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under the various names of Tou； Tseh； Chung； Kha； and Ming； and was
highly prized for possessing the virtues of relieving fatigue； delighting
the soul； strengthening the will； and repairing the eyesight。 It was not only
administered as an internal dose； but often applied externally in form of
paste to alleviate rheumatic pains。 The Taoists claimed it as an important
ingredient of the elixir of immortality。 The Buddhists used it extensively
to prevent drowsiness during their long hours of meditation。
By the fourth and fifth centuries Tea became a favourite beverage
among the inhabitants of the Yangtse…Kiang valley。 It was about this time
that modern ideograph Cha was coined； evidently a corruption of the
classic Tou。 The poets of the southern dynasties have left some fragments
of their fervent adoration of the 〃froth of the liquid jade。〃 Then emperors
used to bestow some rare preparation of the leaves on their high ministers
as a reward for eminent services。 Yet the method of drinking tea at this
stage was primitive in the extreme。 The leaves were steamed； crushed in
a mortar； made into a cake； and boiled together with rice； ginger； salt；
orange peel； spices； milk； and sometimes with onions！ The custom obtains
at the present day among the Thibetans and various Mongolian tribes； who
make a curious syrup of these ingredients。 The use of lemon slices by
the Russians； who learned to take tea from the Chinese caravansaries；
points to the survival of the ancient method。
It needed the genius of the Tang dynasty to emancipate Tea from its
crude state and lead to its final idealization。 With Luwuh in the middle
of the eighth century we have our first apostle of tea。 He was born in an
age when Buddhism； Taoism； and Confucianism were seeking mutual
synthesis。 The pantheistic symbolism of the time was urging one to mirror
the Universal in the Particular。 Luwuh； a poet； saw in the Tea…service the
same harmony and order which reigned through all things。 In his
celebrated work； the 〃Chaking〃 （The Holy Scripture of Tea） he formulated
the Code of Tea。 He has since been worshipped as the tutelary god of the
Chinese tea merchants。
The 〃Chaking〃 consists of three volumes and ten chapters。 In the first
chapter Luwuh treats of the nature of the tea…plant； in the second of the
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The Book of Tea
implements for gathering the leaves； in the third of the selection of the
leaves。 According to him the best quality of the leaves must have
〃creases like the leathern boot of Tartar horsemen； curl like the dewlap of
a mighty bullock； unfold like a mist rising out of a ravine； gleam like a
lake touched by a zephyr； and be wet and soft like fine earth newly swept
by rain。〃
The fourth chapter is devoted to the enumeration and description of the
twenty…four members of the tea…equipage； beginning with the tripod
brazier and ending with the bamboo cabinet for containing all these
utensils。 Here we notice Luwuh's predilection for Taoist symbolism。
Also it is interesting to observe in this connection the influence of tea on
Chinese ceramics。 The Celestial porcelain； as is well known； had its
origin in an attempt to reproduce the exquisite shade of jade； resulting； in
the Tang dynasty； in the blue glaze of the south； and the white glaze of the
north。 Luwuh considered the blue as the ideal colour for the tea…cup； as it
lent additional greenness to the beverage； whereas the white made it look
pinkish and distasteful。 It was because he used cake…tea。 Later on；
when the tea masters of Sung took to the powdered tea； they preferred
heavy bowls of blue…black and dark brown。 The Mings； with their
steeped tea； rejoiced in light ware of white porcelain。
In the fifth chapter Luwuh describes the method of making tea。 He
eliminates all ingredients except salt。 He dwells also on the much…
discussed question of the choice of water and the degree of boiling it。
According to him； the mountain spring is the best； the river water and the
spring water come next in the order of excellence。 There are three stages
of boiling： the first boil is when the little bubbles like the eye of fishes
swim on the surface； the second boil is when the bubbles are like crystal
beads rolling in a fountain； the third boil is when the billows surge wildly
in the kettle。 The Cake…tea is roasted before the fire until it becomes soft
like a baby's arm and is shredded into powder between pieces of fine paper。
Salt is put in the first boil； the tea in the second。 At the third boil； a
dipperful of cold water is poured into the kettle to settle the tea and revive
the 〃youth of the water。〃 Then the beverage was poured into cups and
drunk。 O nectar！ The filmy leaflet hung like scaly clouds in a serene
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The Book of Tea
sky or floated like waterlilies on emerald streams。 It was of such a
beverage that Lotung； a Tang poet； wrote： 〃The first cup moistens my
lips and throat； the second cup breaks my loneliness； the third cup
searches my barren entrail but to find therein some five thousand volumes
of odd ideographs。 The fourth cup raises a slight perspiration；all the
wrong of life passes away through my pores。 At the fifth cup I am
purified； the sixth cup calls me to the realms of the immortals。 The
seventh cupah； but I could take no more！ I only feel the breath of cool
wind that rises in my sleeves。 Where is Horaisan？ Let me ride on this
sweet breeze and waft away thither。〃
The remaining chapters of the 〃Chaking〃 treat of the vulgarity of the
ordinary methods of tea…drinking； a historical summary of illustrious tea…
drinkers； the famous tea plantations of China； the possible variations of
the tea…service and illustrations of the tea…utensils。 The last is
unfortunately lost。
The appearance of the 〃Chaking〃 must have created