Tea ceremony

Author: Zhou Wentang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-01-01
Features: "A small garden room, a Zen retreat within, with a tea stove placed in the center, equipped with all cooking utensils. A tea-making boy serves passing monks and scholars for tea." Building a small tea room for tea drinking and meditation, like dwelling in Zen, embodies the idea of "tea and Zen are one." The tea room resembles a Zen room, with meditation integrated into daily life. Works like Tang Yin's Ming Dynasty "Tea-Making Scene" and Wen Zhengming's "Tea Tasting Scene" vividly reflect the demands of Ming Dynasty scholars for the indoor and outdoor environments of tea rooms, which may have a hereditary connection to the style and philosophy of Japanese tea ceremony architecture. In the late Ming Dynasty, Zhang Yuan's "Tea Record" summarized "tea ceremony" as "careful in making, dry in storing, clean in brewing. Careful, dry, clean—this is the essence of tea ceremony." It can be seen that this "tea ceremony" has lost its original profound philosophical meaning and has evolved into some requirements of modern tea drinking. Another example is Shen Defu's Ming Dynasty late "Supplement to the Wild Records," which states: "Today, people only take the finest buds, boil water in a pot, and drink immediately after steeping, thus opening the tradition of tea drinking for thousands of years." This reflects that by the late Ming Dynasty, tea drinking had become increasingly simplified. The tea utensils of the late Ming Dynasty also evolved from the 24 tea utensils of Lu Yu in the Tang Dynasty and Shen Anlao's "12 Tea Utensils" in the Song Dynasty to just a few utensils.
Tea Art and Tea Appreciation in the Qing Dynasty
The tea culture of the Qing Dynasty was closely related to the social, political, economic, and cultural conditions of the time. In terms of tea varieties, the expansion of tea trade and domestic demand in the Qing Dynasty led to greater diversity in tea types and famous teas. The six major tea categories—green tea, black tea, oolong tea, white tea, yellow tea, and dark tea—had already taken shape. Under the promotion of ceramic exports, the colors of tea pots and cups became richer, and their designs more delicate and aesthetically pleasing. Due to the simplification of tea drinking activities in the late Ming Dynasty and the influence and integration of Manchu culture, the Qing Dynasty placed greater emphasis on the impact of tea production areas and tea quality. This was evident in two aspects: first, the small-pot brewing method, which emphasized the beauty and meticulousness of tea leaves, utensils, and water; second, the tea culture, which focused on the pleasure of savoring tea while appreciating the scenery and mood. The traditional tea ceremony philosophy was overshadowed by practical and simple tea art ideas, further reflected in the leisurely atmosphere of tea drinking.
The small-pot brewing method had a significant influence in the Qing Dynasty, carrying forward the drinking customs of Ming Dynasty literati. For example, Zhu Dashou's Ming Dynasty "Supplement to the Tea Spectrum" (circa 1588)s: "Choose utensils—bottles should be small, suitable for waiting for the water to boil. When pouring tea, there should be a rhythm." Another example is Shi Hongbao's Qing Dynasty "Miscellaneous Records of Fujian" (1856), which records: "In the Zhangzhou and Quanzhou regions, the custom of Gongfu tea is highly regarded. The tea utensils are exquisite, with pots as small as walnuts, known as 'Yu Chen Pot,' and cups as tiny and thin as 'Ru Chen Cup.' The tea favored is Wuyi small species, worth several yuan in foreign currency per tael. Drinking must involve slow sips and prolonged chewing, or else one will be mocked." This evolved into the Gongfu tea of Fujian and Guangdong Chaozhou, locally known as "the four treasures of tea brewing"—Yu Chen pot, Ru Chen cup, Chaozhou stove, and jade book grinder. The jade book grinder is a flat-round earthenware water boiler; the Yu Chen pot is a yolk-sized Yixing purple clay teapot; the Ru Chen cup is a small and thin white porcelain cup; and the Chaozhou stove is a small charcoal stove for boiling water.
Why use small pots? In Mao Chang's Qing Dynasty "Compendium of Tea Classification" (circa 1683), it is recorded: "Tea pots should be small and prized, with one pot for each guest, allowing them to drink alone, thus truly enjoying the tea. Why? A small pot prevents the aroma from dispersing and the flavor from lingering. Moreover, the fragrance of tea is at its peak at a certain moment—too early is insufficient, too late is gone. The subtlety lies in this, and one should drink with a clear mind." Another Ming-late Qing record in "Tea Treasury" states: "Tea should be poured in small amounts rather than large ones. Small amounts create a mellow aroma, while large amounts easily disperse. If one pours for oneself, the smaller, the better." These all explain the principles of small-pot brewing.
Analysis of Qing Dynasty Tea Culture and Tea Appreciation Elements
Due to the increasing simplification of tea ceremony activities, Qing Dynasty tea art further simplified and gradually shifted toward tea appreciation. The humanistic spirit and cultural art colors of the traditional tea ceremony were gradually replaced by a more practical tea art philosophy, emphasizing the natural qualities of tea and the aesthetic enjoyment of various existing things in tea drinking. The subjective role of people in tea drinking activities gradually diminished, forming the era-specific characteristics of Qing Dynasty tea appreciation culture. The social conditions behind this evolution were multifaceted, including the exchange and integration of Eastern and Western cultures, ethnic minority and Han Chinese cultures, as well as the rapid development of the commodity economy. The rapid development of the commodity economy caused ripples in the Chinese society that valued a tranquil and self-sufficient small-peasant economy. The traditional tea ceremony's essence of tranquility and appreciation was constantly challenged by the commodity economy and Western culture. The innovative achievements of Western natural science research also shifted the focus of pre-Qing tea ceremony philosophy from abstract exploration to practical tea art ideas. The need to study various tea types for commercial purposes far exceeded the demand for exploring traditional tea ceremony concepts. The cultural value orientation dominated by the Manchu ethnic group also influenced the formation of Qing Dynasty tea art and tea appreciation characteristics.
Qing Dynasty tea appreciation culture emphasized the aesthetic enjoyment of various existing things. With changing social trends, people began to value fine tea, good water, elegant utensils, and beautiful scenery. The evolution of each historical stage in the origin of tea ceremony left a lasting impact on the inheritance of later tea culture. In the Qing Dynasty, the spiritual needs met by tea ceremony gradually gave way to tangible external objects, so later generations only regarded tea poems, tea songs, tea books, and tea paintings as tea culture. The practical aspects of Qing Dynasty tea culture continue to influence modern tea culture.
The Revival of Modern Tea Art and Tea Ceremony
After the reform and opening-up, the rapid development of China's productive forces brought about a swift improvement in material living standards. Tea drinkers began to demand fine tea and famous teas, gradually evolving into the tea appreciation activity of "knowing how to enjoy fine tea." With material needs met, the growing demand for spiritual and cultural needs provided fertile ground for the emergence and development of tea ceremony activities. The gradual deepening from drinking tea to appreciating tea, from tea art to tea ceremony, transformed tea drinking into a more socially scientific,, and spiritually cultural tea ceremony. The internal and external factors crossing this boundary were the Japanese tea ceremony and Taiwan's tea art.
In the late 1980s, tea art demonstrations and performances began to appear in China. Based on reflecting certain tea drinking customs and aesthetic appreciation, these performances combined scientific tea brewing methods with specific requirements for movements, attire, etiquette, tea utensils, environment, and music. Early tea art performances primarily focused on tea drinking customs, such as "greeting guests with tea," "the three-course tea of the Bai ethnic group," and "Chaozhou Gongfu tea." Through continuous exploration and improvement of this type of tea art performance, the of tea drinking customs-based performances were further enhanced. Meanwhile, performances also emerged. In 1992, at the "First International West Lake Tea Conference" held at the China National Tea Museum, the author created the "Gong Liuzi Zhu Quan Tea Ceremony Performance," pioneering the tradition of-style tea ceremony performances. With the joint efforts of tea culture professionals, performance-style tea ceremonies in religious, folk,, and creative forms emerged one after another.
The emergence of tea art performances was inseparable from the traditional Chinese tea ceremony philosophy. Performance-style tea ceremonies, which reflect specific tea drinking activities, demand standardized requirements in various aspects, artistic and aesthetic beauty, and the creation of tea art as an artistic activity, emphasizing the expression of etiquette. These combine the natural and humanistic spirit of tea with cultural art, embodying the form of Chinese tea ceremony in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, and continuously deepening to meet the new demands of the era in newer forms and content.
In summary, Chinese tea ceremony has unique characteristics in its form and content in each historical period. When tea drinking activities are combined with humanistic spirit, behavioral norms, aesthetic tastes, social interaction, etiquette, and artistic creation, it reflects the spiritual needs of the time.