Abstract: Tea dyeing, a representative plant-based dyeing technique in Jingchu's intangible cultural heritage, derives its color variations from the redox reactions of tea polyphenols and coordination-dissociation equilibrium systems. This popular science project employs gradient experiments investigating temperature, pH, and metal ion effects, integrating microfluidic devices with smartphone sensors to achieve digital color analysis and multivariate dynamic visualization. We designed a three-stage science popularization framework encompassing “cultural awareness → craft experience → scientific exploration”, complemented by short video dissemination, to reveal the scientific principles underlying this traditional craft.

Key words: Tea dyeing, Chemical equilibrium, Smartphone-based sensing, Jingchu-style craftsmanship