Tea girl of Kangxi in Qing Dynasty

During the reign of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, the maid-in-waiting serving tea was a specialized court official, who was mainly responsible for delivering drinks to the emperor and other senior officials.

These ladies-in-waiting are generally selected from girls with poor families and good looks, and their age is generally around 12 years old. Their main job is to provide tea, plates and wine for emperors, queens, imperial concubines, concubines and other senior officials in various parts of the court. In the process of serving tea, ladies-in-waiting should pay attention to the requirements of both form and spirit, proper movements and beautiful posture, so as to show the royal character and strong etiquette.

Maids who serve tea are well paid and enjoy special benefits and treatment. If the maid is ill, her medical expenses will be borne by the royal family, and sometimes the emperor even gives her gold and silver treasures, jewelry and other rewards. However, maids are also required to remain pure, observe court etiquette and leave no stains, otherwise they will be removed from the list or punished.