Every few months in my blog i present my own translation of a chapter from lu yu s classic of tea, written about ad 760780. Adding to the western understanding of tea with the translation of another classic swells our hearts. Lu yu is known for his monumental book the classic of tea, the first definitive work on tea. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The classic of tea, the first known monograph on tea in the world, was written in the 8th century by lu yu who devoted his entire life to the study of tea and is respected as the sage of tea. Last phase chinatown in phiadelphia, pa dimsum on sundays waiters would give a pot of tea and tea cups instead of glasses of water began thinking about the significance of tea in china decided. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The tea grows at more than 1,400 meters above sea level in the mountains, this grows a thick tea.
Specifically, he is known for his detailed account of tea in his book the classic of tea. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library. The francis ross carpenter translation has been out of print for a while so used editions are quite expensive, but you can still find them in libraries. Pdf tea has always been a friend to china jennifer. Lu yu s tea classic is the earliest known treatise on tea, and perhaps the most famous work on tea. The original book of tea march 01, 2002 by james norwood pratt.
Lu yu s book on the cha ching classic book of tea is one of the very best and earliest foundational texts about tea drinking and chinese tea culture. The classic of tea project gutenberg selfpublishing. As i noted in the first chapter, the history of tea in china begins with the publication of lu yusclassic of teaaround 780. Tang dynasty tea expert lu yu 733804 and part of his magnum opus the classic of tea photo. In his late years, lu yu withdrew from the outside world and concentrated on research into tea. Dong shuting 20, cha jingzhongde chanzong sixiang yiji fanyi buchang yanjiu waiguo yuyanxue ji yingyong yuyanxue. File tea is one of the main symbols of the chinese culture. Also, lu yu was used to drinking his tea from exquisite porcelain bowls.
The classic of tea or tea classic is the first known monograph on tea in the world, by chinese writer lu yu between 760 ce and 762 ce, during the tang. As early as in the western han dynasty 202 bce8 ce, tea and tea culture had been spread overseas. Jul 28, 2017 lu yu was a selftaught scholar and author of the classic of tea, the oldest surviving guide to tea from traditional china, published sometime in the late 8th century. The tea culture reflects the oriental traditional culture, combining the tea with tao wisdom, pronounced in chinese as dao, which is an integral part of the chinese culture.
It is comprised of one tea pot, four tea cups, and four saucers, each of which has not been entirely glazed, with the purple clay visible at the bottom of each. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. According to tea lore, lu yu was an orphan of jinling county now tianmen county in hubei province who was adopted by a buddhist monk of the dragon cloud. In the cha jing tea bible by lu yu of tang dynastya, the production of tea, the water and. The emperors treatise on tea is one of the most important tea texts in history. Download the classic of tea pdf ebook the classic of tea the classic of tea ebook author by yu lu the classic of tea eb. The tea room is made for the tea master, not the tea master for the tea room. Tea classic by lu yu and other tea literature of tang dynasty. Ad 780 by lu yu, the first book that is specialized on the knowledge of tea. Lu yu is almost completely irrelevant for tea drinkers for probably 800 years now. Recent scientific studies of a traditional chinese medicine, tea, on. Lu yu, sutra of tea, china tea culture, chinese tea culture. The monk who adopted lu yu was a tea lover and lu yu prepared tea for him from childhood.
Tea tempers the spirits and harmonizes the mind, dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue, awakens thought and prevents drowsiness, lightens or refreshes the body, and clears the perceptive faculties. Lu yu provides tea drinkers with practical and spiritual information about all aspects of tea. The classic of tea or tea classic simplified chinese. For his achievements, he has for centuries been recognized in chinese. Classic tea, first written about tea there are over 1200 years. Lu yus friends in the city were used to adding all sorts of things to their teasuch things as ginger, orange peel or even small onions. Marco polo records the deposition of a chinese minister of.
For my part, there is a tremendous joy in imagining this brightest of characters sneaking off to brew tea. Lu yu, 733804, whose courtesy name was hongjian, was born in todays tianmen city of hubei province. Lu yu named his text chajing much alike the heart sutra xinzangjing. View notes class notes from his at wayne state university. History of tea culture in china lu yu 733 804 the school city university of hong kong. Mountain in sichuan where tea cultivation began in china. Lu yu provides tea drinkers with practical and spiritual information about all aspects. Almost a millennium before the perfection of chado the way of tea by sen rikyu 15221591, the chinese scholarofficial lu yu d. It was tang dynasty time during lu yu s time period. For my part, there is a tremendous joy in imagining this brightest of characters sneaking off to brew tea in some hidden corner of the palace. Liu an tea originates from an hui province but it first gained popularity in guang dong province after a chinese doctor served it as a medicinal tea to cure heatstroke and stomach ailments in the ming dynasty. It has influences tea drinking and practices greatly, including those that eventually permeated japan and evolved into the japanese tea ceremony. Lu yu noticed that he had not added anything else to the brew.
An illustrated modern reader of the classic of tea. Origins and rituals by lu yu francis ross carpenter demi hitz posted by. In class we will focus on the sections the brewing of tea. For lu yu, tea symbolized the harmony and mysterious unity of the universe.
The book is the quintessence of tea saint lu yus tea knowledge. He is respected as the sage of tea for his contribution to chinese tea culture. An article by latterday tea scholar james norwood pratt states that lu yu s the classic of tea known variously as cha ching, cha jing, and the tea classic was a product of five years of hermithood. The idea that everyone should have a house of his own is based on an ancient custom of the japanese race, shinto superstition ordaining that every dwelling should be evacuated on the death of its chief occupant. It is not intended for posterity and is therefore ephemeral. It took yu 20 years to finish this book and was a huge success. The book, the earliest, most intact and comprehensive monograph on tea in china and even in the whole world, is finished in the tang dynasty more than 1,000 years ago.
The effect of tea is cooling and as a beverage it is most suitable. The earliest record of tea in european writing is said to be found in the statement of an arabian traveller, that after the year the main sources of revenue in canton were the duties on salt and tea. Download pdf tea in china a religious and cultural. Today, because of the natural beauty of lu shan, a part of the mountain has become a highlevel resort area. Written in the eighth century, this fascinating book looks at the intricacies. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Lu yu was a selftaught scholar and author of the classic of tea, the oldest surviving guide to tea from traditional china, published sometime in the late 8th century. English edition of cha jing the book of tea by lu yu.
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. He is best known for his monumental book the classic of tea, the first definitive work on cultivating, making and drinking tea. Lu yu became an expert in tea, poetry, and calligraphy. Pauline says the classic of tea was penned by lu yu during the eighth century. Chinese ceramics and tea drinking for china heritage quarterly of australia national university. Enshi had been producing tea since the 7 th century ad, during the tang dynasty. All of the cups and saucers in this set have dark red rims that contrast with the offwhite glaze.
Classic of tea chapter 1 tea saint lu yu s classic of tea chapter 1 in its original text. What useful information can we obtain from classic tcm literature. Wu juenong, an agronomist and economist specializing in agriculture, has studied tea all his life. And if you cant read classic chinese and still want to read a nice book about tea, then try the book of tea by kakuzo okakura in english. He is best known for his monumental book the classic of tea, the first definitive work on cultivating, making and drinking tea biography. Though the work itself is extremely interesting and valuable, the life of lu yu is, by all accounts, fascinating. The book embraces philosophy, meditation, and everyday life functions all in their proper relation to tea. The cha jing is known to be the first written account on tea culture in the world and speaks of the benefits of drinking tea.
The classic of tea classic and collectors edition chinese. I have been toying with doing a series on the famous classic of tea cha jing because i want to make the riches of this ancient treatise accessible to my nonchinesespeaking tea friends, a sort of easyreference. The origin of tea is a question that has always challenged many thinkers and cultural figures of tea to begin with lu yu, the chinese have high stage of gods tea. The classic of tea written by lu yu and translated and introduced by francis ross carpenter. Lu yu the classic of tea with images book lists, tea. It is especially fitting for persons of selfrestraint and inner worth. Buy the classic of tea 1st edition by yu lu, francis ross carpenter isbn. It is very comforting to be the recipient of a gift passed down for more than a millennium.
Lu yu, who lived in china there are over years probably has them more than anyone else influence what. The poet lu yu, native of hunan province, in the tang dynasty wrote cha jing the book of tea also called the classic of tea. Lengeman iii in resources and information 2 comments as premium tea has experienced something of a resurgence in popularity in recent years, there has also been a corresponding increase in books on related topics. Yes, we are sorely lacking an accessible english translation of lu yu s tea classic. Buddhist monk credited with the cultivation of tea on mengding shan. Class notes classic of tea the reading is of a tea making. Read through the entire text, marking sentences or sections you find interesting, remarkable, or strange. Pdf tea, liquid jade or green gold, it is called, is the most.
I have been toying with doing a series on the famous classic of tea cha jing because i want to make the riches of this ancient treatise accessible to my nonchinesespeaking tea. Now people from 160 countries in the world are accustomed to tea drinking. It is divided into three sections and ten chapters, including the origin of tea, tea tools, tea picking, tea cooking, tea ceremony and famous tea producing. Conformity, by definition, induces a complex phylogeny. The fruits of his research were written down in his masterpiecethe classic of tea. English edition of cha jing the book of tea by lu yu 733. Sep 25, 2009 an article by latterday tea scholar james norwood pratt states that lu yus the classic of tea known variously as cha ching, cha jing, and the tea classic was a product of five years of hermithood.
Beautifully illustrated by demi hitz published by little brown company 1974 very good condition. As the years passed, lu yus skill at preparing tea improved and he developed a great interest in the brew. An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc. During the tang dynasty 618907 the tea sage lu yu wrote of the delicious nature of lu shan tea. Tea classic by lu yu and other tea literature of tang.
With evidence gathered from various historical sources, such as cha ching or the classic of tea, written by the sage lu yu, scholars believe that the steaming method was one of the earliest ways of processing green tea. Lu yu and the classic of tea on september 25, 2009 october 31, 2011 by william i. Download tea in china a religious and cultural history ebook pdf or read online books in pdf, epub, and mobi format. There are quite a few translation errors, but you can still read the book. Both chiang kaichiek and mao zhedong had summer cottages here, far away from the demands of life in government. It is processed by chinese ethnic minority and is the only famous chinese green tea that is processed using steam method entirely. You can find a recent translation here warning pdf. Because of its medicinal properties, it quickly gained fame and spread throughout china.
Jan 30, 2015 this pin was discovered by charlene partridge. Teachat oldest and largest tea forum online the classic. History of tea culture in china lu yu 733 804 the classic of tea 3 scrolls and. The term classic is basically the same since it uses the same chinese character, but on the other hand, in this context that word doesnt have much of its original intended meaning which didnt have anything to do with the chajing being a time. This is not the tea in the story below that is part of tea history, but it is the same factory fu lu gong beeng cha cakes come from yunnan province, fengshan jing high grade. A comprehensive look at tea history, production and the tea culture of tangera china, the books ten chapters take a look at. For six years, lu yu stayed in huomen mountain studying under the guidance of master zou fuzi. In the book, lu yu tried to comprehensively present all known information about chinese tea culture. Catherine changthe epoch times when speaking of tea, lu yu is an important person to give thanks to. I have the chinese version downloaded from the gutenberg website but i dont have the english version.
The tea flower blog tea tempers the spirits and harmonizes the mind, dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue, awakens thought and prevents drowsiness, lightens or refreshes the body, and clears the perceptive faculties. The classic of tea was penned by lu yu during the eighth century. View f17d lu yu pptx from comm 287 at university of massachusetts, amherst. This is a very straightforward translation by francis ross carpenter first published in 1974 with reproductions of old illustrations of tea manufacture and. En shi yu lu is a very unique tea that originates from en shi city ba jiao village area of hubei province. According to tea lore, lu yu was an orphan of jinling county now tianmen county in hubei province who was adopted. Lu yu s tea classic was the earliest treatise on tea in the world. Pdf chinese ceramics and tea drinking for china heritage. Lu yu s cha jings original version you can read it here and, of course, its in chinese. Unusual chinese scroll depicting famous chinese personality lu yu of 8th century respected as the sage of tea for his contribution to chinese tea culture. This peaceful tea set by lu yu is a very high quality tea set. In chapter 6 the tea saint, lu yu, runs through the history of tea hes describing the boiled tea era in which he lived, of course, which was followed by the whisked tea era, which predated the steeped tea era that we live in now. Works on tea were published in this period, such as tea classic, which was written by yu lu of the tang dynasty and is the.