Tea whisking involves stirring tea powder and hot water until a thick layer of white froth emerges on the surface of the tea. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Back in the Tang Dynasty, a Japanese monk who studied at Jingshan Temple took tea drinking back to Japan, and in the Song Dynasty, two other influential monks, Enni Ben'en and Nanpo Shomyo, introduced the temple's tea traditions to Japan.

Despite Jingshan Temple's venerable status in the history of tea, Zhang says that around 10 years ago, even most of the locals didn't know about the ceremony, nor the rich legacy of Jingshan tea, which they grow and drink on a daily basis.

"Jingshan village is the core production area of Jingshan tea, and it naturally became our duty to tell the story of Jingshan tea in a compelling way. We came to realize that, to support the development of Jingshan tea, we must delve deeply into both its past and present," says Yu Ronghua, Party secretary of Jingshan village.

From 2012, Yu led a team in visiting folk tea masters and monks at the temple, as well as researchers and scholars of tea, in the hope of restoring a folk edition of the ceremony, so that more people would have the chance to learn about and participate in this tradition.