Skip to content
Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on September 8 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland at the age of 96, had a unique connection with “Yixing” “Zisha” teapots. During her only visit to China, she sipped tea from the "Xiaoying Zhujie Zisha Tea Set" designed by “Zisha” master “Zhu Kexin”.
Born in April 1926, Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the throne in 1952, becoming the longest-reigning monarch in British history. According to British media, the nation will observe a ten-day period of mourning.
Elizabeth II was a long-standing advocate for Sino-British friendship and played a key role in the development of relations between the two countries. As reported by senior British royal correspondent Jess Ilse, she was the first British monarch to visit China. In October 1986, she and her husband, Prince Philip, toured Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Kunming, and Guangzhou, visiting landmarks such as the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors Museum in Xi'an, and the Forbidden City in Beijing.
A particularly notable moment occurred on October 15, 1986, when Queen Elizabeth II visited Shanghai. Accompanied by then-Mayor Jiang Zemin, she toured the “Huxinting” Teahouse in “Yuyuan” Garden. Mayor Jiang introduced the history of the teahouse and Chinese tea culture in English, while a server presented premium “Shifeng Longjing” tea brewed in “Yixing” “Zisha” teapots. The Queen enjoyed the tea while listening to the melodious “Jiangnan” “Sizhu” music.
Chinese tea has long been a prized commodity in Britain. It was introduced to the UK in the 17th century, and due to the high cost of transportation and heavy taxes imposed by the British government, only the wealthy could afford it. Tea drinking became a status symbol, and serving Chinese tea to guests was a display of affluence.
“Zhu Kexin” (1904–1986), originally named “Kai Zhang”, was a renowned “Yixing” “Zisha” artisan and a master of floral teapots.
“Shi Juntang”, the 72-year-old president of the “Yixing” Ceramic Industry Association, bears witness to this historical anecdote.
