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5 Element Tea: Ancient Chinese Science & Art of Brewing Tea
“She delves into Taoist concepts and teas deep connections to it, shedding light on a much-forgotten past to us all.”
Shana is the most knowledgeable person I have ever met in the tea world. I have met and trained with the highest level tea masters, studied with the tea artisans and farmers and no one I have met has such a broad knowledge of tea like Shana. She is like a walking tea encyclopedia. I have watched her go into well-known tea plantations and pick apart their tea plucking methods to fine minute detail that even the farmers were astounded by her knowledge. Not only does she have the impeccable knowledge, but her tea making skills are bar none. The Rattan Qi Ancient Puer Tea she created still remains one of my favorite teas with its complex taste and aromas of the forest.
After her in-depth, groundbreaking book, The Wild Truth of Tea, I did not think she could come up with anything more, but boy was I wrong!
In her new book The 5 Elements of Tea, she goes into deep detail of the 5 Elements of tea like I have never seen before. She delves into Taoist concepts and teas deep connections to it, shedding light on a much-forgotten past to us all.
This book isn't just theory! It has practical applications. For example, in Chapter 2 in her section on the element of water and it's relationship to tea, she reveals the 5 types of water movement in nature, which are, long flowing water, torrential water, slow flowing water, swirling water, and the water from the sky. She gives step-by-step precise instructions along with high definition pictures of exactly how to use these methods in the tea ceremony for brewing and pouring tea. This gave me a whole new way to brew tea!
This is the book I have been looking for. This is a valuable edition and a must read for not just any tea fanatic but for those who want deeper knowledge of tea that you cannot find anywhere else, but to anyone who practices any of the Taoist arts like Qigong, meditation, and Chinese Medicine. I know you will love this book!
J.T. Hunter
Founder Wild Tea Qi
Co-Founder International Tea Academy
“It’s a book not only for deep studies in tea but also a useful guide for scholars of health, yoga/martial arts, and wellness.”
Can you draw conclusions about the entire universe by deep knowledge in the art of tea? Not many people are able to, but Shana Zhang is doing just that in this astonishingly book on the five elements and tea. With this new book, Shana takes tea and tea drinking to a whole new level. It’s a book not only for deep studies in tea but also a useful guide for scholars of health, yoga/martial arts and wellness. Use it as an inspiration and get back to it over and over again.
Shana is very young but her voice is rooted in an ancient and important message to make “us modern” humans more aware of all the small details that build up and maintain harmony in our lives. She reminds us of our inevitable place in nature, that everything is connected and of the importance to follow the laws of Tao in order to live a long and healthy life.
No matter how advanced we may become in science and artificial intelligence the laws of nature cannot be ignored.
Shana explains how the practice of the correct way of tea can be a gateway to a deeper understanding and meaning of life and the book puts tea into a new light and perspective both for Westerners and Easterners.
If you are already fascinated by tea you will receive deeper understanding through this book and will make you love and appreciate tea even more. The book will facilitate your understanding of how to correctly select, steep and enjoy teas to promote health to humans and the mother earth and bring a totally new meaning to your daily cuppa.
Catrin Rudling
Co-Founder Dear Tea Society
Shana is the most knowledgeable person I have ever met in the tea world. I have met and trained with the highest level tea masters, studied with the tea artisans and farmers and no one I have met has such a broad knowledge of tea like Shana. She is like a walking tea encyclopedia. I have watched her go into well-known tea plantations and pick apart their tea plucking methods to fine minute detail that even the farmers were astounded by her knowledge. Not only does she have the impeccable knowledge, but her tea making skills are bar none. The Rattan Qi Ancient Puer Tea she created still remains one of my favorite teas with its complex taste and aromas of the forest.
After her in-depth, groundbreaking book, The Wild Truth of Tea, I did not think she could come up with anything more, but boy was I wrong!
In her new book The 5 Elements of Tea, she goes into deep detail of the 5 Elements of tea like I have never seen before. She delves into Taoist concepts and teas deep connections to it, shedding light on a much-forgotten past to us all.
This book isn't just theory! It has practical applications. For example, in Chapter 2 in her section on the element of water and it's relationship to tea, she reveals the 5 types of water movement in nature, which are, long flowing water, torrential water, slow flowing water, swirling water, and the water from the sky. She gives step-by-step precise instructions along with high definition pictures of exactly how to use these methods in the tea ceremony for brewing and pouring tea. This gave me a whole new way to brew tea!
This is the book I have been looking for. This is a valuable edition and a must read for not just any tea fanatic but for those who want deeper knowledge of tea that you cannot find anywhere else, but to anyone who practices any of the Taoist arts like Qigong, meditation, and Chinese Medicine. I know you will love this book!
J.T. Hunter
Founder Wild Tea Qi
Co-Founder International Tea Academy
“It’s a book not only for deep studies in tea but also a useful guide for scholars of health, yoga/martial arts, and wellness.”
Can you draw conclusions about the entire universe by deep knowledge in the art of tea? Not many people are able to, but Shana Zhang is doing just that in this astonishingly book on the five elements and tea. With this new book, Shana takes tea and tea drinking to a whole new level. It’s a book not only for deep studies in tea but also a useful guide for scholars of health, yoga/martial arts and wellness. Use it as an inspiration and get back to it over and over again.
Shana is very young but her voice is rooted in an ancient and important message to make “us modern” humans more aware of all the small details that build up and maintain harmony in our lives. She reminds us of our inevitable place in nature, that everything is connected and of the importance to follow the laws of Tao in order to live a long and healthy life.
No matter how advanced we may become in science and artificial intelligence the laws of nature cannot be ignored.
Shana explains how the practice of the correct way of tea can be a gateway to a deeper understanding and meaning of life and the book puts tea into a new light and perspective both for Westerners and Easterners.
If you are already fascinated by tea you will receive deeper understanding through this book and will make you love and appreciate tea even more. The book will facilitate your understanding of how to correctly select, steep and enjoy teas to promote health to humans and the mother earth and bring a totally new meaning to your daily cuppa.
Catrin Rudling
Co-Founder Dear Tea Society
- GenresTea
80 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 19, 2018
12 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 30, 2025
4,5 stars actually, bot 5 only because there were some fairly impractical things in it ie. choosing a tea artisan by living with them, which for most of us is not something we would most probably ever try.
However, I still really enjoyed the insights on which tea is which element, when to drink which tea seasonally and within the day. And was quite intrigued by the different water methods inducing different elements.
However, I still really enjoyed the insights on which tea is which element, when to drink which tea seasonally and within the day. And was quite intrigued by the different water methods inducing different elements.
January 21, 2021
Buen punto de partida para iniciarse en el Tè curativo.
Cubre las ideas principales de los elementos y energías de la medicina tradicional china y los beneficios que podemos obtener de está combinando esas enseñanzas y juntándolas con el té.
Cubre las ideas principales de los elementos y energías de la medicina tradicional china y los beneficios que podemos obtener de está combinando esas enseñanzas y juntándolas con el té.
January 21, 2024
I checked this book out thinking I would learn the basics of tea. It was way more intense, but super interesting.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews