Hotel veteran Wee Wei Ling shares with Melissa Gail Sing her vision of promoting Chinese arts and culture—and a more relaxed society—through tea appreciation.

She is responsible for overseeing the asset management of hotels under the Pan Pacific Hotels Group as its executive director. She also helms St. Gregory spas and Si Chuan Dou Hua restaurants. On top of that, she chairs the CEO committee of Project We Care, a corporate volunteerism programme. If all that sounds like a formidable task, you’ll be surprised to find that it’s a petite lady who fills those big shoes. Wee Wei Ling is a powerhouse of energy who flits from one task to the next with absolute finesse. It’s an ability that comes with a career in hospitality spanning 27 years—and some might say that drinking Chinese tea may have something to do with her soothing aura.

Wei Ling says, “Drinking tea is a very calming, relaxing and peaceful experience. I always find that discussions with my team are far more productive when done over a tea session than in a cold meeting room. And I strongly believe that with our very fast-paced lives in Singapore, quiet moments are precious and very important in calming down.”

Quiet, reflective moments are what guests can indulge in at Tian Fu Tea Room, which she started in 2004, to complement Si Chuan Dou Hua. The first teahouse concept within a restaurant here, it offers a wide selection of fine teas and is run by experienced tea masters. However, Wei Ling sees much more than just relaxation in a cup of tea. “There’s a Chinese saying about tea appreciation: qin qi shu hua, which means tea drinking should be accompanied by string music (qin), playing Chinese chess (qi), books, exhibitions or calligraphy (shu), and paintings (hua). These are the four elements that always relate to tea appreciation and tea houses.”

Since April this year, she has been making Chinese arts and culture more accessible to the public through exhibitions at the Tian Fu Tea Room at Parkroyal on Beach Road. Over a high tea session, guests can enjoy fine brews and dim sum while appreciating rarely seen art. The first exhibition of over 200 Chinese snuff bottles from a private collection was followed by a September showcase of traditional Chinese handcrafted carvings that have never been exhibited before.

Both collections belong to Wei Ling’s friends who live in Hong Kong, and it took some convincing before they agreed to bring in parts of their collection. Just as the enjoyment of tea is heightened when shared, she believes that good things, like historically rich Chinese artworks, should be shared. With plans to make the exhibitions a quarterly affair, she is already looking among her circle of friends for other potential exhibitors, but it must be the right fit. “It must be something unique and never seen before in Singapore. The last two were private collections you can’t see anywhere else. Because of my friendship with the owners and our common belief in sharing, these exhibitions have materialised. Beautiful things and wisdom should be shared.”

Apart from exhibitions, Wei Ling believes more can be done to promote Chinese culture and tea appreciation in Singapore. She is toying with the idea of a grand tea festival in conjunction with Tian Fu Tea Room’s 10th anniversary in 2015. “In China and Taiwan, tea is ubiquitous, a distinct part of the culture. I’d like to promote a stronger tea culture here, too. This could be achieved by organising a first-in-Singapore tea festival that would feature tea merchants from Singapore and around the world, Chinese calligraphy, cultural events, music and so on. With strategic partnerships, I hope to make this possible.”

While she appreciates art and grew up surrounded by traditional Chinese artworks and fine calligraphy, the daughter of banking magnate Wee Cho Yaw won’t consider herself a connoisseur. “I appreciate art, but it’s also educational. I share what I learn about snuff bottles and other art forms with my staff. Every day is a learning opportunity, I tell them. I believe everyone, no matter their age, should not be afraid to be curious and learn,” says the 60-something with the energy of someone half her age, whom we can’t help but admire.