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T Story / Yiping Illustration / Jun Guan

By linking tea and poetry a delightful symphony of taste and expression
that resonates through history has been created.

Tea: Flows

in Poetry,

Flows to the end of Time

For many centuries, there has been a harmonious relationship
between tea and poetry in China. Tea’s deeply rooted cultural signif-
icance and profound impact it had on the lifestyle of Chinese people
made it a frequently mentioned element in ancient poems. Tea was
the inspiration behind many poems, and teahouses provided a nurtur-
ing environment for poets to exchange ideas, recite their verses, and
engage in thoughtful debates.
Renowned poets such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, and Su Shi have
all written a number of beautiful verses either specifically on tea or
with tea as a key part. The first poem to describe tea is believed to be
written by Li Bai, who is considered one of the greatest poets in Chi-
nese history, during the Tang Dynasty. There were not many poems
mentioning tea before Tang Dynasty, because it was only from Tang
dynasty onwards that it became a regular beverage.
However, the tea culture was very different back then. According
to historical records, tea leaves were dried and ground into powder
then put in boiled water with any condiments one preferred, mostly
salt, because before Tang, tea was thick and soup-like. Therefore, tea
was cooked and eaten rather than brewed and drank.

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