A 40-year-old Shanghai resident has used tea and spoons to create nearly 200 patterns based on ancient paintings. Han Zheming does so as part of a revival of tea art or dian cha, which was a ritual in the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

"It's like adding bells and whistles to tea art and gives people a stronger sense of occasion so drinking tea is more fun," Han said.

It's his intention to bring the old ritual back to modern life and have more people appreciate the charm. Dian cha in modern brewing enhances the taste of tea, Han said.

Chinese tea culture started to enjoy popularity in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and flourished in the Song Dynasty.