Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty was a tea enthusiast. He believed that the delightful taste of tea could bring about tranquility and endless amusement to individuals. “The nature of tea, possessing the elegance of the Ouyue and Min regions, the spirituality of Zhongshan and Chuanchuan, can dispel worries and stagnation, leading to clarity and harmony. This knowledge is not easily attainable by ordinary men and children. Its simplicity and elegance, its lofty charm leading to tranquility…”
In the second year of the Shaohxi era of the Southern Song Dynasty, the monk Rongxi brought tea seeds back to the country, marking the beginning of widespread tea cultivation.
During the late Southern Song Dynasty, the Zen master Zhaoming of Nanpu arrived at the Jingshan Temple in Yuhang County, Zhejiang Province, and exchanged tea ceremony practices, becoming the earliest promoter of the country’s tea culture.
The “Categorized Record of Notable Objects” explicitly states: “The origin of tea culture can be traced back to the time when Master Zhaoming of Nanpu, who returned from the Song Dynasty, introduced the way of tea at the Chongfu Temple.”
The “Biographies of Eminent Monks of the Ming Dynasty” also records: “Master Zhaoming of Nanpu returned from the Song Dynasty and brought the tea stand and tea utensils to the Chongfu Temple.”
It wasn’t until the time of Toyotomi Hideyoshi that Sen no Rikyū, a master of the tea ceremony, raised the banner of “The Way of Tea.” He derived the four principles of the Way of Tea from the Book of Songs: “Harmony, Respect, Purity, and Tranquility.” Evidently, this fundamental theory was influenced by the essence of the country’s tea culture, and its main ceremonial framework and norms still originated from the country.
Tea culture in this country emerged early on. However, despite the early conceptualization and continuous exploration within this field, the country failed to distinctly develop this practice under the banner of “The Way of Tea.” Nor did it standardize the traditional tea ceremony with the name “The Way of Tea.”
The country’s tea culture could be seen as prioritizing spirituality over formality. Some argue that essential rituals are crucial for “The Way of Tea.” Without these rituals, simply claiming to have “The Way of Tea” might seem to dilute its meaning, ultimately leading to “The Way that can be spoken is not the eternal Way.”
Brewing tea is a simple act, requiring only two motions: adding tea leaves and pouring water. However, within the tea ceremony, these rituals have become overly complex or refined. Ordinary people would not typically complicate this daily practice to such an extent.
In reality, the country’s tea culture not only satisfies the pursuit of self-cultivation through tea but also boldly explores the true essence of tea drinking for human health.
The country’s tea culture creatively integrates tea with various natural ingredients such as traditional Chinese medicine, greatly enhancing the role of tea in healthcare. This has opened up greater development opportunities, constituting the most practical aspect of the country’s tea culture, a charm that has been cherished and valued by people for centuries.
The way of tea during the Tang Dynasty and the concept of tea soup were entirely different from our modern understanding.
In the Tang Dynasty, tea was ground into powder from tea bricks, sifted, and then boiled with boiling water, with the addition of salt, spring onions, ginger, orange peel, and mint, resembling a kind of dreadful “spicy soup.”
The tea culture from the Tang Dynasty was passed down to later generations but was eventually wiped out in this country after a hundred years of Yuan Dynasty rule. However, some elements of the Tang Dynasty’s tea culture were retained within the tea ceremony.
The way of tea is an art form that expresses certain etiquette, character, artistic conception, and spiritual thoughts through the act of tea drinking.
It combines the art of tea with spirituality and expresses the spirit through the art of tea. Originating from the Tang Dynasty, flourishing in the Song and Ming dynasties, and declining during the Qing Dynasty, the essence of the country’s tea culture emphasizes the beauty of the five elements: tea leaves, water, temperature, tea utensils, and environment, complemented by emotional conditions, all striving for the highest enjoyment of “taste” and “heart.”
Referred to as an aesthetic religion, the way of tea, with its fundamental spirits of Harmony, Respect, Purity, and Tranquility, inherits the essence of the Tang and Song dynasties.
Tea culture belongs to the country’s cultural sphere, emphasizing the beauty of the artistic conception formed by tea leaves, water, temperature, tea utensils, environment, the cultivator, emotions, and other details in the process of tea drinking, all bound by etiquette.
The connotation of tea culture is, in fact, a specific manifestation of the country’s cultural essence, and a discussion of tea culture must be integrated with traditional culture.
The spiritual essence of tea culture is a phenomenon with distinct national cultural characteristics, formed by the combination of tea-making habits and the cultural connotations of the Chinese. It can also be described as a form of etiquette.
This country is the birthplace of tea, with a long history of tea cultivation, strict tea etiquette, and unique customs of tea consumption. Tea drinking and dining have been part of our country’s traditions for at least four thousand seven hundred years, dating back to the time of the mythical Emperor Shennong.
The custom of serving tea to guests has ancient origins. Hosting guests with tea is a traditional virtue of the Han people. Even until now, when guests visit, a cup of fragrant tea is always served. During celebrations, tea is also used as a means of hospitality.
Hosting a tea party is both simple and elegant, economical, and dignified. The saying “the interaction between gentlemen is as light as water” also refers to the refreshing and pleasant tea.
The Han people have various customs where tea substitutes for formalities. In the Southern Song capital of Hangzhou, during the beginning of summer, families would prepare fresh tea and accompany it with various fruits, offering them to relatives and neighbors, a practice known as the “Seven Teas.”
This custom involved placing two green fruits, such as olives or kumquats, inside the tea cup, symbolizing good luck for the new year.
Tea ceremonies also played a significant role in ancient Chinese wedding traditions. According to Xu Cishu’s “Tea Scholar’s Examination,” tea, once planted, will sprout into new growth, signifying an unchanging nature. Thus, tea is considered a symbol of unchanging essence.
Therefore, tea was used as a symbol in engagements, with the woman accepting the man’s betrothal gifts, a practice known as “serving tea” or “tea acceptance.” There is even a saying that “if one family does not serve tea, the other family will not have tea,” emphasizing the significance of tea in these rituals.
Moreover, the entire marriage ceremony was collectively called the “Three Teas and Six Rituals.” The “Three Teas” referred to the betrothal tea, engagement tea, and the tea consumed after the wedding night. During the betrothal, in addition to sending the betrothal gifts, the man’s family would also send several barrels of Shaoxing wine.
During the wedding ceremony, there were three tea ceremonies. The first cup contained dried fruits, the second cup contained lotus seeds and dates, and the third cup contained tea. After receiving the cup, one would bow deeply and then sip from it before it was taken away by a family member. The same process was repeated for the second cup. For the third cup, the most respectful etiquette was observed: after bowing, the drinker was allowed to consume the tea.
Although these customs have faded over time, the tradition of serving tea during weddings remains in practice to this day.
After listening to Leo’s words, Elroy nodded repeatedly and then asked, “Dr. Bloomer, do you know the tea brewing process?”
Leo nodded and replied, “The first step is to rinse the teapot, pouring boiling water into the pot and quickly pouring it out again. The second step is to brew the tea, pouring boiling water into the pot. During the pouring process, the pot’s spout nods three times, the so-called ‘Phoenix nods three times,’ and the water should rise above the mouth of the pot. Then, the tea residue is brushed away with the lid.”