About this Event
Join us in Salisbury Centre Edinburgh, for a 2.5 day Intercultural Mindfulness Festival during 8-10 May, 2026, uniting diverse contemplative traditions in shared wisdom and practice, presented by Buddhism and Meditation Society at University of Edinburgh, funded by Student Experience Grant at University of Edinburgh.
More info
https://mindfulness-for-all.com/edinburgh-intercultural-mindfulness-festival-conscious-creation
Words from Wenwei
I have been sharing tea in Belgium for a few years now, people often call what I do a « tea ceremony » . And I insist on correcting them :) Not because I don’t appreciate ceremonies. As a human being, I actually love them. But this is not how I, as a southern Chinese, experience tea.
So why does this distinction matter to me?
Because conscious tea drinking goes beyond a ceremonial container and beyond flavour wheels. In Chinese culture, knowledge and theory are meant to be lived with our bodies. They are meant for everyday life, something you can use right now, in the very moment. They are not quite created for intellectual gymnastics.
For me, good-quality tea is a great doorway back into the body. That’s one of the many reasons I’m drawn to it, and why I share it.
What I would like to offer on 08 May is a tea gathering rooted in the ever-evolving Chinese tea culture. We explore how contemporary Chinese people enjoy tea in daily life, discover its beauty, and reflect on the philosophies and mindsets behind it.
I also call it an honest tea-sensing experience. Around tea, countless stories have been told or imagined. The story I’d like to share is the one already present — in the tea itself, and in our bodies.
During this tea gathering, I will serve 3 to 4 teas that carry a comforting Qi: no jitters but calm, no harshness but transformation.
For me, it’s like opening a window for European friends to glimpse Chinese tea culture - a taste and a reference point for what tea means back home. We follow the changes of the tea, let our imagination wander, and enjoy the journey it takes us on, alone and together.
I learn from those who came before me, for their wisdom opens my eyes and expands the world I’m able to see. Everything I seek seems to already be there. How lucky that is, and I’d like to share with you what I learned and experienced, with tea as a conduit.
Warmly,
Wenwei Zhang
张雯玮
Guest Bio: Wenwei Zhang is a passionate cultural guide and tea practitioner deeply rooted in traditional Chinese culture. Born and raised in China, she carries a profound gratitude for her heritage, which she now seeks to share authentically with others.
Her journey is one of evolving into her truest self in returning to natural innocence, as Taoism encourages, while gently pushing against rigid interpretations of spirituality.
She believes in the power of tea not as performance, but as presence: a medium through which energy, beauty and human connection can be felt with the body.
Based in Brussels, she curates premium Chinese tea that opens and flows and designs wholesome cultural experiences.
Sign up:https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/edinburgh-intercultural-mindfulness-festival-day-1-heart-conciousness-tickets-1986065622741?aff=oddtdtcreator
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Salisbury Centre, 2 Salisbury Road, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
GBP 0.00
