Lu Yu
Encyclopedia
- "Lu Yu" could also refer to the Song dynasty poet Lu YouLu YouLu You , was a Chinese poet of the Southern Song dynasty.-Early life and marriage:Lu You was born on a boat floating in the Wei River early on a rainy morning, October 17, 1125...
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Lu Yu (733–804) is respected as the Sage of Tea for his contribution to Chinese tea culture
Chinese tea culture
Chinese tea culture refers to the methods of preparation of tea, the equipment used to make tea and the occasions in which tea is consumed in China. The terms chayi "Art of Tea 茶藝" and "Tea Ceremony" have been used, but the term "Tea Culture茶文化" includes more than just the ceremony...
. He is best known for his monumental book The Classic of Tea
The Classic of Tea
The Classic of Tea or Tea Classic is the very first monograph on tea in the world, written by Chinese writer Lu Yu between 760 CE and 780 CE during the Tang Dynasty....
, the first definitive work on cultivating, making and drinking tea
Tea
Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
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Biography
Lu was born in 733733
Year 733 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 733 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Leo III the Isaurian withdraws the...
in Tianmen
Tianmen
Tianmen is a sub-prefecture-level city in central Hubei Province, Central China.It is on the west of Wuhan and east of Jingzhou. Formerly known as Jingling , it was renamed to Tianmen in 1726 during Qing Dynasty....
, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
. For six years Lu Yu stayed in Houmen mountain studying under the guidance of master Zou Fuzi. During this period Lu Yu often brewed tea for his teacher. He also took care of fellow students' health with his remarkable knowledge in tea and herbs that he learned while at the Longgai Monastery.
Whenever time permitted between his studies Lu Yu often went to the countryside to gather tea leaves and herbs. In one of those trips Lu Yu stumbled upon a spring underneath a 6-foot round rock and the water from the spring was extremely clear and clean. When Lu Yu brewed tea with this spring water he found the tea tasted unexpectedly better than usual. From then on Lu Yu realised the importance of quality water in brewing tea.
Zou Fuzi was moved by Lu Yu's obsession with tea and his skill in brewing good tea. He cleared the rock together with some of his students and dug a well around the fountainhead of that spring.
In 1768 just over a thousand years later during the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
(1616–1911), Jingling was hit by drought and the whole city was badly in need of water. City folks found water still flowing from this well uncovered by Lu Yu and dug by Zou Fuzi. A Qing official ordered three wells to be dug around the spring, and a structure constructed near the wells named "Lu Yu Hut" and the "Literary Spring".
In 752 Lu Yu concluded his studies, bade farewell to his guru Zou Fuzi and returned to Jingling to meet his benefactor Li Qiwu. However a year earlier Li Qiwu was reinstated and returned to the Tang capital Chang'an. The new Chief Official of Jingling now was Cui Goufu. Cui a senior official who was holding a position similar to an Education Minister of today was demoted to Jingling as a Chief Official for offending a member of the royalty.
Cui Goufu was a scholar and poet well known for his magnificent 5 characters per verse short poem. After his demotion to Jingling Cui Goufu took life fairly easy. Even though Cui was many years older than Lu Yu, both men shared the same interest in tea, literature and poem. As such they became good friends soon after they met. During this period Lu Yu stayed with Cui Goufu and assisted him in his administrative tasks. The two of a kind spent much time travelling, drinking tea and writing poems and they co-authored several books on poems.
This period with Cui Goufu was the growing phase for Lu Yu as a man of letters; an incubation period for Lu Yu to practise and sharpen what he learned from his guru Zou Fuzi. Cui Goufu with his vast experience and skill in literary work became a coach that provided the necessary guidance to enhance and mature Lu Yu's writing and literary skills. During this time he wrote The Classic of Tea.
The original version of The Classic of Tea consisted of 3 books covering 10 chapters in total; book 1 consisted of the first 3 chapters, book 2 consisted of chapter 4 only, book 3 consisted of chapters 5 to 10. After the Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
all three books were bound into a single one and the three volumes version was no longer available.
See also
- The Classic of TeaThe Classic of TeaThe Classic of Tea or Tea Classic is the very first monograph on tea in the world, written by Chinese writer Lu Yu between 760 CE and 780 CE during the Tang Dynasty....
his Tea Classic book - TeaTeaTea is an aromatic beverage prepared by adding cured leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant to hot water. The term also refers to the plant itself. After water, tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world...
- History of Tea in ChinaHistory of tea in ChinaThe history of tea in China is long and complex. The Chinese have enjoyed tea for millennia. Scholars hailed the brew as a cure for a variety of ailments; the nobility considered the consumption of good tea as a mark of their status, and the common people simply enjoyed its flavor.-Historical...
- Tea ClassicsTea ClassicsTea as a beverage was first consumed in China no later than the fifth century BCE. The earliest extant mention of tea in literature is in the Shih Ching or Book of Songs, written circa 550 BCE, although the ideogram used in these texts can also designate a variety of plants, such as sowthistle...
- Lu-Yu Tea Culture InstituteLu-Yu Tea Culture InstituteLu-Yu Tea Culture Institute, previously known as Lu Yu Tea Art Center, provides education in tea arts and promotes the drinking of tea. It offers certifications in Tea Studies, such as for "Tea Master" . The institute was founded in Taipei, Taiwan, in the 1980s...