Yixing is a small city in east China renowned for a unique type of clay, used for creating fine pottery.
The diameter at the teapot's widest point is 1.6 meters.(Photo: CCTV.com)
The clay is called Zisha. It's been used for pottery making in the area for over 3,000 years.
The properties of the material allow artisans to create the perfect vessel for brewing tea. Artist Cheng Miaogen has just completed China's biggest Zisha teapot.
It's so big, it's hard for three people to surround the teapot in an embrace. The diameter at its widest point is 1.6 meters. There's enough room inside for four or five people to climb right in. The surface is inscribed with the Book of Tea - all 8646 character. The book was the first ever written on tea culture. The writer was Lu Yu who lived during the time of the Tang Dynasty about 1400 years ago. Lu Yu is honored to this day, as the sage of tea.
The diameter at the teapot's widest point is 1.6 meters.(Photo: CCTV.com)
Artist Cheng Miaogen spent about 10 months making the tea pot. It required nearly 2 tons of raw purple clay. Even after baking, the vessel stilled weighs a ton. He says the work felt more like building a house. The artist is preparing to apply to have the giant tea pot listed in the the Guinness record book.
(CCTV March 21, 2008)