Traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony at the Private Tea Museum

An exquisite cultural afternoon tea event inside Chitra Collection in London, combining a guided tea museum tour.



2 hours Experience size 1 to 4 guests       £99 (PayPal Pay in 3 available)

A Special London Tea Ceremony Inside Chitra Collection
Join Amitabha Garden for a special Chinese gongfu tea ceremony inside Chitra Collection, London’s private museum of historic teawares.
For one day only, guests are invited to experience tea through two connected worlds: a Chinese gongfu tea tasting in London hosted by Yiqing, Amitabha Garden’s owner and tea host, followed by a guided tour through Chitra Collection’s rich display of tea and teapots.
Two sessions only. Limited spaces available.
At a glance:
Date: Friday, 21 August 2026
What's included:
  • A 90-minute Chinese gongfu tea ceremony hosted by Yiqing from Amitabha Garden
  • A guided tasting of three Chinese teas from Amitabha Garden
  • A 30-minute guided tour of Chitra Collection, led by museum staff
  • A side-by-side comparison of white tea, black tea, and green tea
  • A calm, educational, and sensory tea experience in one of London’s most distinctive tea culture settings
The Experience:
Your session begins with a Chinese gongfu tea ceremony hosted by Yiqing, Amitabha Garden’s owner and tea host. Gongfu tea brewing uses smaller teaware, more leaves, and repeated short infusions, allowing each tea to gradually reveal its aroma, body, sweetness, and aftertaste.
After the tea ceremony, guests will enjoy a guided museum tour through Chitra Collection’s remarkable display of tea and teapots. Led by museum staff, the tour introduces guests to the artistry, history, and cultural meaning behind historic teawares from around the world.
  • Time: 11:30am-1:30pm; 2:30pm-4:30pm
  • Location: Chitra Collection (Newby London Boutique), 105 St John St, London EC1M 4AS
  • Duration: 2 hours
  • Includes: Guided tea museum tour, three-tea gongfu tasting, and Chinese tea ceremony with 2 traditional Chinese pastries hosted by Yiqing from Amitabha Garden
  • Best for: Tea lovers, museum visitors, cultural experience seekers, and anyone looking for a refined London tea event
The Three Teas:
For this special tasting, Amitabha Garden will provide three teas under three different categories and origin: white tea, black tea, and green tea. The aim is to compare and contrast how origin, harvest, processing, age, and brewing style can shape the character of each tea.
1) White Tea 白茶
Yunnan 2017 White Tea, grown on Amitabha Garden’s own tea farm in Yunnan, China​​
White tea is loved for its gentle processing, delicate fragrance, and soft, rounded texture. In this part of the ceremony, guests will be introduced to the quiet elegance of white tea, from its light aroma to the way its sweetness and depth gradually unfold through repeated gongfu infusions.
2) Black Tea 紅茶
2020 Dianhong Black Tea, grown on Amitabha Garden’s own tea farm in Yunnan, China​​
Chinese black tea is known for its warmth, smooth body, and natural sweetness. This part of the tasting will guide guests through the comforting character of black tea, exploring its aroma, colour, texture, and lingering aftertaste as it opens across multiple brews.
3) Green Tea 綠茶
2026 Jasmine Dragon Pearl Green Tea​​
Green tea offers a fresh, lively expression of the tea leaf, often with delicate vegetal, floral, or aromatic notes. During this part of the ceremony, guests will experience the brightness and refinement of green tea, with attention to its fragrance, freshness, and soft finish.
Why this event is special:
This is a rare opportunity to experience a Chinese gongfu tea ceremony inside Chitra Collection, a private tea museum in London dedicated to historic teaware and the global culture of tea.
The event is designed for tea lovers, culture seekers, and anyone looking for a refined cultural experience in London. Guests will taste how tea can become different depending on origin, harvest, processing, age, and brewing method.
By tasting three teas of different origins, guests will learn how to notice aroma, texture, aftertaste, and brewing changes from one infusion to the next. It is both a tea ceremony and a guided tea tasting, with enough context for beginners and enough depth for tea enthusiasts.
Experience tea culture through museum history, live brewing, and guided tasting.
Chitra Collection is a private museum of historic teawares in London, created to preserve and celebrate tea culture through remarkable teapots, tea services, and objects connected to the history of tea across the world.
For this special event, guests will be guided through part of the collection by museum staff after the tea ceremony.
Amitabha Garden is a tea, incense, and wellbeing space based in Greenwich, London. Our Chinese tea ceremonies are hosted in the gongfu style, focusing on mindful brewing, aroma, texture, aftertaste, and the quiet pleasure of sharing tea.
This special event will be hosted by Yiqing, Amitabha Garden’s owner and tea host, who has over 30 years of Chinese tea experience and owns a tea farm in Yunnan, China.
Who this event is for:
This event is suitable for complete beginners, tea lovers, cultural experience seekers, museum visitors, and anyone looking for thoughtful things to do in London in August 2026.​
You do not need previous knowledge of the Chinese tea ceremony. Yiqing will guide you through the tasting step by step.
Book your place:
There are two sessions only on Friday, 21 August 2026:
  • 11:30am-1:30pm
  • 2:30pm-4:30pm
Each ticket includes a guided tour of Chitra Collection and a 90-minute gongfu tea ceremony with three teas from Amitabha Garden.
Spaces are limited due to the guided museum setting. Advance booking is required.
What you'll get
  • A 90-minute Chinese gongfu tea ceremony hosted by Yiqing from Amitabha Garden
  • A guided tasting of three premium Chinese teas and two pieces of traditional Chinese pastries from Amitabha Garden
  • A 30-minute guided tour of Chitra Collection, led by the museum curator
  • A side-by-side comparison of white tea, black tea, and green tea
  • A calm, educational, and sensory tea experience in one of London’s most distinctive tea culture settings
Knowledge required
High-caffein contained teas, not suitable for kids
Add-on available for this class
  • Extra Pastries (£7)
You can add this when you book (optional).
Location

105 St John St, London EC1M 4AS

This venue is within walking distance from Barbican tube station (600m).

Traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony at the Private Tea Museum location
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Your host

Yiqing Xu
Yiqing Xu

female Women-owned

We are Yiqing and Yang, Chinese tea and incense lovers for over 30 years. We established an Asian culture centre - Amitabha Garden, in 2014 by the Thames riverside. We want to share our passion for chemical-free Chinese incense made by ourselves and authentic Chinese tea from our own tea field with Westerners.
Amitabha Garden grew out of traditional Chinese culture and Buddhist philosophy. What began as a small tea space gradually became a cultural home for Chinese tea, traditional arts, and mindful living. Today, our riverside space in Greenwich hosts Chinese tea ceremonies, incense journeys, cultural workshops, and contemplative gatherings inspired by Buddhism, Chinese philosophy, and literati culture. We work with carefully sourced teas, incense, and objects, chosen for their provenance, craftsmanship, and the stories they carry.

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