A dawn trek to the artist-built Griffith Park Teahouse

The invitation to the opening of the Griffith Park Teahouse, a Japanese style structure surreptitiously installed in Griffith Park by an anonymous collective of artists, came in the form of this laser-burned piece of wood.

Per the instructions, guests gathered in the parking lot of the Griffith Observatory, where they were given small ceramic cups bearing LED candles. A participant begins the 30-minute hike up the trail to the site of the teahouse.

Guests gathered for the happening at dawn and made their way up the trail as the sun began to edge over the San Gabriel Mountains. About three dozen people participated in the inaugural ceremony.

Participants were given small vellum maps upon arrival. But the trail was clearly marked with bark arrows.

The hike led to a ridge near Mt. Bell, where tea expert Tiffany Williams dispensed sencha green tea from within a Japanese-style structure.

Three at a time, the crowd was served tea and cookies. In this image, the Teafaerie, Jenny Klein and Max Geldman wait as their tea brews.

A message carved into the wood outside the teahouse explains its purpose. The artists hope that the city will accept it as a gift.

The artists left behind small wooden cards where visitors can write a wish, a memory or a love letter to Los Angeles.

Once messages are written on the wooden cards, they are placed on pegs inside the teahouse and left behind as tokens.

The teahouse is decorated with a hand-carved image of a mythological griffin. In honor of Los Angeles, it is part red-tailed hawk (common to the area) and part mountain lion (like P-22, the famous mountain lion spotted in the area). The creature is shown wearing a tracking collar.

Jonathan Reilly hugs the Teafaerie, right, as Lauren DeAngelus, left, takes in the sunrise. For a brief moment, a motley crew of Angelenos was brought together by art and tea.