On September 13, 2014, the sixth annual Forum for Chan Tea Culture was co-hosted by Hangzhou Lingyin Temple, Hangzhou Buddhist Academy, Chan Tea Research Center of China Research Institute for International Tea Culture, and Tea Culture Department of Zhejiang A&F University at Zhejiang Hotel. Experts and scholars in this field from home and abroad gathered together to share academic research findings and to promote the heritage of Chan tea culture. Master Yankong, the monastic manager of Lingyin Temple, on behalf of Abbot Guangquan, opened the ceremony with a warm welcome and address.
Associate Professor Guan Jianping of Tea Culture Department of Zhejiang A&F University presided at the forum and about thirty experts and scholars in this field attended this four-day session. These honored guests included Cheng Qikun, Vice Chairman of China Research Institute for International Tea Culture, Professor Yao Guokun of Tea Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Professor Shuya Nakamura of Bunkyo University in Japan, Shen Dongmei, Committee Member and Vice Director of the Academic Committee of China Research Institute for International Tea Culture, Associate Professor Xuan Fang of School of Philosophy of Renmin University of China, He Xinpeng, Doctor of Philosophy from School of Philosophy of University Wuerzburg in Germany and postdoctoral researcher in School of Philosophy of Zhejiang University, to name but a few.
Venerable Buddhists, experts and scholars discussed in depth around the forum’s themes of ＂monastic rules of purity and tea etiquette＂, ＂literature and Buddhist culture＂ and ＂Buddhist cultural resources＂. The four-day session was concluded on September 15.

Opening ceremony

Master Yankong of Lingyin Temple giving an opening speech

Professor Kumakura Isao of Shizuoka University of Art and Culture in Japan giving a speech on behalf of the forum representatives

Associate Professor Guan Jianping of Tea Culture Department of Zhejiang A&F University presiding at the forum

Experts and scholars engaged in discussion

Group photo of forum representatives