Chinese Tea and Asian Societies Kunbing Xiao the Region
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The Newsletter No. 80 Summer 2018 China Connections Regional Editor 13 Chinese tea and Asian societies Kunbing Xiao The Region Chinese tea and Center for Global Asia Asian societies at NYU Shanghai The Center for Global Asia at NYU Shanghai serves as the hub within the NYU Global Network University system to promote the Kunbing Xiao Tea originated in China and has spread worldwide over the past two study of Asian interactions and comparisons, centuries. Tea plants are highly sensitive to their natural environment both historical and contemporary. The overall objective of the Center is to provide global and, even today, are mainly cultivated in subtropical Asian countries. societies with information on the contexts The cultivation, processing and consumption of tea has influenced Asian for the reemerging connections between the various parts of Asia through research societies for centuries, in various ways. In this edition of ‘China Connections’, and teaching. Collaborating with institutions inspired by Appadurai’s ‘Disjuncture and difference in the global cultural across the world, the Center seeks to play a bridging role between existing Asian economy’, we explore how tea, as a commodity critically involved in modern studies knowledge silos. It will take the lead world history, affected ancient China’s regional politics, and how it still in drawing connections and comparisons between the existing fields of Asian studies, permeates ordinary people’s lives in Asia. and stimulating new ways of understanding Asia in a globalized world. e encourage our readers to impact on economics, politics and people’s The extensive influence of tea has consider tea in both its macroscalar daily lives throughout Asia. These fascinating also challenged researchers’ assumptions Asia Research Center Wand microscalar contexts. On the one research findings also remind us of Okakura and knowledge, making an interdisciplinary hand, tea is associated with regime change, Kakuzō’s claim made approximately 200 approach and methodology essential for at Fudan University long-distance transportation, the organ- years ago, when he asserted that “Asia is the study of tea. From China of the Tang Founded in March 2002, the Asia Research ization of production, and global capitalism, one”, a possible contemplation on his latter Dynasty to California in America, from Center at Fudan University (ARC-FDU) is and so has propelled the emergence of the even more renowned work, ‘The Book of Tea’. British Indian tea plantations to teahouses one of the achievements of the cooperation world trade system. On the other hand, tea However, a discussion about tea in in Chaozhou, tea has influenced our of Fudan and the Korean Foundation for is closely related to our consumption habits, Asian societies should never ignore western societies dynamically and is still shaping Advanced Studies (KFAS). Through the years, our social organization and life-styles, and influences. We cannot imagine those our modern world. We hope that the the center is making all the efforts to promote to some extent reflects our bodily perception tea plantations in Darjeeling and Assam following articles will unveil some of tea’s Asian Studies, including hosting conferences of the environment. without the enthusiastic British search for mysteries and enable you to enjoy more and supporting research projects. ARC-FDU the taste of tea. The circulation of Chinese than just a cup of the beverage. keeps close connections with the ARCs in Following the ‘the flow of tea’, five tea around the world occurred at the same mainland China and many institutes abroad. articles outline the transmission of tea and time as westerners invaded the old empire. the interplay of tea-tasting arts in Asian Thus, global capitalism has been a critical Kunbing Xiao iis Associate Professor of Anthropology at Southwest Minzu societies, including China, British India factor, infiltrating and becoming rooted University; the CGA-ARC postdoctoral and Taiwan. Researchers working from the in Asian societies. In the modern era, tea’s fellow at the Center for Global Asia diverse backgrounds of history, art history, globalisation is significantly accelerating (2017-2018) NYU Shanghai; and Regional anthropology and substance abuse, reveal and becoming more widely appreciated Editor of 'China Connections'. in their studies the hidden nature of tea’s than ever before. [email protected] Again, this was accomplished by cultivating gongfu tea came to be regarded not as one expertise and discernment in one or more among many regional styles in China, but Tea and everyday life: observations of several domains, for example, creating a as Chinese tea art per se.3 Thirdly, outside special space for drinking tea; seeking out high China gongfu tea is being promoted as an from Chaoshan, Guangdong quality tea utensils; exploring philosophical authentic, national Chinese ‘tea ceremony’, and spiritual aspects of tea-drinking; by implication analogous to the well-known developing a capacity to understand and Japanese tea ceremony, with cultural roots Peter d’Abbs appreciate the qualities and properties of any that go back to ancient times. This last claim given tealeaves, and knowing where and how is bolstered by historically dubious suggestions to purchase teas of the finest quality. that Chaoshan gongfu tea is a modern hat place do the rich traditions social relationships through which a distinctive Today’s globalised world is characterised manifestation of Tang dynasty tea-drinking of Chinese tea culture hold in the and valued regional culture is transmitted. by what some sociologists have described practices as described by Lu Yu in the oldest Weveryday lives of people in a fast- As literary descriptions tell us, gongfu tea is as transnational streams of ‘cultural capital’, extant treatise on tea, the Cha Jing or changing, increasingly consumerist society? a highly refined way of preparing and drinking in which cultural objects from one place are Classic of Tea. (In fact, gongfu tea almost To explore this question, I travelled to a region tea, using small teapots, preferably of Yixing appropriated, redefined and repackaged certainly originated in the 18th century in renowned for its traditional tea culture: the or Chaozhou clay, or porcelain gaiwan, in for deployment as commodities elsewhere.2 the Wuyi mountain area of Fujian province.) Chaoshan (潮汕) region in eastern Guangdong which to prepare a very strong brew, most In the case of Chaoshan gongfu tea, it is Where these cultural streams will flow province, home of gongfu tea – one of the frequently of the locally grown, semi-fermented possible to detect at least three such ‘streams’. in future is a question for another day. In the most elegant and refined of China’s diverse Fenghuang Dancong (鳳凰單叢) tea. This Firstly, within China, gongfu tea modelled meantime, in at least one region of China, tea-drinking traditions. Through in-depth, is poured into small cups of around 30 ml on Chaoshan practices has been taken up by traditional tea culture continues to enrich informal interviews, and observations over capacity for drinking repeated infusions from many non-Chaoshan people, particularly in the lives, not just of a privileged cultural elite, several trips to Chaozhou and other centres the same tealeaves. From my observations, business settings, as a vehicle for interacting but of people everywhere. in Chaoshan, I tried to understand what preparing and drinking gongfu tea requires and negotiating with associates. Secondly, gongfu tea meant for people in Chaoshan.1 attentiveness to procedural details – to being in the emergence of contemporary tea Peter d’Abbs is Professorial Research jiangjiu (講究) – but this was achieved, not art in Taiwan that began in the 1970s, Fellow, School of Public Health, The first finding that became apparent to by slavishly following a rigid sequence of steps a style of drinking adapted from Chaoshan University of Queensland, Australia. me was how deeply gongfu tea was integrated as some literary accounts [email protected] into the everyday lives of people of all kinds of suggest, but by showing social background. As one of my interviewees skill and dexterity. A gongfu explained, it has ‘seeped into our bones’. tea-drinking occasion People who were born and raised in Chaoshan creates its own tempo. Notes did not consciously learn about gongfu tea, Regardless of whether the 1 d'Abbs, P. 2017. Art as Everyday Practice: they simply came to know about it as they occasion lasts ten minutes or A Study of Gongfu Tea in Chaoshan, grew up. The integral place of gongfu tea had two hours, during this time China. Master of Arts with Honours, three dimensions: spatial, temporal and social. participants put aside the University of New England, Armidale, NSW. Spatially, gongfu tea was everywhere. In the incessant demands for haste 2 Appadurai, A. (ed.) 1986. The Social workplaces, shops or homes that I observed, that punctuate the world Life of Things: Commodities in Cultural a gongfu tea set was always found in regular around and appreciate the Perspective. Cambridge University use. Temporally, gongfu tea is woven into tea slowly. Press; Palumbo-Liu, D. & Gumbrecht, H. the rhythms of everyday life: at home, after For most of my research (eds) 1997. Streams of Cultural Capital: dinner; and in shops, whenever trading is participants, drinking Transnational Cultural Studies. Stanford University Press. slow, out comes the gongfu tea set. Above all, gongfu tea was seen as 3 Shuenn-Der Yu. 2016. ‘Taiwan and the drinking gongfu tea can be considered to be “part of our lives”. Some Globalization of Puer Tea: The Role of the a social activity, nurturing relationships with participants, however, had Taste of Aging’, Cultural and Religious family, friends and associates, and in doing so, chosen to elevate their tea- Studies 4(5):310-320; doi:10.17265/2328- affirming the drinkers’ identity in a network of drinking to a kind of art.