The history of tea culture is long and has gone through the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, which brought tea culture into various fields. Although the term "tea ceremony" does not appear in historical Chinese tea books, the concept of a tea ceremony still exists, and the descriptions of tea utensils and the environment for tea tasting in these books provide references for modern tea ceremony design art. Each period's tea ceremony design has some unique elements, which can be glimpsed from the tea paintings of that time.

"Talk about Palace Affairs" - Ming Dynasty tea banquet that emphasizes artistic conception

Chen Hongshou's work "Illustrations of Chatting about Palace Affairs" of the Ming Dynasty clearly depicts the tea banquet arrangements for tea tasting at that time. In the painting, there are purple sand teapots, tea cups, water storage urns, tea boxes, vases, etc. placed on the tea table of the two people. The simple furnishings show the characteristics of tea banquets that are different from those of the Tang and Song dynasties.

Tasting tea also requires appreciating its artistic essence.

Tea culture spread to the Ming Dynasty, and the way of drinking tea underwent major changes. In the Tang and Song Dynasties, the method of brewing tea was changed from the late tea method to the loose tea method, which is brewing with loose tea. Therefore, tea seats and tea sets have also undergone relative changes. In addition, after experiencing the alien rule in the Yuan Dynasty, tea drinkers in the Ming Dynasty hoped to revive the art of life in the Song Dynasty, which also made them pay more attention to the atmosphere and artistic conception of drinking tea.

So what exactly is the "artistic conception" emphasized by tea drinkers in the Ming Dynasty? Luo Lin, a calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty, described the ideal tea-tasting environment in his mind in "Tea Explanation and Tasting": "Sitting in the mountain hall at night, cooking fragrant tea with your hands, until the water and fire are fighting, listening to the pine waves, pouring into the human cup, and the cloud light "It's misty and generally quiet, so it's hard to describe it to ordinary people." Therefore, we can know that tea drinkers at that time, in addition to their own physical and mental state, also had certain requirements for the drinking environment, vision and hearing, and it should not be too noisy. Complex, mostly close to nature.

The emergence of purple clay teapot

In "The Picture of Chatting about Palace Affairs", we can see traces of purple sand teapots, which represents the gradual decline of the late tea method, and tea pots, tea spoons and other tea sets also retreated from the tea banquets of the Ming Dynasty. Subsequently, teapots, tureens and other tea-making utensils used in the tea brewing method began to take the lead, and were indispensable protagonists in the Ming, Qing, and even modern tea banquets. Among them, teapots made of purple clay are used in ancient and modern times at home and abroad. A sought after tea set.

The history of purple clay can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn Period, but the ancestors of making purple clay pots originated from the Ming Dynasty, and the first purple clay pot that appeared was the spring pot. The Gongchun pot is shaped to imitate the shape of a tree burr. The texture of the pot body is ancient crepe, which captures the charm of creation. To this day, the spring pot is also the object of imitation or creation based on this pot shape by major purple clay craftsmen.

"Picture of Cooking Tea and Washing Inkstones" - Qing Dynasty tea banquet with the theme of "Qing Gong"

After the Ming Dynasty, people in the Qing Dynasty placed their pursuit of tea culture and art at a higher level, and had higher requirements for the environment and atmosphere. There are also tea paintings in the Qing Dynasty with the theme of "Qing Dynasty offering". Tea utensils became the objects of Qing Dynasty offerings, and tea seats also became the aesthetic place of tea drinkers in the Qing Dynasty. The Qing Dynasty painter Qian Hui'an's work "Picture of Cooking Tea and Washing Inkstones" depicts a scribe drinking tea by a mountain stream: Under the pine tree, the scribe is reclining on a couch; a pot and a cup are placed on the table next to him. , there are also offerings of vases, letters, antiques, etc. Not far away there is a boy boiling water in a purple clay pot.

What is a clearing?

The so-called "Qinggong" refers to the ornamental furnishings placed on the table, including bonsai, flowers, handicrafts, antiques, etc. When the tea utensils and appropriate Qing offerings are put together, it becomes the leisurely and elegant tea banquet art of the Qing Dynasty. It also uses various plants to express people's respect and worship for heaven and nature.

Since the Ming Dynasty, tea banquets have been inseparable from nature, flowers and plants. Whether it is a tea-drinking environment or a Qing Dynasty offering, flowers, plants and trees always have a place. In the "Picture of Cooking Tea and Washing Inkstones", we can see how the tea people and literati at that time used nature to express the beauty of the art of life, thereby cultivating a taste for elegant culture.

An extension of the Zhou tea method: Chaoshan Kung Fu tea

The Qing Dynasty continued and developed the tea-making method of the Zhou tea method, and Kungfu tea gradually formed in the Chaoshan area. In order to control the quality of the tea soup, the tea sets for Kung Fu tea are generally small and easy to control. The tea set generally consists of a pot with two to four teacups, and boiling water is used to brew tea. Generally, purple clay pots are used as tea utensils for Kung Fu tea, because the purple clay material has strong air permeability and can easily distribute the tea aroma while retaining the temperature of the tea soup. At the same time, you can also moisturize the purple clay teapot during the process of making tea, making the teapot more oily in color. It is both a tea utensil and a pure gift.

The perfect combination of Kung Fu tea is a purple clay teapot paired with Chaoshan’s famous Phoenix Dancong. Phoenix Dancong has a high aroma, comes in a variety of aroma types, and has a strong and long tea flavor. Brew tea in a purple clay pot to bring out the aroma of tea leaves, letting the whole room be intoxicated with the fragrance of Dan Cong. This also allows every household in Chaoshan to treat guests with tea and pass on the art of Kung Fu tea.

Phoenix Yellow Gardenia

Medium-roasted Chaoshan Phoenix Dancong tea has a moderate mellow aroma, smooth taste and obvious sweetness.
Emphasis is placed on the aroma of mature flower tea and the sweet aftertaste in the throat, with a smooth taste. The sweet aftertaste in the throat is strong and long-lasting, and it is resistant to brewing and foaming.

Suggested reading:

[Changes of the Tea Banquet] What is the difference between the tea making methods in the Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty tea making?

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