Chapter 9 China's Tea Culture中国茶文化
China，the homeland of tea，is the first country to grow，produce and drink tea．The discovery of tea，one of the 3 beverages of the world，is a great contribution to the history of human culture．Throughout the dynastic history of China，the enthusiasm of the Chinese people in tea drinking has remained unchanged．This is probably due to the fact that tea is a health drink．In Guide to Chinese Medical Herbs by Li Shizhen of the Ming dynasty，tea is described as a drink good for our digestive system and the brain．Recent scientific analysis has also verified that tea is a salutary beverage．
Over the long history of tea drinking，a special Chinese tea culture came into being．Tea is indispensable in the life of the Chinese people．It is not simply a type of drink，but a transmitter of culture，representing the philosophy，aesthetic views and way of life of the Chinese people，from which the spiritual world of the Chinese people can be discerned．
Chinese tea culture not only refers to the methods of preparing tea，the equipment used to make tea and the occasions on which tea is consumed，but also includes articles，poems，pictures about tea，the art of making and drinking tea，and some customs about tea．This chapter relates the rich knowledge about Chinese tea and Chinese tea culture in terms of the origin of tea，its history，the methods and customs of drinking tea and tea drinking vessels，the Chinese tea ceremony，legends about tea，and the literature and art closely connected with tea．
1.Tea Sage of China
When we talk about Chinese tea culture today，we shouldn't miss an important figure in Chinese history—Lu Yu(733-804)，who was respected as a“Tea Sage”for his contribution to Chinese tea culture．During the Song Dynasty，Lu Yu wrote the Tea Scripture(also translated as The Classic of Tea)．
1)Lu Yu
Born in A．D．733 in the Tang Dynasty，Lu Yu was an orphan adopted by a scholarly monk named Jigong in modern day Hubei Province．At that time，drinking tea became a nationwide tradition．Tea drinking originally appeared in Southern China，and in the mid-Tang Dynasty it started to gain favor with Northern Chinese． The widespread distribution of tea can be attributed to the extensive practice of Zen Buddhism in the whole country．Because sleeping and eating were strictly prohibited for Buddhists practicing meditation，they could only drink tea．Many monks were tea connoisseurs at the same time．
Jigong was a well-known monk and a tea lover．Lu Yu learned from him how to read and write and how to prepare tea for him from childhood．As the years passed，Lu Yu developed a great interest in the brew．However，he rebelled against the discipline of priestly training which had made him a skilled observer．At the age of 11，he fled the temple and joined a theatrical troupe．Although he was a stammer and was not handsome，his fame as a performer increased with each year due to his wit and humour．However，he felt his life lacked meaning．In his late years，Lu Yu withdrew from the outside world into seclusion and concentrated on research into tea．The fruits of his research were written down in his masterpiece—Tea Scripture．
2)Tea Scripture
Lu Yu began to develop a love of tea during his boyhood in the temple．He picked and prepared tea himself，discovering a new world in the tea leaves．His Tea Scripture was a systematic summation of the scientific knowledge and people's experience of tea in the Tang Dynasty and before．It was based on first hand information he got from his own practice as well as his extensive study of related books，and his learning of teamaking experience from other people．It is divided into three sections and ten chapters，including the origin of tea，tea tools，tea picking，tea cooking，tea ceremony，tea events in history，famous tea producing areas，etc．Perhaps of most historical value is the seventh chapter，entitled“Tea Events”which records incidents concerning tea over thousands of years，from legendary times to the Tang Dynasty，introducing the history of Chinese tea in a systematic and comprehensive way．
3)The Discovery of Tea
According to Lu Yu's Tea Scripture，tea drinking in China can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty:“Tea was discovered by Shennong and became popular as a drink in the State of Lu because of Zhou Gong．”Shennong(the Divine Farmer)is a legendary ruler，the 2nd of the Three August Ones and the God of Sun．He is supposed to have invented the plough and discovered the curative virtues of plants．The most well-known work attributed to Shennong is The Divine Farmer's Herb Classic in which Shennong is said to have tasted hundreds of herbs to test their medical value．He was poisoned seventy-two times in a day and saved by tea．
Legend has it that in Shennong Period before 2700 B．C．，Shennong often went to the remote mountains to pick herbal medicines in order to cure his patients．He carried out an investigation of hundreds of wild plants to see which were poisonous and which were edible，so as to prevent people from eating the poisonous plants．His approach to each plant helped him to experience its unique taste and discern its properties．It is said that one day he was poisoned seventy-two times and was luckily saved by chewing some tea leaves．The green leaves，with a faint scent，were carried to him by a gust of wind．He picked up two leaves and put them in the mouth．Chewing the tender leaves made him feel refreshed and energetic．Out of curiosity，he picked up some more leaves and observed them carefully．He also found nearby the evergreen plant from which the leaves came．He picked some leaves from the plant and brought them home for further study．Later he named the plant“Cha”(tea)．Therefore，in early times，tea was used as a magic medicine for all sorts of diseases．The curative plant later became a popular beverage for the Chinese people．
2.Tea Drinking and Appreciation
We Chinese give great attention to our tea and the way they drink it．People have high requirements for the quality of the prepared tea leaves，the water they use to brew tea and the wares they use to prepare and serve tea．
1)Tea Appreciation
Generally，appraisement of tea leaf is based on four principles，namely，appearance of the infused leaf，color of the liquid，aroma and taste．There are many different characteristics to the shape of the leaf．For instance leaves can be curly or flat，needle-like or flower-like．The appearance of the leaf is important，but the aroma and taste are the more important factors in judging the quality of a kind of tea．
The Chinese emphasize water quality and water taste，so people select their water carefully．Fine water must be sweet，cool，clean，and flowing．Water from good springs is always considered best，as is rainwater from autumn and the rainy seasons．Tap water may have a perceptible odor or taste，which will be imparted to the infused brew，and will compromise the quality of the tea．
Chinese people take great delight in sampling tea．By sampling，one is not only discriminating the quality of the tea，but also experiencing the intoxication and enjoying being lost in reverie．One would snatch a little leisure from the busy life，make himself a nice cup of tea at home and imbibe slowly in small sips．One could also secure a serene space outside，for example，a teahouse tucked away in a park or nestled in a hill．Tea-drinking will be sure to relieve one's weary and release one's worry until one's spirit soars up and up into a sublime aesthetic realm．
2)Teapot Appreciation
In China，people think different teas look and taste better in certain tea wares than others．For example，green tea should be matched with glass tea ware;scented tea is poured into porcelain ware;and oolong tea is best presented in purple clay tea ware．Chinese prefer pottery wares to wares made of metal or other materials．The best choice is the purple clay wares made in Yixing，Jiangsu province．The purple clay of this region gives the wares their internationally-known purple color．
Yixing has been famous for the production of purple clay teapot(see picture 19-1)since the Northern Song Dynasty．Purple clay ware is made from purple clay or red clay found in Yixing region．It is delicate and hard in nature，but is also able to have air penetration at the same time．The aroma of the tea can be stored in purple clay ware teapot，and will then be absorbed by the clay．As the purple clay ware is fairly heat insulated，it is good for tea drinking both in winter and summer．The most attractive thing about this kind of ware is that it looks shiny through time and the often used pot can release a kind of aroma when it is just filled with hot water without tea．This is the reason why purple clay ware is regarded as invaluable object by most collectors．
3)Tea Drinking Customs
Tea plays an important role in Chinese people's social and emotional lives．Tea is always made and offered to a guest or friend immediately upon that person's entering a Chinese home．Serving a cup of tea to the guest is a common practice in China．“To invite the guest to stay longer with a cup of tea”demonstrates hospitality and traditional etiquette．Serving tea is more than a matter of mere politeness;it is a symbol of togetherness，a sharing of something enjoyable and a way of showing respect to visitors．
When the guest arrived，the host would use the best quality tea leaves and tea utensils to prepare the tea．Normally a host would only fill a teacup to seven-tenths of its capacity．It is said that the other three-tenths would be filled with frendship and affection．For the guest，not to take at least a sip might be considered rude in sone areas．When the host is accompanying the guest and sees that the guest's cup is already half empty，he should add more hot water for him immediately．
Here are three special circumstances in which tea is prepared and consumed:
A．A Signal of End of Talk
We normally think of tea drinking as an invitation to stay and socialize．Starting from the Qing Dynasty，however，the drinking of tea could signal the close to the social encounter．This was particularly true when one visited one's superior．When the guest reached the host's home，the host would offer his guest a cup of tea．They would then talk．When the host wanted his guest to leave，he would signal this by holding his own cup of tea and drinking it．The guest would then know that the host wanted him to leave and would ask to leave．With the end of the feudal society，this practice is outdated and can only be seen in literary works reflecting the old times．
B．A Sign of Respect
In Chinese society，the younger generation would show its respect to the older generation by offering a cup of tea．In the past，people of lower rank served tea to higher ranking people．Today，as Chinese society becomes more liberal，sometimes at home parents may pour a cup of tea for their children，or a boss may even pour tea for subordinates at restaurants．The lower ranking person should not expect the higher ranking person to serve him or her tea in formal occasions，however．
C．A Gesture of Apology
In Chinese culture，people make serious apologies to others by pouring them tea．That is a sign of regret and submission．
3.Chinese Tea Ceremony
China boasts a sophisticated tea culture．Tea ceremony rituals collectively represent the spirit of the“Way of Tea”with four basic principles:thrifty，harmony，respect and beauty．The Chinese tea ceremony emphasizes the tea—what the tea tastes like，smells like，and how one tea tastes compared to the previous tea，or in successive rounds of drinking．Ceremony doesn't mean that each server will perform the ritual the same way．Each step is meant to be a sensory exploration and appreciation．
The most famous tea ceremony in China is that of gongfu tea．Gongfu tea is a technique of preparing tea．The term“gongfu”denotes any skill that is developed through great practice such as Chinese painting，martial arts or Chinese tea making．It generally refers to the more formal preparation of Chinese tea using tiny cups to match the small unglazed purple clay teapots．The drinking of gongfu tea is an old custom of Chaoshan area in Guangdong Province where almost every family is equipped with gongfu tea utensils．People there drink several rounds of gongfu tea a day．Even after moving to other places of the country or emigrated to foreign countries，they still maintain this custom．
Word Bank
salutary有利健康的，有治疗作用的
discern辨别，识别
scripture经书，经文
connoisseur鉴赏家，行家
brew沏茶
seclusion隔离，隐居
treatise(专题)论文
infuse注入，泡(茶)
impart把……分给
imbibe喝，饮
sublime庄严的，崇高的
sensory传递感觉的
参考译文
中国素有“茶的故乡”之称，是世界上最早种植茶、制作茶、饮用茶的国家。茶是世界三大饮料之一，茶的发现和利用是中国人对人类文化史的一大贡献。几千年以来，中国人品茶的热情始终未减，因为茶是一种有益健康的天然饮品。在明朝李时珍所著的《本草纲目》中，茶是一种有利于消化系统和大脑的饮品。现代科学研究也证明了茶是有利健康的饮品。
中国悠久的饮茶历史，形成了颇有特色的中华茶文化。茶成为人们生活中不可缺少的一部分，它不仅是一种饮品，而且是文化的传播者，代表了中国人独特的哲学思想、美学观点和生活方式，它能体现中国人的精神世界。
中国茶文化不仅指泡茶的方法、茶具和饮茶的场合，还包括茶诗、茶画、茶艺及茶俗。本章主要介绍茶的起源与种类、品茶用具、中国茶道以及相关的神话传说和文学作品等。
1.茶圣陆羽
谈及中国茶文化，不能不提及中国历史上的一位重要人物——陆羽(733年-804年)。陆羽，以撰写了世界第一部茶叶专著《茶经》而闻名于世，对中国茶文化的发展做出了卓越贡献，被奉为“茶圣”。
1)陆羽
陆羽生于公元733年，原是一个被遗弃的孤儿，被现河北境内当时有名的积公禅师收养。当时饮茶的习惯正从南方向全国传开。饮茶习惯的广泛传播可以归功于僧侣，因为僧侣坐禅时严禁睡眠与进食，只能饮茶。因此，许多僧侣深谙品茶之道。
积公为唐代名僧，喜好品茗。陆羽在寺院里跟他学文识字，习诵佛经，还学会煮茶等事务。但他不愿皈依佛法，削发为僧。十一岁那年，他乘人不备，逃出龙盖寺到一个戏班里学演戏，做了优伶。他虽其貌不扬，又有些口吃，但却幽默机智，演丑角很成功。晚年的他隐居苕溪，闭门著书，使《茶经》得以问世。
2)《茶经》
陆羽自幼在寺庙与茶结缘，然后自己采茶、制茶、煮茶，从茶叶中发现新天地。陆羽的《茶经》，是唐代和唐代以前有关茶叶科学知识和实践经验的系统总结，是陆羽躬身实践、笃行不倦取得茶叶生产和制作的第一手资料，也是他遍查群书、广采博收茶叶采制经验的结晶。《茶经》共分上、中、下三卷，包括茶的本源、制茶器具、茶的采制、煮茶方法、茶艺茶道、历代茶事、茶叶产地等十章。其中第七章“茶之事”，辑录了自上古神农氏到唐代中叶数千年间有关茶事的记录，系统而全面地介绍了中国古代茶的发展演变，尤具史料价值。
3)茶的发现
据陆羽《茶经》载:“茶之为饮，发乎神农氏，文于鲁周公。”神农氏，即远古三皇之一的炎帝，远古传说中的太阳神。传说神农发明了耕田的犁并发现了植物的药用价值。著名的《神农本草经》记载:“神农尝百草，日遇七十二毒，得茶而解之。”
相传在公元前2700年以前的神农时代，神农为了给人治病，经常到深山野岭去采集草药，他调查了数百种野生植物，亲口尝试，识别有毒植物和可食植物，以防止人们误食有毒植物，体会、鉴别草药的功能。据说有一天，神农尝百草，日遇七十二毒，得茶而解之。一阵风吹来几片绿油油的带着清香的叶子，神农拣了两片放在嘴里咀嚼，没想到一股清香油然而生，顿时感觉舌底生津，精神振奋。他感到很奇怪，于是，再拾起几片叶子仔细观察，并在附近找到了该植物，采集了一些带回去细细研究。后来，就把它命名为“茶”。因此，早期的茶，是作为一种能医治百病的神药，后来逐渐演变成中国人的日常生活饮料。
2.品茶和赏壶
中国人非常注重茶和饮茶方式，历来对选茗、取水、备具、烹茶、奉茶以及品尝方法都颇为讲究。
1)品茶
茶叶的好次，主要从色、香、味、形四个方面鉴别，即一看色泽、二闻香气、三观外形、四品滋味。不同种类的茶叶有不同的外形特点，或条索卷曲，或扁平挺直;或形似针状，或状似花朵。茶叶的外形虽重要，但决定茶叶品质的关键因素还是内质，即香气和滋味。
中国茶文化讲究水质水源，因此人们选取泡茶用水时非常用心。好水须甘、清、净、活。据说称得上好水的是山中乳泉水，或是秋天和雨季的雨水。自来水因含有漂白粉，使得人们已经很难再喝到真正的茶味了。
中国人饮茶，注重一个“品”字。“品茶”不但是鉴别茶的优劣，也带有神思遐想和领略饮茶情趣之意。忙里偷闲在家中泡上一壶好茶，细啜慢饮，舒适惬意;或择雅静之处，如园林或自然山水间的茶室，自斟自饮。饮茶可以消除疲劳、涤烦益思、振奋精神，达到美的享受，使精神世界升华到高尚的艺术境界。
2)赏壶
中国人饮用不同的茶往往会选用不同的茶具。例如:绿茶用玻璃茶具，花茶用瓷茶具，乌龙茶用紫砂茶具。中国人还认为陶器茶具佳于金属的或其他质地的茶具，而最佳的选择便是产于江苏省宜兴市的紫砂茶具。
自北宋起，宜兴即已以产紫砂壶闻名(见图19-1)。紫砂壶由紫泥或红泥等当地天然泥料烧制而成，质地坚硬而透气性佳，泡茶不易变味，容易吸收茶汁，留下浓郁香味，且隔热性能好，冬夏使用皆宜。最吸引人的是紫砂壶经日积月累的茶汁浇洗涤揩日愈光亮。经常沏茶的紫砂壶偶尔不放茶叶，其水也有茶香味。这也是它深受大多数收藏爱好者青睐的原因。
3)茶事礼俗
茶在中国人的社会和情感生活中都有着重要的作用。凡客人、朋友到来，沏茶、敬茶的礼仪是必不可少的。客来敬茶是中国较为普遍的茶俗。“一杯香茗暂留客”体现了中国人的重情好客和传统礼节。敬茶不只是出于对客人的礼貌，而且是一种亲近的象征和快乐的分享。
当有客来访时主人会选用家里最好的茶叶和最佳茶具待客。倒茶通常以斟七分为敬，据说杯中空着的三分将被友情填满。在有些地方，客人至少要喝一口茶，否则会被认为不礼貌。主人在陪客人饮茶时，如看到客人杯中被已喝去一半，就要及时添加开水。
以下是敬茶的三个不同场合:
A．端茶送客
我们往往认为喝茶意味着留客，但从清朝开始，端茶成为一种送客的暗示。尤其是当下属拜见上司时，主人家会上一杯茶，然后开始谈话。如果主人想客人离去，主人会举起茶杯说:“请喝茶”，这时客人会识趣地赶快告辞。随着封建社会结束，这种礼节也成为历史，只存在于反映旧时生活的文学作品中。
B．表示尊敬
在中国社会，当晚辈要向长辈表示尊敬时，会向他们奉上一杯茶。以往，下属要为上级准备茶水。但如今，社会变得开放自由，这种传统不但消失，还倒过来出现家长为孩子冲茶或老板为下属冲茶的情况。不过，在正式场合下属不应该期望上司为自己倒茶。
C．斟茶道歉
在中国的传统中，人们正式道歉时要向对方敬茶，以示自己的后悔和顺服。
3.中国茶道
中国的茶文化博大精深。中国“茶道”是一种和美仪式，其基本精神为:“俭、和、敬、美”。中国茶道注重的是茶的本身——茶的口感和味道、此杯茶与前杯茶的比较和与后杯茶的异同。茶道不同敬茶者的方法也有所不同。茶道的每一步都是一种感官的探索和欣赏。
中国最著名的茶道是功夫茶道。所谓功夫茶，是一种泡茶的技法。之所以叫功夫茶，是因为这种泡茶的方式操作起来需要一定的功夫，此功夫，乃为沏泡的学问，品饮的境界，正如中国画与武术，皆为功夫。功夫茶的茶具是紫砂茶壶和与之配套的几个小茶盅。品功夫茶是广东潮汕地区很出名的风俗之一。在潮汕本地，家家户户都有功夫茶具，每天必定要喝上几轮。即使是侨居外地或移民海外的潮汕人，也仍然保存着品功夫茶这个风俗。
Exercises
Section A Thought-provoking questions
1．Why is tea indispensable in the life of the Chinese people？
2．How to ensure the greatest enhancement of the taste of tea？
3．What is your understanding of tea and tea drinking？
Section B Fill in the blanks in the following tea quotes
1．Love and scandal are the______sweeteners of tea．—Henry Fielding，Love in Several Masques
2．Drink your tea slowly and reverently，as if it is the axis on which the world earth______slowly，evenly，without rushing toward the future．—Thich Nat Hahn
3．The best quality tea must have creases like the leathern boot of Tartar horsemen，curl like the dewlap of a mighty bullock，unfold like a mist rising out of a ravine，gleam like a lake touched by a zephyr，and be wet and soft like a fine earth newly swept by______．—Lu Yu
4．If you are cold，tea will warm you．If you are too heated，it will cool you．If you are depressed，it will______you．If you are excited，it will calm you．—Gladstone，1865
5．Tea is drunk to______the din of the world．—T'ien Yiheng
6．There is a great deal of poetry and fine______in a chest of tea．—Ralph Waldo Emerson，Letters and Social Aims
7．Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of______．—Author Unknown
8．Tea，though ridiculed by those who are naturally coarse in their nervous sensibilities...will always be the______beverage of the intellectual．—Thomas De Quincy(18751959)
9．Each cup of tea represents an______voyage．—Catherine Douzel
10．Drinking a______cup of tea will surely starve the apothecary．—Chinese Proverb
※One whose words are shameless will have difficulty carrying them out.
From Analects of Confucius
(其言之不怍，则为之也难。)
——《论语》
※To be poor without complaint is difficult;it is easier to be rich without conceit.
From Analects of Confucius
(贫而无怨，难;富而无骄，易。)
——《论语》