The exhibition features the tea culture of Xi’an, which is located in the northwest Chinese province of Shaanxi. Ancient Tea with New Glamour includes tea-related publications, crafts, and innovative products in addition to specialties from Xi’an. In addition to being one of China’s historic capitals, the city was also the starting point of the Silk Road, an ancient economic route that facilitated trade between China and the Mediterranean”, as stated by Yuan Yuan, the Director of the China Cultural Centre in Malta.

Featuring fascinating displays, artefacts, paintings, and photos from the city of Xi’an, it provides insight into the long-standing importance of tea in Chinese culture. The exhibition is split into four sections; ‘Ancient Tea Wares and Classics,’ ‘Ancient Techniques,’ ‘Technical Innovation,’ and ‘Pictures and Items’. Each one teaches visitors about the vastness and wealth of China, as well as the rich and complex culture of Xi’an.

The focal point of the display is a Tang-style bronze, gold, and silver gilt tea set. The beautiful artefacts are duplicates of a collection of royal teaware items discovered in 1987 at the ancient Buddhist Famen temple located in northwest Shaanxi. A contemporary reprint of The Classic of Tea, housed in a thread-bound binding, is another intriguing display. This book, authored by Lu Yu between 760 and 762 CE in the Tang Dynasty, is regarded as “the world’s first known monograph on tea”. It provides documentation of the history, cultivation, processing, and cooking of tea through its extensive records.