Historical remains ofChina tea culture.

Yao Guokun, Wu Shengtian, Li Maorong

( International Tea Cultural Institute, ,China)

Summary China is not only the original place of tea plants but also the birthplace of tea culture. With growing, processing and utilization of tea as well as with development and spreading of tea culture, Chinese people contribute a lot to the world not only a worldwide beve;age but also colorful culture that is as common wealth shared with w 0 rid p e 0 pie.. Inchin ,a, therearei0 t s 0 f histori ca Irem a ins that r e fl e c t the highIevel of civilization and long history of Chinese tea culture. It is important to discover, protect and study the historical remains for further developing of Chinese tea culture, which takes important roles in promoting tea consumption and improving tea tourisrn.tourisro. There are over 100 famous historical remains that took important roles in the history of Chinese tea culture. There are remains with over 2000 years such as ancient wild tea trees, Royal Tea House in Mingshan, ancient books of from

Changsha, etc. The remains with more than 1000 years are Gexuan Tea Garden at

Tiantai Temple, Royal Tea Factory in Changxing, tea utensils from the Famen Temple in Fufeng, ancient horse road for tea trade, Temple at Zhaozhou, the Wenjun

Well, etc. There are more historical remains with more 500 years. The authors have studied the historical remains of Chinese tea culture for y.e~rs. Totally 87 remains of

Chinese tea culture have been studied and classified and described in details in this paper. The remains include wells and springs, ancient tea gardens, stone carvings, temples and teahouses, tea utensils and antiques, tea stories and pornes, etc.

Key words: Histo'rical remains; Tea culture; enina

The historical remains of tea culture are an important composition of tea culture of-China and also the'historical \vitness of tea culture of China. It has been continUt:dcontinu<:d for several thousand years and stood the test on time and space. There is far-reaching importance and has realistically effect for flourish and continue the tea culture cause, especially for promoting the development of tea tour economy to dig up and collect

-61- Session I these' historical remains of tea culture in China and further to clear up and repair them.

There are at least over 100 remains of tea culture in China that have obvious effect in history. Among these there are ancient wild tea trees over 2000 years old, Royal Tea House in Mirigsha~, ancient books of Han dynasty dug up in , Gexuan Tea Garden in Mountain founded in 1000 years ago, Royal T(~a Factory in Changxing, ancient tea trees in Yuannan, tea utensils from Famen Temple, etc, and there are much nlore remains of tea culture in the history period within 500 years. They are creatures of our ancestor and the nature, and also the gifts of Chinese nation to the mankind. In order to enlarge these cultures we have collected 80 historical tea culture remains and clean up as follows:

1. Tea-concerned springs

Tea is a national beverage of China. It is always a favorite of Chinese that good tea match good spring. So, in the history of tea drinking, tens of tea culture examplt~s concerning spring had been turned up in tea-drinking history of China. Among these there are Wenjun Well in Han dynasty, Emei Yuye Spring in Shui dynasty with which the senior Buddhist Zhizhe was achieved, Zhong.leng Spring in Zhengjiang and Darning Spring in which were ranked as number 1 spring and number 5 spring in the world respectively by water culturist Liu Bozou in , Gulian Spring in Lushan, Stone Spring in , Zaoyin,g Spring in Lushan, the water fronl waterfall with hundreds meters high in Tiantai Mounta~n ~nd the water of Yan Zhi Ling in Tonglu which were ranked as number 1, number 3, number 6,'number 17 and number 19 springs in the world respectively by the tea emperor Luyu in Tang dynasty; there are royal tea-infusing water from Huishan Spring in Wuxi and Jingsa Spring in Changxing in Tang dynasty, Yu Spring in Beij ing, Hupao Spring in Hangzhou which were ranked as number 1 and number 3 springs in the world by emperor Qianlong in as well as Baotuo Spring in ; there are Shuanxi Luyu Spring whi<:h was named to memorize tea emperor Luyu, Literature Spring in Tianmen, Luyu Spring in Shangrao, Luyou Spring in Yichang which was named to memorize famous poet

Luyou, Biyu Spring in Anning which was ranke,d as number 1 spring by geographer Xu Xieke in . Besides, there are still many springs or waters concerning tea culture in any ways, such as Liu Spring in Zibo, Laoshan Spring, Hama Spring in Yichang, Warm Spring in Huangshan, Tongxian Well in Wuyi, Xiangxi Water in Zigui and Hot River Spring in , etc.

Session I -62- 2. Ancient tea gardens

There are usually famous nl0untains, springs, temples and personalities where

there are famous teas, especially where there are famous ancient tea gardens. The:;e national scenes with deep culture and history contents attracted many tea persons. AmongAthese there are Jiuhua: Mountain in Qingyang and Emei Mountain in .that are ranked in "The Four Famous Mountains" of ; Wuyi Mountain with big stones and tea trees all around; Dongting Mountain in Suzhou; Guzhu Mountain in Changxing. Besides, there are Huang Shan Mountain in , Mogan Mountain in Deqing, Yantang Mountain in Yueqing, Tea Mountain in Shangrao, Wudong Mountain in Chaoan, The Six Tea Mountains in Puer, etc, they are all closely related to ancient tea affairs and have deep and rich culture contents.

3. Tea culture in temple of Buddhism or Taoist

Tea culture of China has comprehensive relation and deep contents of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. All concepts of "syncretie between man and nature" of Confucianism, "consciousness of Buddhism through tea-drinking" of Buddhism and "the alchemy with tea" o.f Taoism have enriched the history, culture and arts of tea, and formed a comprehensive scene of tea garden and natural scenes as well as. In Tang dynasty a Japanese Buddhist Zui-deng went to China to study Buddhism, and then brought tea seeds to Japan from Guoqing Temple in Tiantai Mountain; in a Japanese Buddhist Longxi came to China to study Buddhism, and then brought tea banquet and tea utensils' from Jinshan Temple in

Yuhang. Also, there are Bailin Temple in Zaozhou, Darning Temple in Yangzhou, Taoguang Temple in Hangzhou and Donglin Temple in Lushan, etc. They all remain(~d

splendent achievements in tea history.

4. Tea-concerned site

Tea site is defined as the locations using for tea cultivation, tea manufacture, tea identification and tea utensil producing. Among these there are Mingshan Royal Tl~a Garden in West Han dynasty \vhich is the earliest man-cultured tea garden, the Mingpu (tea garden) in Tiantai Mountain which was the place that Taoist Gexun cultured tea, the ancient horse road for tea trade between , Sichuan and Tibet in Tang dynasty, the stove for tea manufacture in Tang dynasty and Song dynasty, the

royal tea garden in Wuyi Mountain in , the 18 royal tea trees on which the emperor Qianlong in Qing dynasty plucked tea, Da Hong Pao Tea in Wuyi

-63- Session I Mountain which is considered as "the emperor among tea trees", and as well as many large welt tea trees and ancient tea trees mainly distributed among Yunnan, , Sichuan, etc.

5. Stone carvings for tea memory

Stone carvings for tea memory are the treasure culture left by our ancestor. It is 'not only historical significant, but also the cultural remains with scientific value. These stone carvings vividly and truly recorded the tea culture situations in each historical period; they are the witness of tea culture and tea history. Among these there are the cliff stone carvings about tea affairs in Changxing in Tang dynasty and Song dynasty, the cliff stone carvings there the army minister (Pangyi) in Wuyi distract in Song dynasty drank tea, the cliff stone carvings in Jiane in Song dynasty, the cliff stone carvings about tea competition in Wuyi Mountain in Song dynasty, Stone carving of "the seven methods of tea brewing" by Xuwei in Ming dynasty, alLd the monument of teas in Jiangshan which recorded tea habit in Qing dynasty, etc.

6. Cultural relic

During the formation and development of tea culture, it has created an ancient and long history, brilliant and rich culture, genius and specific art creatures left us an abundant historical remains of tea culture. Through enjoying and studying these ancient remains of tea culture people can probe the ever existed ancient civilization about tea culture, further to review the long history and got the inspiration deeply and enjoy the beauty. Among these the follows are the examples: The most available golden and silver tea utensils in the world found in the base room of Faming Temple, the wall paintings of tea-drinking found in grave group of Liao dynasty in Xuanhua, Jiane Cupper utensils in Song dynasty which was used to add to the fun for tea-drinking, tea business man's residence of Qing dynasty in Wuyuan, the Tea Department that manage tea trade in Qing dynasty, the bamboo book of West Han dynasty found in Changsa that recorded tea, the mountain carve hole in Wuyi Mountain where ever was the place for writing books while enjoying tea, Sangui Booth in Changxing in Tang dynasty where Luyou tasted tea and recite poems with his friends, the Imperial Palace in and Taibei, Tea Museum of China in Hangzhou, Tea Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Pottery Museum of China in Yixing, Museum of Official Pottery Stove in Hangzhou.

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