Chinese teaware for beginners is where people waste the most money. A full set feels like commitment, so people buy it before they know which teas they like, which size they prefer, or whether they even enjoy brewing this way. Buy for the tea you drink now, not for the tea drinker you imagine becoming.
The three things you actually need
1. Something to brew in. A small teapot, a gaiwan (a lidded bowl), or a mug with a strainer all work. A gaiwan is cheap, versatile, and shows you the leaves clearly, which helps you learn. A small teapot is easier to pour if a lidded bowl feels awkward at first. Either is fine; the best vessel is the one you will actually use.
2. Something to drink from. One or two small cups are enough. Small cups keep the tea hot, let you taste in small sips, and make a second infusion feel like a fresh start rather than a refill. You do not need matching cups, and you do not need a dozen of them.
3. A way to separate leaves from water. If your pot has a built-in strainer, you are done. Otherwise a simple strainer or a small pitcher to pour into will do. The point is simple: once the tea is brewed, get it off the leaves, or it will keep getting stronger while you drink.
What can wait
A tea tray, a tea table, a full set of tools, a collection of clay pots: all of these can wait. A tray is useful if you brew on a wooden table and spill often, but a folded towel works just as well at the start. A clay Yixing pot is wonderful for a tea you already love and drink often; it is a poor first purchase, because clay absorbs flavour and suits one type of tea, not all of them.
The same logic applies to cups. Buy one good cup you like holding before you buy a set. Tea is a daily habit, and daily habits are built on things that feel good in the hand, not on things that look good on a shelf.
How to choose, in practice
For Chinese teaware for beginners, choose porcelain or glass first. Both are neutral in flavour, easy to clean, and let you see the colour of the tea. Avoid very large pots at the start: a pot of 150 to 200 millilitres suits one or two people and keeps each infusion fresh. Wash teaware with hot water only, no soap scent lingering in the pot, and dry it before putting it away.
When you have brewed the same tea for a few months and know you will keep drinking it, then consider a dedicated pot or a nicer set. By then you will know what size, shape, and material you actually want, because your hands will have told you.