The word “he” in Cha-he is the pinyin romanization of the Chinese term for the tool. It reads “hé”, and not “hee” (as in the pronoun with the same spelling). You are right, it is basically a tealeaves holder. Used more in presentation or examination context rather than normal daily tea making. There’s a lot of background story, but not significant for the modern tea drinker.
You can use anything to serve the purpose in its place. If scent is your examination priority, use a small tall cup as an alternative.
