Tea Classics

Chinese Tea Classics

Teaas a beverage was introduced to Chinano later than the fifth century BCE. The earliest extantmention of tea in literature is in the Shih Chingor Book of Changes, written circa 550 BCE. Although the ideogramused (Tu) also can designate a variety of plants, including sowthistleand thrush.

Chinese literaturecontains a significant number of ancient treatises on tea. Together, there exist approximately one hundred monographs or treatises on tea published from the Tang dynasty through the end of the Ming dynasty. The more famous books on tea include:

?? ?? Ch'a Ching, Classic of Tea by Lu Yuin 760 AD

• Lu Yu?? Ch'a Ching, The Classic of Tea, between 760 AD-780 AD.

According to popular legend, Lu Yuwas an orphan of Jinling county (now Tianmen county in Hubei province), who was adopted by Buddhist monk of the Dragon Cloud Monastery. He refused to take up monkly robes and was assigned the worst jobs by his stepfather. Lu Yu ran away and joined the circus as a clown. At age 14, Lu Yu was discovered by the local governor Li Qiwu, he offered Lu Yu the use of his library and the opportunity to study with a teacher. During the An Lushan and Shi Siming rebellion period, Lu Yu retired to Shaoqi (now Wuxing county, Zhejiang). During this period, Lu Yu made friends with many literati, including the calligrapher Yian Zhenqing and the poet Huang Pu Zheng and wrote his magnum opus: Ch'a Ching.

For Lu Yu, tea symbolized the the harmony and mysterious unity of the Universe. "He invested the Ch'a Ching with the concept that dominated the religious thought of his age, whether Buddhist, Taoist, or Confucian: to see in the particular an expression of the universal" (Shapira, et al., 150).

Huang Pu Zheng's poem about Lu Yu

Saw Lu Yu off to Pick Tea
Thousand mountains greeted my departing friend
When spring tea blossoming again
With indepth knowledge in picking tea
Through morning mist or crimson evening clouds
His solitary journey is my envy
Rendezvous in a temple of a remote mountain
We enjoyed picnic by a clear pebble fountain
In this silent night
Lit up a candle light
I knocked a marble bell for chime
While deep in thought for old time.

---Translated by martin tai, 21 November1996

Content of Ch'a Ching

Image:Chajing.jpeg Lu Yu's Ch'a Ching(??) was the earliest treatise on tea in the world. The Ch'a Ching is divided into the following 10 chapters:

• Chapter 1. Origin

This chapter expounds the mythologicalorigins of tea in China. It also contains a horticulturaldescription of the tea plant and its proper planting as well as some etymologicalspeculation.

• Chapter 2. Tea Tools

This chapter describes fifteen tools for picking, steaming, pressing, drying and storage of tea leaves and cake.

• Chapter 3. Manufacture

This chapter details the recommended procedures for the production of tea cake.

• Chapter 4. Tea Wares

This chapter describes twenty eight items used in the brewing and drinking of tea.

• Chapter 5. Brewing

This chapter enumerates the guidelines for the proper preparation tea.

• Chapter 6. Drinking Tea

This chapter describes the various properties of tea, the history of tea drinking and the various types of tea known in 5th century China.

• Chapter 7. Anecdotes

This chapter gives various anecdotes about the history of tea in Chinese records, from Shenongthrough the Tang dynasty.

• Chapter 8. Places

This chapter ranks the eight tea producing regions in China.

• Chapter 9. Omission

This chapter lists those procedures that may be omitted and under which circumstances.

• Chapter 10. Diagrams

This chapter consists of four silk scrolls that provide an abbreviated version of the previous nine chapters.

Other Tang Dynasty Tea Classics

??? Zhang Yiuxin: ????,Report on Water for Brewing Tea, 814 AD

????: Report on Water for Steeping Tea, 814 AD. This is the earliest monograph on water for tea.

Content:

• A short list of water ranking from seven locations:1. Nanling of Yangtse river,2. Wuxi Hui Mountain Temple Spring,3. Suzhou Tiger Hill Temple Spring, 4.Danyang Guanyin Temple, 5.Yangzhou Da Ming Temple,6. Wuzhong River, and 7. Huai River.
• An anecdote about Lu Yu's magical ability as water connoisseur.
• Ranking for water from twenty locations.

??? Wen Tingjun??? Chai Cha Lu

Report on Picking Tea, 860 AD

Sung Dynasty Classics on Tea

?? Cai Xiang?? Tea Notes 1049 AD

Reputed as the greatest calligrapher of the Song dynasty, Cai Xiang was also a great tea connoisseur. During the reign of Chingli (1042-1048), Cai Xiang was the Officer of Transportation in Fujian. He pioneered the manufacture of a small Dragon Tribute Tea Cake of superlative quality. He also wrote the first tea treatise of the Song dynasty, Tea Notes.

Tea Notes Table of Contents:

• Part I: About Tea
  • Properties of Tea
  • On Storage
  • On Baking
  • On Pressing
  • On Sieving
  • On Boiling Water
  • On Preheating
  • On Tea Spotting
• Part II: Tea Utensils
  • Tea Warmer
  • Tea Canister
  • Tea Hammer
  • Tea Clamps
  • Tea Grinder
  • Tea Sieve
  • Tea Vessel
  • Tea Spoon
  • Tea Kettle

In these essays, Cai Xiang criticized the traditional pratice of mixing small amounts of Borneo camphor (Dryobalanops aromatica) into tea cakes. He wrote: "Tea has an intrinsic aroma. But tribute tea manufacturers like to mix in a small amount of Borneo camphor, supposedly to enhance the aroma of tea. The local people of Jian'an never mix any incense into tea." Cai Xiang was a native of Fujian; he first described the tea spotting tradition of Jian'an (now Shuiji county in Fujian).

??? Song Zhi An:????? Report on Tasting Tea of East Brook, 1064 AD

????? Dong Qi Shi Cha Lu, Report on Tasting Tea of East Brook.

??? Emperor Song Huizong:????Treatise on Tea 1107 AD

Emperor Song Huizong was a great connoiseur of tea with masterful skill in tea ceremony, often engaged in tea tasting and tea competition with his subordinates in Song Imperial Court. Emperor Huizong's favourite was white tea.

Content of ????:

• Preface
• Places of Origin
• On Climate
• On Picking Tea
• On Steaming and Pressing
• Manufacture
• Assessment
• White Tea
• Grinding
• Tea vessel
• Tea brush
• Tea Cake
• Tea spoon
• Water
• Tea Spot
• Palate
• Aroma
• Color
• Storage
• Brand Name
• Non official product

Emperor Huizong provided the most detail, vivid and masterful description of the Song dynasty technique of tea spotting competition. The Emperor also laid down seven criteria for tea competition. Emperor Huizong Da Guan Cha Lu ( Treatise on Tea) is a key document for understanding the most sophisticated tea ceremony in Chinese history. A monumental treatise on tea after Lu Yu's Classic of Tea.

?? Xiong Fan:???????,Record of Xuan He Era Tribute Tea in Bei'yuan District

Xuan He Bei Yuan Gong Cha Lu ??????? Record of Xuan He Era Tribute Tea in Bei'yuan District.Detail description of the names of tribute tea cakes, package, some with dimension data, for example "Longevity Dragon cake, silver mould, bamboo frame, one inch diameter" "Eternal Spring Jade Leave, bamboo frame, dimater 3 1/2 inch" etc

??Huang Ru??????? Pin Cha Yiao Lu

Essential Record of Tea Tasting 1075 AD

????Shen'an Laoren : ? ? ? ? Tea Ware Pictorial, by The Old Man Shen'an

Image:Teautensils.jpg Pictorial of Tea Ware compiled ca 1269 AD is the earliest picture book on tea ware used in preparing Song tea cake for drinking. This book described 12 tea wares:

• tea stove ??? 'Weihonglu'
• tea hammer ??? 'Modaizhi'
• tea press, ??? 'Jinfacao'
• tea grinder,??? "Shizhuanyun'
• tea spoon, ??? 'Hu'yuanwai'
• tea sieve, ??? 'Luoshumi'
• tea brush, ??? 'Zhongcongshi'
• tea tray, ???? 'Cidiaomige'
• tea cup, ??? 'Taobaowen'
• tea kettle, ??? 'Tangtidian'
• tea swiper, ??? 'Zhufushi'
• tea napkin, ??? 'Shizhifang'

Ming Dynasty Tea Classics

?? Zhu Quan?? Tea Manual 1440

Zhu Quan, aka Prince Ning, 17th son of Ming Emperor Hongwu. Following his father Emperor Hongwu's ban on manufacutring of tea cake, Prince Ning advocated a simpler way of steeping lose tea, a radical departure from the sophisticated tea cake ceremony of Tang and Song dynasty, thus pioneered a new era in Chinese Tea Culture. Prince Ning also invented a tea stove called "Koojiejun'

Content:

• On Property of Tea
• Storage,
• Brewing,
• Flower Tea,
• Ten teawares,
• Fire,
• Ranking of water.

A milestone book.

??? Gu Yuanching?? Cha Pu, Classification of Tea 1541

??? born in Wu county, Jiangsu.

???Lu Shusheng??? Cha Liao Ji, A Report on Tea House,1570

Some quotations:

"People of Jian'an called tea spotting as tea battle"

"Brew tea with small fire and thin smoke, small stove and long spring"

?? Tu Long???? Kao Pan Yu Shi

Desultory Remarks on Furnishing the Abode of the Retired Scholar,ca 1590

Content

• Type of tea
  • Tiger Hill
  • Heavenly Pool
  • Yangxian
  • Liu'an
  • Dragon Well(Longjing)
  • Sky Eye( TianMu)
• Tea Picking
• Sun dried tea
• Fire baked tea
• Storage of tea
• Various Flower Tea
• Choice of Water
  • Earth spring
  • mountain spring
  • hot spring
  • river water
  • well water
  • Dan Spring
• Water cultivation
• Prepare boiling water
• Pouring of water
• Choice of teaware
• Rinse teaware
• Warm up teaware
• Choice of fuel
• Choice of fruits
• Effects of tea
• Human Character
• Tea Utensils
  • 27 tea utensils

?? Gao Lian????

Jun Shen Ba Jian, Eight Discourses on the Art of Living/ Tea, 1591

??? Hu Wenhuan ?? Tea Collection, 1593

?? Chen Shi ?? Cha Kao Research on Tea,1593

??? Chen Jiru ?? Tea Talks 1595

??? Zhang Qiande ?? The Book of Tea,1598

??? Xiong Ming'yu???? Luo Jie Cha Ji, Report on Lu Jie Tea, ca 1608

??? Feng Shi Ke?? Cha Lu. Tea Record 1609

??? Wen Zhenheng??? Zhang Wu Zhi

Image:Wenzhengheng.jpg

Treatise on Superfluous Things/ Incense and Tea, 1621 Content

• • On Adantage of Tea
  • Quality of Tea
  • Tiger Hill Tea and Heaven Pool Tea
  • Jie Tea
  • Liu An Tea
  • Song Luo Tea
  • Dragon Well Tea and Heaven Eye Tea
  • Wash Tea
  • Preparation of Water
  • Cleaning Tea Ware
  • Tea Washer
  • Tea stove and water kettle
  • Tea Pot
  • Tea Cup
  • Choice of Charcoal

Laid forth the preference and practice of tea culture in Ming dynasty elite circle. See full translation : [Zhang Wu Zhi /On Tea ]

??Wen Long?? Cha Jian, Tea Notes, 1630

??? Zhou Gaochi?????

????? Yangxian Min Hu Xi, Treatise on Yixing Tea Pot, 1640

Content

• Yixing Tea Pot Series
• Origin of Yixing Tea Pot
• Orthodox school
• Yixing Tea Pot Masters
• Famous Yixing Tea Pot Experts
• Elegant styles
• Magical Items
• Diverse Schools of Yixing Tea Pot makers

??? Zhou Gaochi????? Tongshan Jie Cha Xi, Treatise on Tongshan Jie Tea,1640

Qing Dynasty

??? Lu Yianchan ???The Sequel to Classic of Tea

??? Xu Cha Jing, The Sequel to Classic of Tea

Japan Tea Treatise

???? Eisai:?????, Treatise on Tea Drinking for Health, 1193 AD

My?an Eisai ????????? Kissa Yojoki, Treatise on Tea Drinking for Health. ???? Eisai( Yosai): came to Tiantai mountain of Zhejiang to study Chan (Zen) buddhism(1168 AD); when he returned home in 1193 AD , he brought tea from China to Japan, planted it and wrote the first Japanese treatise on Tea:Kissa Yojoki,?????, Treatise on Drinking Tea for Health. This was the beginning of tea cultivation and tea culture in Japan

Tea Classics Book Translations

Modern Chinese

• ?????? ??????, ??? ??? ???. ?? ??????? 2003 ISBN 7-80646-567-7
• ?? ISBN 957-763-053-7
• ??????????, ???????

Czech

• Lu Jü : Kniha o ?aji. Translated by Olga Lomová. Spolek milc? ?aje, Praha, 2002.

English

• The Classic of Tea (ISBN 0316534501) Lu, Yu; Intro & Translation By Francis Ross Carpenter, Illustrated by Hitz, Demi;Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co. 1974

• The Classic of Tea: Origins & Rituals (ISBN 0880014164) Lu, Yu; Yu, Lu; Carpenter, Francis Ross; New York, U.S.A.: Ecco Press. 1995 reprint of 1974 edition. This is a complete translation.

French

Vianney, Soeur Jean-Marie:Le Classique Du The Par Lu Yu,Morel - 1977

Italian

• Lu Yu: IL CANONE DEL TÈ, Traduzione (dal cinese) di Marco Ceresa, Leonardo. November 1990.
• Marco Ceresa,Ph.D. Dissertation:I trattati sul tè di epoca Tang (Tang Dynasty Monographs on Tea) Far Eastern Studies, Istituto Universitario Orientale of Naples.1992

See also

History of tea in China

Reference

• Preface to Cha Jing ??, Wu Zhihe ISBN 957-763-053-7
• Shapira, et al., Book of Coffee and Tea, 1996.

External link

• Classic Books on Teazh:??????

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It uses material from the Wikipedia article Tea Classics.