Tea banquets, also known as tea parties, emerged in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty, and their earliest appearance in history was around the period of the North and South Dynasties.
In 454 A.D., Shan Qianzhi wrote in the Records of Wuxing, “Every year, the governors of the two counties of Wuxing and Vairocana pick tea and hold banquets here.” This is probably the earliest occurrence of the word tea banquet in historical sources. Tea to the Tang Dynasty, increasingly popular, coupled with refreshing, digestive, bright eyes, dispel evil spirits and other health care effects, tea has become the most precious beverage, so, with tea banquets for friends and family has become a social fashion. Of course, this is only the upper power class. The Tang Dynasty Tianbao scholar Qian Qi’s “Tea Banquet with Zhao Ju” in the “Bamboo forgetting to speak to the purple tea, the full victory of the feather guest drunken Liu Xia”, the Tang Dynasty Royal Secretary Li Jiayou’s “Autumn Evening Recruitment of the hidden temple East Peak Tea Banquet to send the younger brother Yan Bojun returned to Jiangzhou” in the “Fortunately, there is a fragrant tea to stay in the child, but not the winds of the fall to send the king’s grandchildren! “Fortunately, there is fragrant tea to keep the children, and it is unbearable to send the king’s grandchildren in the autumn wind”, and the poem “Sitting for a long time in this unlimited interest, and even more pity for the fan to start the breeze” in “Tea Banquet at Dongting” by Bao Junhui, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, are all tea banquets, big or small, or sumptuous or simple, if you read them carefully. And the Tang Dynasty household department staff Lu Wen’s “March 3rd tea banquet preface”, to be considered on the tea banquet of a gorgeous spread. yUK Tea Network
The words said: “March 3 on already, the day of purification drink also, all in the discussion of tea drink instead of the other. It is set flowers, love the shade of the court, the breeze by the people, the sun color to stay Xing, lying on the green mist, sitting on the flower branches, heard the warbler near the seat feather did not fly, red stamen finger clothes and not scattered, was ordered to drink fragrant foam, floating vein cups, Yin condensed amber color, not people drunk, slightly feel the clear thinking, although the jade dew immortal pulp, no more than also added. Seat right talent, Nanyang Zou Zi, Gao Yang Xu Hou, and two or three sons of the hectares for the appreciation of the dust, and where not to say poetry carry on.” yUK Tea Network
Such an elegant environment, the wonderful aftertaste of tea tasting, and the mesmerizing demeanor are all part of the tea banquet. No wonder the great poet Bai Juyi once because of a slight physical illness did not participate in Zhejiang Changxing and Jiangsu Yixing boundary situation will Pavilion Tea Banquet and very regrettable, but also specifically wrote a poem out of his infinite despondency. In the poem “night heard Jia Changzhou, Cui Huzhou Chashan realm Pavilion feast”, he “sighing flowers under the north window, bushels of yellow wine to the sick sleeper.” I guess, at that time fell off the horse hurt waist sick in bed Bai Juyi, must be because of the absence of the tea banquet and make the disease prolonged for several days. yUK Tea Network
In contrast, the poet Huang Tingjian is much more fortunate. yUK Tea Net
His “Tea Banquet” – written on the ninth day of the first month of the fourth year of the reign of Yuan You (1089) – records his own glorious experience of attending a tea banquet. The text reads, “On the ninth day of the first month of the fourth year of the reign of Yuan You, I, Huang Tingjian, by imperial edict, respectfully inscribed in the Hall of Performance.” yUK tea net
A few numbers, the admiration of the tea banquet is exposed. yUK tea net
After all, this is in the magnificent Hall of performance of a tea banquet, and usually the nature of the tea banquet of the literati is different, so the specifications are different, although less leisurely and free, but more honorable, not to be underestimated. Roughly speaking, like today’s grass-roots officials were summoned by their superiors in general. Therefore, Huang Tingjian wrote heavy solemnity more than, elegant and elegant enough. This is also the situation – of course, this is only my own conjecture, not necessarily accurate. Perhaps, this has to do with I have seen more than contemporary calligraphers in the past few years attached to the trend, look up to the line brought about by the inertia of thinking. Moreover, the development of the tea party to the Song Dynasty, with the further expansion of the tea area and the tea art of the increasingly sophisticated, tea party wind more grand and the Song Dynasty’s upward and downward effect, regardless of the officialdom or folk, regardless of the literati or monks, the wind of the tea party took off. yUK Tea Network
Official in the Northern Song Dynasty Household Secretary Cai Jing, in his “Tai Qing Lou Special Banquet Records”, “Baohe Temple Qu Banquet Records”, “Yanfu Palace Qu Banquet Records” repeatedly referred to the royal tea banquets, especially in the “Yanfu Palace Qu Banquet Records”, wrote in detail: “Xuanhe two years (AD 1120) December Dec already, called the Prince of the Zaijiagei Qu Banquet in the Yanfu Palace. …… on the order of the chamberlain to take the tea set, hand injection of soup hit the finger. A short while, white milk floating marigold surface, such as sparse star pale moon, Gu ministers said, ‘this from the cloth tea’. After drinking, all bowed their heads to thank”. Such a style of tea feast elegant collection, Huang Tingjian how can not go, how can not be disciplined and humbly recorded. yUK Tea Network
It is said that Huang Tingjian’s “the first nine days of the first month of the fourth year of Yuanyou tea banquet and the imperial yuan rhyme” poetry book. yUK tea net