The Research On Tea Culture Of Tang Dynasty

China is the homeland of tea, the birthplace of tea drinking custom, and the wonderland of tea culture. Throughout the developing history of tea culture, Tang Dynasty was a link between past and future times. Reviewing the development status of tea culture in the Tang Dynasty from all-round perspectives, it not only can observe the overall style of the Tang Dynasty culture, but also has great significance for studying the entire development history of tea culture. The paper is divided into six chapters, and carries out a detailed discussion on the tea culture of the Tang Dynasty.The first chapter explores the source of the tea culture in the Tang Dynasty. There have always been different views on the origin time of tea. After the analysis on the documentary records in the Pre-Qin period, the author has found these records can not be trusted. By adopting the method of "double evidence for the existence", from the analysis of historical records and archaeological, it is believed that tea takes its source at Western Han Dynasty. And it gives an introduction and review of tea and tea culture, and the developing situation before the Tang Dynasty. This period of history is divided into:three Kingdoms period, the Jin Dynasties, Northern and Southern Dynasties. In these three periods, tea culture has experienced initial development. On one hand, it enriches the connotation of tea; on the other hand, it creates the conditions and atmosphere for further spread of the tea drinking in the Tang Dynasty. Finally, from the perspective of sound form and meaning of the word tea, the historical dimension of tea culture in the Tang Dynasty, and manifestations of tea culture prosperity, the author believes that the tea culture "flourished and prospered in the Tang Dynasty".The second chapter attempts to find the track of tea drinking atmosphere in the Tang Dynasty. It focuses on the analysis of the time phrases and geographical ductility of the Tang Dynasty tea culture development. According to the different developing degrees of tea culture in the Tang Dynasty, it can be divided into four stages:from the early Tang Dynasty to middle period of Kaiyuan, from later period of Kaiyuan to early period of Jianzhong, from Jianzhong period to Xiantong period. And then, from the perspectives of social external conditions, essential objective conditions, characteristics of the tea itself, we carried out a comprehensive survey on the rapid development and prosperity of tea culture in Tang Dynasty. Tang Dynasty’s tea culture has spread beyond the Great Wall to the frontier minority tribes, and even to the foreign countries. There are mainly three lines towards west, south and east directions for external communication of tea and tea culture of Tang Dynasty, among which the east line to Korean Peninsula and Japan has exerted most extensive influences. At last historical context of extraterritorial spread of Tang Dynasty tea and tea culture are analyzed and summarized. The author believes that the spread of this period has focused on the communication and exchange of cultural, spiritual and aesthetic feelings, flowing from the culture highland to culture lowland. And monks were the main force of dissemination medium.The third chapter discusses the tea industry and system in Tang Dynasty. Tea cultivation and processing technology in Tang Dynasty has already become relatively mature, and the origin of tea is quite extensive. During this period, there is an increasing number of consumer demands in tea products, which stimulates the tea production and trade in the Tang Dynasty and forms different types of merchant groups. In the meantime, tribute tea system began to establish in Tang Dynasty, and since then tea was regarded as tribute of local products. The government has set up the official baking house for tea, and commissioner was appointed relevant supervision and management. Gu Zhu tribute tea house is the most famous one among them. Tea policies also began in the Tang Dynasty. The author combs Tang Dynasty’s tea tax levy and changing history of the policy, and finds out the characteristics of tea tax in Tang Dynasty, which are as followed:the tea tax rate was constantly adjusted; taxation principles and standards were continuously changing; the scope of taxation kept expanding; the tea tax levy of central and local government were always in the gaming state.Chapter four discusses the combination of tea and life in Tang Dynasty. It was quite popular to drink tea in the palace during Tang Dynasty, and tea plays an important role in a variety of occasions. The author thinks that tea drinking in the palace of Tang Dynasty reflects various characteristics, for example, they value prosperity, grade, luxury, etiquette, harmony and pleasure. The atmosphere of tea drinking in the palace has also brought influences on literati. As the spring tea came to the market, literati often send tea and poems to each other as gifts. At the literary gatherings, tea has gradually occupied the leading role, becoming a comprehensive cultural activity. This paper also combs folk tea drinking activities in Tang Dynasty, and finds out that tea has become civilian living necessities. The teahouse which represents the folk culture has also initially developed in the Tang Dynasty. The chapter five elaborates the form and essence of the tea culture in Tang Dynasty. Tea art is about the technique of tea drinking, which mainly includes three links, such as tea making techniques, tea cooking skills and tea tasting art. In accordance to this, we analyze the development status of tea art in Tang Dynasty. Tea making techniques mainly have seven steps:picking tea, steaming tea, pounding tea, patting tea, baking tea, threading tea and hiding tea. Tea cooking skills mainly have several links:getting water, baking tea, sieving tea, grinding tea, getting fire and boiling. Tang Chinese Tang tea tasting mainly experiences from six angles: appreciating soup form, watching tea color, smelling tea flavor, enjoying seawares and tasting ideal condition. The environment of tea tasting is diversified. During the tea tasting process, it accompanies a variety of art activities. Tang Chinese reach the nature-man integration and unity.The sixth chapter discusses the spirit of tea culture in Tang Dynasty, which mainly analyzes the relationship of tea and Buddhism Taoism as well as tea ceremony in Tang Dynasty. Its own characteristics have met the needs of monks’meditation practice. They taste, fry tea and meditate relying on tea. They can’t be separated from tea all the time. On this basis, it formed a set of unique Buddhist tea ceremony in Tang Dynasty. And it regarded Taoism as its state religion in Tang Dynasty. Taoism as well as Taoist ideas penetrated into all levels of society. Tea culture in Tang Dynasty was exerted a great influence by Taoism. Tang Chinese always compared alchemy with tea boiling. People liked drinking tea in Tang Dynasty, and a large number of people were adept in tea ceremony. They mostly use poetry to describe their tea drinking life. Literary intellectuals in Tang Dynasty often wrote Taoist imagery in their tea poets. Influenced by Confucianism and Taoism, tea ceremony thought was born in Tang Dynasty. We analyze tea ceremony concept of each master in Tang Dynasty, and reveal its tea ceremony ideas, which mainly includes "refined""clean""clear" and" thrifty". But the development of tea ceremony ideas is autonomous and spontaneous, lacking conscious generalization and summarization in Tang Dynasty. Since then, tea ceremony did not further deepen and developed into a mature Japanese-style tea ceremony.