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''The Classic of Tea'' or ''Tea Classic'' () is the first known
monograph A monograph is generally a long-form work on one (usually scholarly) subject, or one aspect of a subject, typically created by a single author or artist (or, sometimes, by two or more authors). Traditionally it is in written form and published a ...
on
tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and nor ...
in the world, by
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
writer
Lu Yu Lu Yu (; 733–804) or Lu Ji (陆疾), courtesy name Jici (季疵) was a Chinese tea master and writer. He is respected as the Sage of Tea for his contribution to Chinese tea culture. He is best known for his monumental book ''The Classic of ...
between 760 CE and 762 CE, during the
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
. Lu Yu's original manuscript is lost; the earliest editions available date to the
Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
. According to tea lore, Lu Yu was an orphan of Jinling county (now
Tianmen Tianmen () is a sub-prefecture-level city (sometimes considered a county-level city) in central Hubei Province, China. It is on the Jianghan Plain, on the west side of Wuhan (the biggest city of Central China, as well as the capital of Hubei) a ...
City in
Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...
Province) who was adopted by a Buddhist monk of the Dragon Cloud Monastery. He refused to take up the monastic robes and was assigned menial 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, who offered Lu Yu the use of his library and the opportunity to study with a teacher. During the
An Lushan An Lushan (; 20th day of the 1st month (19 February) 703 – 29 January 757) was a Chinese military general and rebel leader during the Tang dynasty and is primarily known for instigating the An Lushan Rebellion which devastated China and kill ...
and
Shi Siming Shi Siming () (19th day of the 1st month, 703? – 18 April 761), or Shi Sugan (), was a Chinese military general, monarch, and politician during the Tang dynasty who followed his childhood friend An Lushan in rebelling against Tang, and who la ...
rebellion period, Lu Yu retired to Shaoqi (now Wuxing county, Zhejiang). Lu Yu made friends with many literati, including the calligrapher
Yan Zhenqing Yan Zhenqing (; 709 – 23 August 784) was a Chinese calligrapher, military general, and politician. He was a leading Chinese calligrapher and a loyal governor of the Tang dynasty. His artistic accomplishment in Chinese calligraphy is equal to ...
and the poet Huangfu Zheng. For Lu Yu, tea symbolized 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 Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
,
Taoist Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...
, or
Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, religion, theory of government, or way of life. Founded by Confucius ...
: to see in the particular an expression of the universal".(Shapira, et al., 150) In Lu Yu's hometown, Tianmen, there is an ancient styled tower named according to the classic in honour of the great writer.


Huangfu Zeng's poem about Lu Yu


Content

Lu Yu's Tea Classic is the earliest known treatise on tea, and perhaps the most famous work on tea. The book is not large, about 7000 Chinese characters in the literary language of the Tang dynasty, a condensed, refined and poetic style of Chinese. It is made of "Three Scrolls Ten Chapters" (三卷十章):


One: Origin (一之源)

This chapter covers the
mythological Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...
origins of tea in China. It also contains a
horticultural Horticulture (from ) is the art and science of growing fruits, vegetables, flowers, trees, shrubs and ornamental plants. Horticulture is commonly associated with the more professional and technical aspects of plant cultivation on a smaller and mo ...
description of the tea plant and its proper planting as well as some
etymological Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...
speculation, features and characteristics of tea trees. The characteristics of quality tea leaves, and soils and topography compared to tea quality. Benefits of good teas and bad teas. The geographical region, harvest seasons and growing methods in relation to tea quality.


Two: Tools (二之具)

This chapter describes fifteen tools for picking, steaming, pressing, drying and storing tea leaves and cakes.


Three: Making (三之造)

This chapter recommends methods for the production of tea cake.


Four: Utensils (四之器)

This chapter describes twenty eight items used in the brewing and drinking of tea. *crushing block (砧椎) *brazier (風爐) *charcoal basket (炭筥) *charcoal mallet (炭檛) *fire chopsticks (火筴) *cauldron (鍑) *cauldron stand (交床) *tea tongs (夾) *paper wallet (紙囊) *crushing roller (碾) *sieve box (羅合) *tea holder (則) *water vessel (水方) *water filter bag (漉水囊) *gourd scooper (瓢) *bamboo tongs (竹夾) *salt container (鹺簋) *boiled water vessel (熟盂) *bowl (碗) *bowl basket (畚) *brush (劄) *water basin (滌方) *spent tea basin (滓方) *tea cloth (巾) *utensil table (具列) *utensil basket (都籃)


Five: Boiling (五之煮)

This chapter covers: * Guidelines for the proper preparation of tea.


Six: Drinking (六之飲)

This chapter discusses the actual consumption of tea, some of its properties, the history of tea drinking, and the various types of tea known in 8th century China.


Seven: History (七之事)

This chapter gives various anecdotes about the history of tea in Chinese records, from
Shennong Shennong ( zh, c=神農, p=Shénnóng), variously translated as "Divine Farmer" or "Divine Husbandman", born , was a mythological Chinese ruler known as the first Yan Emperor who has become a deity in Chinese and Vietnamese folk religion. H ...
through the
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
. It begins with an index list of influential individuals related to tea before the Tang dynasty. Further topics include a collection of literature and historical records on tea legends and famous people, folklore and customs, tea poems and tea stories, health benefits of tea in recorded medical books, tea as medical herb and tea cure formula, tea usage in cooking and tea recipes.


Eight: Growing Regions (八之出)

This chapter compares and ranks eight tea producing regions in China at its time.


Nine: Simplify (九之略)

This chapter lists procedures that may be omitted and under what circumstances, tools and methods that can be excluded in cultivation and processing under abnormal conditions, and tea utensils and brewing methods that can be simplified or improvised under various outdoor and unusual habitat environments.


Ten: Pictorialize (十之圖)

This chapter consists of how to transfer the contents onto placards or large scrolls for hanging on the wall for quick references. The silk scrolls that provide an abbreviated version of the previous nine chapters.


See also

* '' Pictorial of Tea Ware'' (Song dynasty book)


Notes


References

*The Classic of Tea (); Lu, Yu; Intro & Translation By Francis Ross Carpenter, Illustrated by Hitz, Demi;Boston, MA: Little, Brown & Co. 1974 *The Classic of Tea: Origins & Rituals (); Lu, Yu; Translated by Carpenter, Francis Ross. Preface by Carpenter;New York, New York, U.S.A.: Ecco Press. 1995 *The Classic of Tea in ''All about tea'' (); Lu, Yu; Translation of the University of London library copy of ''Cha Ching''. Acknowledgments for providing the translation: Sir Edward Denison Ross and Mr Z. L. Yih (translator). Published on pages 13 to 22 of ''All about tea'' by William H. Ukers vol. 1. Reprinted by Martino Publishing, 2007 (original publication: New York: Tea and Coffee Trade Journal Co, 1935).


External links


Incomplete English translation with translator's notes
- Global Tea Hut magazine, September 2015 issue, page 31
Partial English translation and commentary
* - Chinese influences on the Japanese tea ceremony
Tea and Tiequanyin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Classic of Tea Chinese tea classic texts 8th-century Chinese books Tang dynasty literature