Tea is indispensable in Chinese life, not simply a drink, but a respository of culture, representing the philosophy, aesthetic views, and way of life of the Chinese people. This book presents the richness of Chinese tea and tea culture, covering the origin of tea and its history, methods and customs of drinking tea, and tea-drinking-vessels. It explains the Chinese tea ceremony in depth and introduces teahouse culture, legends about tea, and the literature and art closely connected with tea.

Tea in China explores the contours of religious and cultural transformation in traditional China from the point of view of an everyday commodity and popular beverage. The work traces the development of tea drinking from its mythical origins to the nineteenth century and examines the changes in aesthetics, ritual, science, health, and knowledge that tea brought with it. The shift in drinking habits that occurred in late medieval China cannot be understood without an appreciation of the fact that Buddhist monks were responsible for not only changing people's attitudes toward the intoxicating substance, but also the proliferation of tea drinking. Monks had enjoyed a long association with tea in South China, but it was not until Lu Yu's compilation of the Chajing (The Classic of Tea) and the spread of tea drinking by itinerant Chan monastics that tea culture became popular throughout the empire and beyond. Tea was important for maintaining long periods of meditation; it also provided inspiration for poets and profoundly affected the ways in which ideas were exchanged. Prior to the eighth century, the aristocratic drinking party had excluded monks from participating in elite culture. Over cups of tea, however, monks and literati could meet on equal footing and share in the same aesthetic values. Monks and scholars thus found common ground in the popular stimulant—one with few side effects that was easily obtainable and provided inspiration and energy for composing poetry and meditating. In addition, rituals associated with tea drinking were developed in Chan monasteries, aiding in the transformation of China's sacred landscape at the popular and elite level. Pilgrimages to monasteries that grew their own tea were essential in the spread of tea culture, and some monasteries owned vast tea plantations. By the end of the ninth century, tea was a vital component in the Chinese economy and in everyday life. Tea in China transcends the boundaries of religious studies and cultural history as it draws on a broad range of materials—poetry, histories, liturgical texts, monastic regulations—many translated or analyzed for the first time. The book will be of interest to scholars of East Asia and all those concerned with the religious dimensions of commodity culture in the premodern world.

Full-color introduction to all facets of tea culture in China, from early history to date.

Tea''s origin story is a mix of folklore, myths and facts. According to the Chinese literature sources, the tea was accidentally discovered in Shaanxi province (in 2737 BCE) by the emperor and father of Chinese medicine, Shen Nong (神农帝). The early use of tea was recorded in the ancient Bashu (巴蜀) area (modern Sichuan Province). As early as the Western Han Dynasty (西汉), drinking tea in Bashu had become more common. Tea was often offered as a tribute to the emperors and imperial families. Although the tea culture existed long before the Tang Dynasty (唐朝), the tea was consumed in different ways. It wasn''t until the appearance of the Tea Classic of Lu Yu (陆羽:《茶经》) in the Tang Dynasty that the way of drinking tea was changed. The tea culture further flourished in the Song Dynasty (宋朝). The existing Chinese tea culture (中国茶文化) represents the cultural characteristics formed during the tea drinking activities, including tea ceremony, tea virtue, tea spirit, tea book, tea set, tea painting, tea science, tea story, tea arts, and so on. Chinese tea culture combines the thoughts of Chinese Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Basically, China is the home of tea culture. The current book volume, Chinese Tea Culture, is a Chinese reading practice book. It would introduce you to the very important concepts of the Chinese tea culture, such as the tea ceremony, drinking Customs, equipment, etc. The six most famous tea types (中国六大茶类), such as the Red Tea, Green Tea, White Tea, etc. are also discussed in detail. As such, all these concepts are very essential part of life in China. The new volume in the "Introduction to Chinese Culture Series", includes both the Chinese text (simplified characters) and pinyin. With about 1000 unique Chinese characters, the volume would be suitable for the beginners, lower intermediate and advanced level Chinese language learners (HSK 1-6). Overall, the reading series offers you a variety of elementary level books (Level 1/2/3) to learn Chinese culture as well as practice Chinese reading fast. Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084M6HKDZ Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084FXWCGF The book has 16 chapters in the following order: Chapter 1: History of Chinese Tea (第一章：中国茶史) Chapter 2: Lu Yu (第二章：陆羽) Chapter 3: Chinese Tea Culture (第三章：中国茶文化) Chapter 4: Chinese Tea Drinking Customs (第四章：中国茶饮习俗) Chapter 5: How to Taste Chinese Tea (第五章：如何品中国茶) Chapter 6: Tapping Table to Say "Thank you" (第六章：轻敲桌子说"谢谢") Chapter 7: Chinese Tea Ceremony (第七章：中国茶道) Chapter 8: Tea Ceremony Equipment (第八章：茶道设备) Chapter 9: Six Major Tea Types in China (第九章：中国六大茶类) Chapter 10: Black Tea (第十章：红茶) Chapter 11: Green Tea (第十一章：绿茶) Chapter 12: Oolong Tea (第十二章：乌龙茶) Chapter 13: Yellow Tea (第十三章：黄茶) Chapter 14: Dark Tea (第十四章：黑茶) Chapter 15: White Tea (第十五章：白茶) Chapter 16: Pu''er Tea (第十六章：普洱茶) More books are available on the author''s homepage: https://amzn.to/2ZnR4cg

This distinctive and enlightening book explores the invention and development of tea drinking in China, using tea culture to explore the profound question of how Chinese have traditionally expressed individuality. Western stereotypes portray a culture that values conformity and denigrates the individual, but Bret Hinsch convincingly explodes this facile myth. He argues that although Chinese embrace a communitarian ethos and assume that the individual can only thrive within a healthy community, they have also long respected people with unique traits and superior achievements. Hinsch traces how emperors, scholars, poets, and merchants all used tea connoisseurship to publicly demonstrate superior discernment, gaining admiration by displaying individuality. Acknowledging central differences with Western norms, Hinsch shows how personal distinction nevertheless constitutes an important aspect of Chinese society. By linking tea to individualism, his deeply researched book makes an original and influential contribution to the history of Chinese culture.

Tea in China explores the contours of religious and cultural transformation in traditional China from the point of view of an everyday commodity and popular beverage. The work traces the development of tea drinking from its mythical origins to the nineteenth century and examines the changes in aesthetics, ritual, science, health, and knowledge that tea brought with it. The shift in drinking habits that occurred in late medieval China cannot be understood without an appreciation of the fact that Buddhist monks were responsible for not only changing people's attitudes toward the intoxicating substance, but also the proliferation of tea drinking. Monks had enjoyed a long association with tea in South China, but it was not until Lu Yu's compilation of the Chajing (The Classic of Tea) and the spread of tea drinking by itinerant Chan monastics that tea culture became popular throughout the empire and beyond. Tea was important for maintaining long periods of meditation; it also provided inspiration for poets and profoundly affected the ways in which ideas were exchanged. Prior to the eighth century, the aristocratic drinking party had excluded monks from participating in elite culture. Over cups of tea, however, monks and literati could meet on equal footing and share in the same aesthetic values. Monks and scholars thus found common ground in the popular stimulant—one with few side effects that was easily obtainable and provided inspiration and energy for composing poetry and meditating. In addition, rituals associated with tea drinking were developed in Chan monasteries, aiding in the transformation of China's sacred landscape at the popular and elite level. Pilgrimages to monasteries that grew their own tea were essential in the spread of tea culture, and some monasteries owned vast tea plantations. By the end of the ninth century, tea was a vital component in the Chinese economy and in everyday life. Tea in China transcends the boundaries of religious studies and cultural history as it draws on a broad range of materials—poetry, histories, liturgical texts, monastic regulations—many translated or analyzed for the first time. The book will be of interest to scholars of East Asia and all those concerned with the religious dimensions of commodity culture in the premodern world.