The "shuiping" teapot has a long history and is popular in Guangdong, Fujian, and Southeast Asian regions of China. It is the primary vessel used for "gongfu tea." The so-called "gongfu tea" does not merely refer to attention to the details of tea preparation; more importantly, it represents a standardized and ritualized way of drinking tea. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Xi Guangdou wrote in *Min Suo Ji* (Records of Fujian): > "Passing through Longxi, I encountered a rustic pavilion by chance on the road. The host invited me into a simple room where a ground stove kept a lively fire, and a teapot awaited. The pot was extremely small, holding only enough for one sip, yet as soon as it went down the throat, it permeated the heart and spleen." Drinking gongfu tea places extremely high demands on tea utensils. Zhou Kai wrote in *Xiamen Zhi* (Gazetteer of Xiamen) during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty: "The local custom favors Chinese tea, with utensils refined and small. Teapots must be from Huimengchen, and cups must be Ruoshen cups." The shuiping teapot gradually became an important category of Yixing purple clay teapots. Zhang Tingji, a famous scholar and connoisseur from northern Zhejiang during the Qing Dynasty, carved on the wooden base of a small Huimengchen purple clay teapot in his collection: "A single drop from this pot is worth a thousand gold." The popularity of small purple clay teapots is evident from this. Gu Jingzhou's "zhu ni shuiping teapots" were mainly made during his early apprenticeship years. He commonly used the base seal "Moyuanzhai Yitang Zhi" and the handle seal "Jing Ji," and occasionally the base was stamped with "Yanxi Huimengchen Zhi." Gu's "zhu ni shuiping teapots" came in various forms and generally possessed the characteristics of carefully selected clay, lustrous red color, exquisite craftsmanship, and elegant simplicity with spirit. Shuiping teapots of other styles made by Gu Jingzhou --- [1] Chen Xingyi, "A Single Drop from This Pot is Worth a Thousand Gold—On Zhang Tingji's Collection and Authentication of Ming Dynasty Huimengchen Small Purple Clay Teapots," *Ziyu Jinsha (Ceramic Culture)*, Issue 68 (1999), p. 18.