The Development of Chinese Tea Art from the Ancient Days to the Modern Days (Research Paper Sample)

The Development of Chinese Tea Art from the Ancient Days to the Modern Days
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Table of Contents
1. Introduction 3
2. Discussion 3
2.1 Chapter 1: Chinese Tea Historical Background 3
2.2 Chapter 2: Pre-Classical Period 4
2.3 Chapter 3: Classical Period (Tang Dynasty) 4
2.4 Chapter 4: Romantic Period (Song Dynasty) 5
2.5 Chapter 5: Naturalistic Period (Ming and Qing Dynasties) 6
2.6 Chapter 6: Present Day 8
3. Conclusion 9
4. Bibliography 10
The Development of Chinese Tea Art from the Ancient Days to the Modern Days
1. Introduction
The Chinese tea art refers to the different techniques of preparing tea, the equipment used in its preparation, the tasting methods, and the ceremonies for which it is prepared. Tea forms part of the diverse Chinese culture due to its customary, medicinal, and occasional use. It also acts as a national heritage, which is crucial in the development of the Chinese economy. The art of tea in China differs from tea culture in other continents in such areas as preparation, tasting methods, and avenues for which it is consumed. The development of the Chinese tea art can be viewed through various milestones: (a) the discovery and protection of historic tea art, (b) formation of associations and organizations on tea art, (c) the improvement of tea arts through research, which has led to the growth of tea houses and tea tourism, and (d) an increase in public awareness and appreciation of tea culture as a social function. This paper seeks to explain the intricate details that led to the development of the Chinese tea art.
2. Discussion
2.1 CHAPTER 1: Chinese Tea Historical Background
Tea is probably the most popular beverage today, and it is not until the end of the 19th century that other countries started growing tea in large scale. Therefore, China can be termed as the homeland of tea. However, what the rest of the world refer to as “tea” is not the same as the Chinese tea, which is prepared the Chinese way. The Chinese tea originates from the mountains of Yunnan province, which is deep in the southwestern corner of China. While tea had previously been used as food and medicine in the ancient days, the Chinese were the first community to unravel its therapeutic properties. With this knowledge, they developed unique methods of preparation, which has become an elaborate art and a hallmark of civilization in China. The Chinese way of brewing tea has always used leaves and water. Unlike many communities where they add honey, lemon, or sugar, the Chinese prefer their tea in its natural taste (Reid & Janzen 2011, pp.17-19).
2.2 CHAPTER 2: Pre-Classical Period
The pre-classical period refers to the years before 618 A.D. Legend states that the first person to taste tea was Shien Non Shei, a man who had taken his family on a mountain climbing adventure. It is said that while climbing a mountain, he became thirsty and picked up a leaf that had drifted on his foot and squeezed its juice into his mouth. The taste of this liquid was so bitter that he decided to use it for medicinal purposes. In this regard, the legend held that Shien Non Shei was the first person to drink tea (Ten Ren n.d).
The first credible resource of tea brewed and consumed was in 350 A.D, when Kuo P’o’ incorporated tea in the ancient Chinese dictionary. He defined Chinese tea as a beverage made from boiled water and leaves. During this period, the preparation of tea included adding products such as oranges and ginger to the boiling tea leaves to make the tea. Despite its consumption for medicinal treatment of digestive and nervous illnesses, it was also bartered for other products during trade with other tribes. By the end of the pre-classical period, demand for tea had exceeded supply and farmers started cultivating it throughout China for sale.
2.3 CHAPTER 3: Classical Period (Tang Dynasty)
It is between 618 A.D and 907 A.D that the tea culture evolved into an art. Lu Yu’s book, “Ch’a Ching,” meaning ‘Tea Classic,’ is the accession of tea as part of the Chinese culture. The three volumes of this book cover every aspect of tea growing, tea preparation techniques, the Chinese way of brewing tea, and the ceremonial application of tea using 27 pieces of equipment. Due to Lu Yu’s efforts in “Tea Classic”, many people crowned him as the “Father of Tea.” The tea ceremonies demanded a great number of accessories and servants that only the noble connoisseurs could manage to produce. The affluent nobles comprised officials, scholars, and members of the imperial court that understood the teachings of Confucius. Their presence in tea ceremonies led to the development of a poetic aura in the Chinese tea culture. During this time, tea was traded in brick form. The tea leaves were crushed, steamed, and fired into a brick, which was later used to make tea by boiling a broken piece of the brick in water (Ten Ren n.d.).
Before the Tang dynasty, food containers and tea ware had no clear distinction. As the culture of tea drinking developed, the designs of tea vessels improved. At the culmination of the Tang dynasty, a perfect teapot had appeared – the Zisha teapot. It was designed in Yixing, situated in between Zhejiang, Suzhou, and Anhui provinces, and near Taihu Lake. Yixing was a major tea production area and many high grade teas were collected here as a tribute to the emperor (Fang 2011, p.119).
2.4 CHAPTER FOUR: Romantic Period (Song Dynasty)
Between 690 A.D and 1279 A.D that every aspect of tea became refined by regulating its harvest. Sacrifices were made to mountain deities prior to the commencement of the harvest. After a particular day for harvesting was chosen, the tea pickers would pick tea to the rhythm of a cymbal or drum. Tea picking was done by young girls who had to maintain a given length of fingernails to prevent the leaves from touching their skin. The fresh harvest was graded and the best grades were presented to the emperor as a tribute. During this era, tea was highly valued and the highest grade of tea was deemed as being priceless. The preparation of tea involved grinding a broken piece of tea brick and adding the powder into hot water, which was then stirred with a bamboo whisk (Ten Ren n.d.).
It is in the Song dynasty that the construction of tea rooms and tea houses began. People met in the tea houses to enjoy tea at a spiritual and social level. Competitions arose among connoisseurs with regards to the manner in which the tea ceremonies were conducted, the quality water used, the tea leaves, and the brewed tea. During this time, art was incorporated into ceramic and used to make tea equipment. The tea bowls were wider and deeper to facilitate whipping of the grounded tea brick powder. Due to the lack of color in the prepared tea, the ceramic equipment had deep blue or black glazes to enhance the light green hue of the brewed tea. The most popular designs in ceramic bowls during this time was a black bowl with vertical lines running down its length called rabbits’ fur. Due to influences from the Zen philosophy, tea preparation became less complex and peaceful (Ten Ren n.d.).
Other tea ware designs in the Song dynasty include the Jianyang kilns black-glazed tea ware of Fujian Province. In “Chalu” (The Record of Tea, 1049-1056), Cai Xiang, a Song dynasty scholar, wrote that the tea drink lacks color and should be served in black cups. The black glazed tea cup of the Jianyang kilns has a black interior with a hint of red, and tiny natural grains in the porcelain. The cup has a thick frame, allowing it to maintain the temperature of the tea at a desired level. (Fang 2011, pp.119)
2.5 CHAPTER 5: Naturalistic Period (Ming and Qing Dynasties)
During the naturalistic era (1368-1911 A.D), people from all walks of life accepted and enjoyed tea as a great beverage. Both pauper and prince, and people from the European region appreciated the nutritious and medicinal benefits of tea. It is a period in which tea became mentioned in the European books such as, “Voyages and Travels” by Gaimbattista Ramusio - secretary to the Venetian Council. In his book, Ramusio mentions the medicinal and health benefits of consuming tea. In 1606, the first consignments of the Chinese tea were imported by the Dutch East India Company, which led to the spread of tea consumption across Africa, Europe, and the rest of the Asia (Ten Ren n.d.).
In 1973, a group of the U.S colonists boarded a ship belonging to the Dutch East India Trading Company and dumped its cargo in protests against taxation of tea by Great Britain. This event is referred to as the Boston Tea Party, and it is the reason tea is exempted from import tax in the United States. The preparation of tea during the Ming and Qing dynasties involved steeping loose leaves in hot water. Other methods of preparation cropped up during this period, leading to the development of different types of tea such as oolong, green, and black teas (Ten Ren n.d.).
Yi Xing Zisha was the main tea ware in the Northern Song dynasty. However, it is in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) that Zisha teapot-making designs were abounded and produced in imposing designs and striking styles by the tea-pot making masters. Zisha teapots were modelled according to the people’s emotions, interests, and attitudes towards life. They were decorated with paintings, poems and prose, scriptural elements and seal prints. During this time, loose tea leaves replaced the bunched and compressed tea. Tea brewing shifted from boiling bunched tea in water to boiling loose leaves in water. In the mid-Ming dynasty, people appreciated visual appeal, taste, and fragrance from tea. Teapots replaced small cups and were designed shallowly and small to offset the bitter...