Conversations - Chinese Tea and Tea Culture

This was inspired by my study of lesson,

http://chinesepod.com/lessons/chinese-tea/discussion#comment-86921

on tea: there are several errors in the discussion.

 

The following is adapted from presentation that I did during my review course on Chinese about 6 months ago and is based on my research and poor Chinese. It is factual and I could still add more to it based on my recent experiences in CHina. For example in April, I actually went to Long Jing Mountain and bought tea from a tea farm on that mountain at the height of its picking (it was a lot cheaper, but not cheap, and better quality than buying it either in Hangzhou or any other place in a store.)

 

第一本书为茶是神农本草，在公元前221年，战国时代写得。有一本大书是陆羽茶经， 在公元758唐代写得。

 

Dì yī běn shū wèi chá shì Shén Nóng Běn Cǎo，zài gōngyuánqián èr èr yī nián， zhànguóshídài xiě dé. Yǒu yī běn dà shū shì Lù Yǔ Chá Jīng, zài gōngyuán qībǎi wǔshí bā tángdài xiě dé.

 

The first book of tea is Shen Nong’s “Ben Cao” which was written in year 221 BC during the Warring States Period. Another major book on tea is that of Lu YU, “Cha Jing” wich was written in the Tang Dynasty in year 758 AD.

 

 

佛教和茶早在晋代结缘。相传晋代名僧慧能曾在江西庐山东林寺以自制的佳茗款待擎友陶渊明。佛教和茶结缘对推动饮茶风尚的普及并向高雅境界以至发展到创立茶道，立下了不可磨灭的贡献。

 

fójiào hé chá zǎo zài jìn dài jiē yuán. xiāng chuán jìn dài míng sēng huì néng céng zài jiāng xī lú shān dōng lín sì yǐ zìzhìde jiā míng kuǎndài qíng yǒu táo yuān míng. fójiào hé chá jiē yuán duì tuīdòng yǐn chá fēngshàngde pǔjí bìng xiàng gāoyǎ jìngjiè yǐzhì fāzhǎn dào chuànglì chá dào. lì xiàle bùkě mó miède gòngxiàn

 

Buddhism and tea have been associated as early as the Jin Dynasty. Legend has it had that Mingseng Huineng of Lushan in Jiangxi Province, east Linsi made friends of the Qing Jia Ming to honor Tao Yuanming. Buddhist tea and tea drinking habits promoted the popularization and development of a high level of tea culture and to the creation of the tea ceremony.

 

 

茶道有四个级别：chá dào yǒu sì ge jíbié: The four levels of tea appreciation:

 

 

--喝茶：将茶当饮料解渴。

hē chá: jiāng chá dāng yǐnliào jiě kě To drink tea to quench thirst

 

 

--品茶：注重茶的色香味，讲究水质茶具，喝的时候又能细细品味。

pǐn chá: zhùzhòng chá de sè xiāng wèi, jiǎngjiù shuǐ zhì chájù, hēde shíhou yòu néng xì xì pǐnwèi. To drink tea for its flavor

 

 

--茶艺：讲究环境、气氛、音乐、冲泡技巧及人际关系等。

chá yì: jiǎngjiù huánjìng, qìfēn, yīnyuè, chōng pào jìqiǎo jí rénjì guānxi děng. To drink tea to develop an atomospher for building relationships

 

 

--最高境界——茶道：在茶事活动中融入哲理、伦理、
道德，通过品茗来修身养性、品味人生，达到精神上的享受达到精神上的享受。

zuìgāo jìngjiè -- chá dào: zài chá shì huódòng zhōng róng rù zhé lǐ, lúnlǐ. dàodé, tōngguò pǐn ming lái xiū shēn yǎng xìng, pǐnwèi rénshēng, dádào jīngshén shàng de / dì xiǎngshòu

 

The highest level—to drink tea to reach the highest levels of mental acuity to understand and develop the philosophies of reason, morals and ethics.

 

 

为泡茶，我建议 (在英语) to brew tea I recommend (in English, Western style,)

 

http://www.holymtn.com/tea/chinetea.htm

 

 

（在汉语）(in Chinese, in the Chinese style,)

 

http://www.56.com/u71/v_Mjc3MTY2Mjg.html

 

 

茶 叶 分 类：(types of tea)
 chá yè fēn lèi

 

 

绿茶:未发酵茶叶 (Green tea: unfermented)
(lǜchá: wèi fājiào cháyè)

 

名 茶: míng chá : (famous teas)

 

狮 峰 龙 井 shī fēng lóng jǐng       

云 栖 龙 井 yún qī lóng jǐng       

梅 坞 龙 井 méi wù lóng jǐng       

卢 山 云 雾 lú shān yún wù       

华 顶 云 雾 huā dǐng yún wù       

雨 花 茶 yǔ huā chá         

惠 明 茶 huì míng chá         

隆 中 茶 lōng zhōng / zhòng chá         

麻 姑 茶 má gū chá         

太平 猴 魁 tàipíng hóu kuí         

顾 渚 紫 荀 gù zhu zǐ xun      

雁 荡 白 云 yàn dàng bái yún       

黄 山 毛 峰 齐 云 瓜 片
huáng shān máo fēng qí yún guā piān

双 井 翠 绿 shuāng jǐng cuì lǜ       

 

青茶(乌龙茶):半发酵茶叶 (Oolongs: half fermented teas)
(qing1 cha2 (Wu1long2 cha2) ban4 fa1
 jiao4cha2 ye4)

名 茶：míng chá :

 

武 夷 岩 茶 wǔ yí yán chá       

武 夷 肉 桂 wǔ yí ròu guì       

凤 凰 水 仙 fèng huang shuǐ xiān       

闽 北 水 仙 白 叶 单 丛
min běi shuǐ xiān bái yè dān cóng

台湾 乌 龙 táiwān wū lóng         

冻 顶 乌 龙 铁 观 音
dòng dǐng wū lóng tiě guān yīn 

黄金 桂 huángjīn guì           

白 鸡 冠 bái jī guān         

水 金 龟 shuǐ jīn guī         

铁 罗 汉 tiě luó hàn         

白 毛 猴 bái máo hóu  

 

      

红茶：全发酵茶叶 (red tea: fully fermented )
hóngchá: quán fājiào cháyè

名 茶：

祁 门 红茶 qi mén hóngchá       

云 南 滇 红 yún nán dian hóng     

海 南 红 碎 闽 红 工夫 hǎi nán hóng suì min hóng gōngfu

宁 红 工夫 níng hóng gōngfu       

宜 红 工夫 yí hóng gōngfu       

川 红 工夫 chuān hóng gōngfu       

政 和 工夫 zhèng hé gōngfu       

湖 红 工夫 hú hóng gōngfu       

越 红 工夫 yuè hóng gōngfu 

 

 

白茶：微发酵茶叶 (white tea, unfermented )
bái chá: wēi fājiào cháyè

名 茶：

银针白毫yín zhēn bái háo

福鼎银针fú dǐng yín zhēn

眉峰银毫méi fēng yín háo

寿眉(贡眉) shòu méi (gòng méi)

 

黄茶：微发酵茶叶 (yellow tea: unfermented)
 Huang cha: wēi fājiào cháyè

名 茶：

君 山 银 针 jūn shān yín zhēn         

蒙 顶 黄 芽 méng / měng dǐng huáng yá         

霍 山 黄 芽 北 港 毛 尖 huò shān huáng yá běi gǎng máo jiān 

鹿 苑 毛 尖 lù yuàn máo jiān         

温 州 黄 汤 沩 山 白 毛 尖
wēn zhōu huáng tāng wei shān bái máo jiān

皖 西 黄 大 茶 wan xī huáng dà chá       

广东 大 叶 青 guǎngdōng dà yè qīng    

 

黑茶：全发酵茶叶 (black tea: YES THEY DO EXIST! Fermented and processed)
hēi chá ： quán fājiào cháyè

名 茶：

四 川 边