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

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.

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.

Learn about the history of Chinese tea, which dates back over 5,000 years and involves emperors, wars, and unsung heroes. Take a closer look at the philosophies and wisdom behind tea that have been passed down from one generation to another. Follow the delicately crafted art of the tea ceremony and the etiquette of drinking tea at a traditional tea house. Learn how to prepare Chinese tea by a top-rated Chinese tea master.

The fine art of preparing and drinking tea has become a hallmark of Chinese civilization, handed down through the ages in China by monks and martial artists, doctors and hermits, emperors and alchemists. In his latest book, Daniel Reid explores Chinese tea in its manifold varieties, its long and colorful historical development in China, and its refinement as a mainstay of Chinese culture. He describes the principles that lie at the heart of tea culture in China, the potent medicinal properties of Chinese tea, and how to cultivate Cha Dao, the Daoist way of tea, in daily life. A central section of the book explores for the first time the alchemy of Chinese tea, an esoteric aspect of Chinese tea culture that remains unexplored by modern science but was known and cultivated in ancient China. Jin Dan, the `golden elixir of life' is the elusive essence that resides dormant within tea (as in some other plants and minerals) and can be extracted, activated and transferred to the human system to protect health, prolong life, and enhance mental performance. The author looks at how and why this works, and explains the chemical transformations that take place as well as explaining the energetic transfer that takes place when tea is prepared by a Master. Illustrated with many photographs, by Christan Janzen, the book contains detailed descriptions of many Chinese tea varieties, especially the High Mountain Oolong Tea of Taiwan, which is considered by many to be the pinnacle of perfection in both the art and alchemy of Chinese tea. The book also contains entertaining tea anecdotes from the author's 'Tea Tidings' bulletin, and a useful glossary of Chinese tea terms. Tea lovers, as well as those with an interest in tea culture, the Dao, and Chinese history and culture, will find this book an absorbing and revelatory read.

The Qing dynasty (1636–1912)—a crucial bridge between “traditional” and “modern” China—was remarkable for its expansiveness and cultural sophistication. This engaging and insightful history of Qing political, social, and cultural life traces the complex interaction between the Inner Asian traditions of the Manchus, who conquered China in 1644, and indigenous Chinese cultural traditions. Noted historian Richard J. Smith argues that the pragmatic Qing emperors presented a “Chinese” face to their subjects who lived south of the Great Wall and other ethnic faces (particularly Manchu, Mongolian, Central Asian, and Tibetan) to subjects in other parts of their vast multicultural empire. They were attracted by many aspects of Chinese culture, but far from being completely “sinicized” as many scholars argue, they were also proud of their own cultural traditions and interested in other cultures as well. Setting Qing dynasty culture in historical and global perspective, Smith shows how the Chinese of the era viewed the world; how their outlook was expressed in their institutions, material culture, and customs; and how China’s preoccupation with order, unity, and harmony contributed to the civilization’s remarkable cohesiveness and continuity. Nuanced and wide-ranging, his authoritative book provides an essential introduction to late imperial Chinese culture and society.

Tea and wine have a long history in China. In fact, both have become firmly entrenched in the culture and customs of the Chinese people, featuring prominently in the traditional rites of ancestral worship and in social situations. Discover the origins and varieties of tea and wine, and learn about: * Famous Chinese teas and wines * The etiquette and methods for preparing and serving tea and wine * The health-giving properties of tea and wine * Unique customs practised among the minority peoples in China * Interesting facts and ancient stories relating to tea and wine Not only will this book entertain and inspire, it will enrich your understanding of the Chinese culture!

Are you curious about the diversified views in “Contention of the Hundred Schools of Thought”? What's the origin of the Chinese zodiac signs? Or the history of the Chinese tea culture that is popular around the world? As one of the few ancient civilizations in the world, China features her a multidimensional cultural deposit in consistency and unification, endowing her history with a sense of perplexity and enchantment. Would you find it quite difficult to study Chinese culture? Well, relax. Together in this book, we shall follow the historical trace of 50 national treasures of the museums through the time tunnel, and enjoy their stories buried in the past 5000 years. They would be your company to explore the magnificent world of ancient China. In this book, the Chinese history is divided into eight periods. The treasures selected as samples are precious collections from museums around the world, including ceramics, jades, bronze wares, paintings, bamboo slips, sculptures, gold wares and silver wares. Rich in photographs and illustrations, the book introduces the most representative academic thoughts, moral education, religious beliefs, and folk customs in every period of the ancient China, and describes the interaction of Chinese and foreign cultures, as well as the spirit of the times and the cultural characteristics hidden behind them. In this way, the most crucial social concepts and the most attractive anecdotes in history will be revealed, and a sketch of Chinese culture will be unfolding in front of you through the rising and falling of those ancient dynasties. The treasures will no longer be resting in silence, as they are about to tell their own stories and present you with a journey of knowledge and visual feast. Let's take a stroll along the glory years to unveil the Chinese culture.