Return to Roots | Part 1: Sound

Return to Roots · 归根, Part 1: Sound

Live guzheng and gongfu tea, made for listening

When did you last sit still long enough to hear a whole song?

For 2 hours, Sean plays the guzheng live, a few feet from your cup, while Elaine and Natalie brew gongfu tea in front of you. Small cups, short steeps, so the tea changes pour by pour as the music does.

The guzheng is a Chinese zither, played for more than 2,000 years. Strings run over small movable bridges; one hand plucks, the other presses, so notes bend and slide like a voice. The afternoon moves in 5 parts: Arrival, Presence, Receiving, Resonance and Return.

Return to Roots is a 3-part series about coming back to the practices our parents and grandparents knew, and doing them our own way.

落叶归根: falling leaves return to their roots. (Chinese proverb)

Nothing to bring. Come a few minutes early to settle in.

Sean Wang is a guzheng player and teacher. He trained at Xinghai Conservatory of Music under 2 guzheng masters, Na Fu and Professor Li Wu, and played first chair guzheng in the conservatory's Chinese Orchestra. He then held first chair for the music drama Nie Xiaoqian, touring 32 cities across China. His awards include the Special Gold Prize at the Star of Tomorrow Hong Kong International Youth Culture & Arts Festival. He has played a guzheng recital for the Pacific Asia Museum's "Treasure Voyages of the Ming Dynasty," and he teaches students of all ages, from first-timers to future concert players.

Elaine of CommuniTea hosts tea circles across LA. In her words: "My journey is one of coming home to myself, moving from Becoming to Being. Along the way, I’ve found myself reconnecting with my roots, my Chinese heritage, and the traditions, rituals, and ancestral wisdom that have shaped my lineage. It has become a journey of exploring what it means to be Chinese and Chinese American, and finding a deeper sense of belonging through understanding where I come from.

Walking a spiritual path, I seek to bridge ancient Chinese traditions with my own spiritual practice, weaving together gongfu tea ceremony, meditation, and mindfulness. Through these practices, I create and facilitate spaces for presence, connection, and remembrance. I invite others to slow down, reconnect with themselves, and find their own way home."

Hosted at Bu Tea Den, DTLA. Address with your ticket, side door by the loading dock.

Sunday, Nov 15 · 4 to 6 PM

$35 early bird · $40 general