reviewed the stable and lasting partnership established between Morocco and China since the 14th century, and looked forward to the completion of the Sino Moroccan Tea House jointly created by the Moroccan Ministry of Youth, Culture, and Information, the Chinese Embassy in Morocco, and the Sovilamogador Association as soon as possible, providing more platforms for cultural heritage exchange and mutual learning between the two countries.

At the event, the Rabat Chinese Cultural Center created a traditional tea art area and invited professional tea artists to showcase Song style tea on site. Artists from Chengdu brought the Tianfu tea culture theme performance to the audience, and exciting programs such as dance, folk music, Sichuan opera, acrobatics, magic, etc. drew cheers from the fieldaudience.

Porcelain is one of the important carriers of tea culture, and the original dance piece “Porcelain Color” showcases the cultural essence of China’s porcelain homeland through personification.

Chengdu Copper Pot Tea Art, also known as Chengdu Long Mouth Pot Tea Art, is a unique form of Chinese tea art and a representative project of Chengdu’s intangible cultural heritage. It originated in the Sichuan region, with a 1.2 meter long teapot flipping up and down like a sword in the hands of a tea master, and a steady stream flowing into the cup without dripping.

The fluctuation of the pipa, the lingering sound of the guqin, and the face changing and rolling lights of Sichuan opera drew thunderous applause from the audience. The traditional Chinese acrobatics “diabolo” refreshed the audience, and the guests on site couldn’t help but personally experience it.
At the activity site, Chinese “Tea egg” was prepared for all the guests, which is a derivative of Chinese tea culture and also a common daily diet in China. Although it’s a little not good-looking, it is popular because of the good taste. Guests were surprised by this unique way of cooking with tea.

The Moroccan orchestra also attended and improvised with Chinese musicians, where the Mo Cha tea master and the long mouthed teapot tea master competed on stage, blending and exchanging tea cultures between the two countries.

In addition to the main venue, the “Tea For Harmony · Yaji” cultural event also visited the comprehensive activity center in the Naiheda district of Rabat and the Hassan II Park Theater, attracting nearly 4000 spectators to participate.
On June 23rd, the tea culture themed performance held at Hassan II Park Theater was packed with people. Children surrounded the stage tightly, and the audience warmly cheered for the Chinese actors.