What is the connection between tea, etiquette, and art?
China is the hometown of tea, with a long history of tea cultivation, strict tea etiquette, and unique tea drinking customs. Chinese tea drinking has a history of over 4700 years since the Shennong era. The tea ceremony is destined, it has existed since ancient times. Respecting tea to guests is the earliest traditional virtue and etiquette of Chinese Han people, which values hospitality and hospitality. Until the 21st century, when guests arrive home, they always brew a cup of fragrant tea. Celebration activities are also welcomed with refreshments. Having a tea party is both convenient and economical, as well as elegant and dignified. The so-called friendship between gentlemen is as light as water, which also refers to tea that is fragrant and pleasant. The Han ethnic group also has various customs of using tea as a gift. In the capital city of Hangzhou during the Southern Song Dynasty, during the beginning of summer, each family cooked new tea and served it with various colored fine fruits as gifts to nearby relatives and friends, known as Qijia Tea. This custom is to put two green fruits, namely olives or kumquats, in a tea cup, indicating good luck and good luck during the Chinese New Year.
Tea ceremony is still a solemn ritual in ancient Chinese weddings. Ming Xu Cishu said in the "Tea Shukao Ben": Tea does not move its roots, and plants must bear fruit. The ancients believed that tea was their knowledge when getting married, and that tea trees could only sprout from seeds and not be transplanted, otherwise they would wither and die. Therefore, they regarded tea as a symbol of the unwavering nature. So, in folk customs, tea is used as a gift for engagement between men and women. The woman accepts the groom's betrothal gift, ordering tea or tea, and some call it receiving tea. There is also a saying that one family does not eat two teas. At the same time, the etiquette of the entire marriage is collectively referred to as the Three Tea and Six Rites. Three teas refer to tea served during engagement, tea served during marriage, and tea served during sexual intercourse. Xia Cha, also known as men's tea and women's wine, means that when getting engaged, the man's family should not only send Ruyi pressure notes, but also return a few jars of Shaoxing wine. At the wedding, there are also three tea ceremonies to be held. Three cups of tea, the first cup is a hundred fruits, the second cup is lotus seeds and dates; The third cup is tea. The way to eat, after receiving the cup, hold it with both hands, bow deeply, and then touch the lips, which is then collected by the family. The second way is the same. The third way is to bow before drinking. This is the most respected etiquette. These customs, including the tea ceremony for weddings, are still commonly used. The "Tang Bian" section in Zhang Yuan's "Tea Record" states: "Tang has three major and fifteen Bian. The first is the differentiation of form, the second is the differentiation of sound, and the third is the differentiation of qi.".
Since ancient times, tea cultivation, tea making, tea brewing, and tea tasting have all been considered to require a high level of skill. In contemporary times, the Chinese people began to refer to related skills as tea art. At the same time, various artistic works related to tea have emerged in various dynasties.
Tea, as a material, comes from noble mountains, absorbs the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and must also be accompanied by clean flowing springs. The saying goes, benevolent people love mountains, wise people love water; A cup of tea from ancient times contained the heaven, earth, mountains, water, benevolence, and wisdom deeply loved by Chinese literati and philosophers.
