Long before café menus became a parade of matchas and oolongs, there lived a man in 8th-century China whose relationship with tea shaped everything we know about it today. His name was Lu Yu (陆羽) — and in the world of tea, he’s nothing short of a legend. Revered as the Sage of Tea (茶圣), he gave the world its first and most respected tea manual: The Classic of Tea (茶经).
But Lu Yu’s story doesn’t begin in royal gardens or bustling markets. It begins quietly, almost like a tealeaf unfurling.
🍵 A Childhood Rooted in Silence & Stillness
Lu Yu was born in 733 AD in Tianmen, Hubei Province, central China. Abandoned at the tender age of three near the Longgai Monastery, he was taken in by a compassionate abbot who would unknowingly set the course for tea history. It was under this monk’s guidance that Lu Yu learned not just how to brew tea — but how to understand it. To see it not as a drink, but as a philosophy.
📜 The Classic of Tea — A Manual, A Map, A Meditation
Lu Yu didn’t just taste tea — he studied it with the devotion of a monk and the curiosity of a poet. The result? The Classic of Tea, the world’s first comprehensive book on tea, written sometime during the Tang Dynasty. It was originally published in three volumes with ten chapters, though modern versions are usually bound as one.
1. Origin (一之源)
Where did tea come from — not just physically, but mythologically, culturally? This chapter explores early beliefs about tea’s origin, how and where it grows best, and how climate, soil, and even harvest seasons influence the quality of the leaf. It’s a reminder that tea is rooted in the earth.
2. Tools (二之具)
Fifteen different tools — from steaming to pressing to drying — are introduced here. These were used to make compressed tea cakes, the common form back then.
3. Making (三之造)
A detailed look at how to process and produce tea cakes. For anyone interested in tea craftsmanship, this chapter is gold.
4. Utensils (四之器)
Lu Yu loved his teaware. He listed 28 specific items used in tea preparation and drinking. The shape, material, and design of each had a purpose.
5. Boiling (五之煮)
This is where he shares the art of water and flame — how to boil tea correctly, what water to use, how to roast tea leaves before infusion. For Lu Yu, even the boil was poetry.
6. Drinking (六之飲)
Not just sipping. This chapter explores why we drink tea: for health, for joy, for reflection. He also lists nine difficulties (九难) that could affect the quality of a brew — from bad water to poor fire control.
7. History (七之事)
A delicious compilation of tea-related stories, legends, and writings from China’s long past. Think folklore, healing recipes, poems, and strange-but-true anecdotes.
8. Growing Regions (八之出)
An 8th-century version of a terroir map — he ranks tea from different regions across China. For modern readers, it’s fascinating to see how Darjeeling-style regional pride already existed back then.
9. Simplify (九之略)
Ever brewed tea outdoors? Or during travel? This chapter is about adaptability — what tools and steps you can skip if needed. Think of it as Lu Yu’s minimalist guide to tea.
10. Pictorialize (十之圖)
The final chapter suggests how to condense the entire Classic of Tea onto hanging scrolls for easy memory and practice — an early attempt at visual learning.
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