Painted Dragons, Moonrise Matcha

An ephemeral congregation to behold the Strawberry Moon; a dialogue between land and tradition; a contemporary installation in the Japanese matcha lineage; an inspection of land architecture and fēng shuǐ

Santa Monica Mountains • Saturday, May 30, 4 - 6 p • Strawberry Moon in Sagittarius

Close your eyes and degust ceremonial-grade matcha from Fukuoka, Japan ~ the sun setting through the Santa Monicas, the ocean breeze rustling the leaves, mist creeping over the mountains from the ocean throughout the duration of the event ~ suspending us in clouds by sunfall. Breathe in the full moonlight casting shadows through a plethora of geometry

This meeting includes:

• full-length Omotesenke matcha ceremony with education

• bowl of ceremonial-grade matcha ~ umami, smooth, nutty

• lessons in land architecture and daoist craftsmanship

exact location will be shared 3 days before the event. Our gathering demands a rite-of-passage ~ 30 minute, safe, relatively flat hike; on unpaved, mountain spines — please ensure suitable physical ability

Street parking. Please bring a full water vessel and warmth for an ocean-brushed night – an optional snack is also recommended

Event energy: the Rigor of the Japanese Matchadō, the Aroma of Seaweed, the Still Glory of a Golden Chaparral, Urban Street Art, Full Moonlight Contemplation, Chinese Architecture

About your hosts:

​Andreas Tsui Pride is a tea ceremonialist and founder of Thoughtful Tea Garden. Having studied linguistics and culture for 6 years, his anthropological interest finds itself in the form of tea, being the perfect medium for peace and inner-cultivation, connecting people across cultures through the senses, and with the land.

​Alongside his Chinese tea practice, Reas studies and performs the Japanese sencha ceremony under Kobayashi-sensei, a certified tea master with over 30 years of training. His work progresses tea as a living cultural art and a bridge between people, the divine, and everyday life.

Lani Mei is a professional architect and practitioner of the Omotesenke school of matcha, who crafts large scale matcha demonstrations. She's deeply studied in east asian design philosophy and spirituality. Her work is an inspection and lesson in energetic movement, design philosophy, and human expression ~ the architecture of emotion.

She makes rare appearances for auspicious events as Cha No Yuma, crafting portals and narratives around tea ceremonies to gracefully mvoe us through the seasons.

4 seats left

due to the intimate capacity, ticket prices are high to cover expenses and provide top-tier matcha and space-design – if you could use support on purchasing, please email rui@thoughtfulteagarden.com