The humble teapot is set to show the power of diplomacy in China and Malaysia’s 50 years of friendship.
The paraphernalia of Gong Fu tea will be exhibited at event venue Encore Melaka during the run of Puteri Hang Li Po musical starting tomorrow.
Tony Gim Beh Sing, owner of the company which rescued the wares, said the collection from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) will be on display until Oct 6.
“This is a valuable and significant event to commemorate the diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia, especially ancient treasures linked to the Ming era when the culture of tea drinking was revolutionised by Emperor Hongwu, the grandfather of Puteri Hang Li Po,” he said.
Gim said when tea drinking flourished beyond the nobility to the masses, it later resulted in the invention of a “super teapot” that inspired the creation of the concept called Gong Fu tea which included classic tea cups, dishes and other wares.
He said when civil wars caused people in Fujian province to migrate to countries in South-East Asia, the region described as “Nanyang” by China, they took these valuable items.
When they died, these treasures were buried with them.
Gim added that these treasures were rescued when ancient graves were demolished to make way for residential and commercial developments in various places in South-East Asia, such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and other places where the graves of early Chinese settlers were located.
“The tea exhibition is very meaningful as the historic event symbolises a shared Malaysian and Chinese culture,” he said.
