Cloud tea is like life; life is learning, wisdom is cultivation.
Solving lantern riddles at the Lantern Festival is a cherished Chinese tradition. Every year I create tea-name riddles to test my friends. This year I prepared several: “The first ray of sunlight in deep winter” — the answer is “Dian Hong” (Yunnan Black Tea), because its liquor colour resembles winter’s warming sun. “Drinking alone beneath the moon” — the answer is “Moonlight White,” because the name itself is pure poetry. “Bitterness gives way to sweetness” — the answer is “Banzhang,” because Banzhang is most famous for its bitter base and powerful returning sweetness. “The accumulated fragrance of years” — the answer is “Aged Tea,” because the aged aroma of old tea is the very scent of time. After guessing, my friends all said it was delightful — who knew tea names could be so cultured?
Today I am brewing Fengqing Dian Hong, solving riddles while sipping tea. The liquor is bright orange-red, sweet as honey on the palate, with a subtle note of roasted sweet potato. This sweetness is not from added sugar — it is the leaf’s own natural sweetness. After drinking, your mouth is filled with honeyed fragrance, and your spirits lift. There is an advantage to drinking black tea on Lantern Festival night: the weather is cold, and black tea’s warm nature helps heat the body. After drinking, you feel cosy all over, and your riddle-solving energy improves. This is my fixed Lantern Festival programme — drinking tea and solving riddles. It has become my ritual for the occasion.
From a wellness perspective, the Lantern Festival season is still cold, and people tend to have cold hands and feet. Black tea, warm in nature, is traditionally believed to help promote blood circulation and warm the extremities. The thearubigins in black tea are also considered protective for the stomach lining. After eating so many tang yuan (glutinous rice balls) at the festival, the digestive system is burdened; a pot of black tea is said to aid digestion. This is my annual Lantern Festival wellness secret — simple but effective. Black tea’s moderate caffeine content refreshes without over-stimulating, making it quite suitable for evening drinking. Combined with its traditional antioxidant properties, these are all reasons why red tea is the Lantern Festival drink of choice.
The joy of lantern riddles lies in the thinking process. It is like drinking tea — not to quench thirst, but to savour. Every riddle is a puzzle; every cup of tea tells a story. Lantern riddles and red tea on Lantern Festival night — the perfect pairing. I have always believed that the charm of Chinese traditional culture lies in its wisdom and its playfulness. Tea culture is a prime example — it is not just about drinking; it is a way of living. That way is: slow down, and taste with your whole heart. Modern life moves so fast that such unhurried moments are rare treasures.
Tea has grades; all may enjoy it regardless of status.
During the Lantern Festival riddles, I specially prepared several different black teas. For each riddle solved correctly, the winner is rewarded with a different cup. My friends grow more excited with each guess, drinking more and more. This is tea’s social function — it draws people closer together. A pot of red tea on Lantern Festival night, with a few riddles, makes for the most enjoyable kind of gathering. I have kept this tradition for many years, and every year new friends join in. May everyone have a happy Lantern Festival, enjoy the riddles, and drink tea in comfort.
Make friends through tea, please enjoy a cup.
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Author: Old Tea Head · Lin Shen (LamSam)
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