Analysis of Traditional Tea Culture in China, Japan and England

Analysis of Traditional Tea Culture in China, Japan and England
Your Name
Teacher's name
course title and block
date
Tea culture presents a great cultural history that played varying roles in society’s social structure around the world. In addition, people of different social classes, ranging from emperors to commoners enjoyed the thirst quenching property of tea as their favorite relaxing pastime activity. In the contemporary times, the increase in knowledge and advancements in technology have seen the rise and creation of modern-day beverages, which have taken a substantial share of the market in the world; but, despite this revelation, tea remained to be a popular beverage of choice among many people around the world. This widespread popularity of tea culture was observed to have originated from China; even though there are many other theories behind this aspect, many studies identify China as the first place where tea had rooted from before spreading its popularity to the other nations in the world as an important global commodity. There is something phenomenal about tea and in its wide variety. Tea has formed an important culture in various parts of the world; especially, in countries such as England, Japan, and China where this unique beverage has become part of the standard lifestyle for the people living in these regions.[Ling Wang. Tea and Chinese Culture. (Beijing: Long River Press , 2005), 4.] [Mary Lou Heiss and Robert J. Heiss. The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide. (New York: Ten Speed Press, 2007), Google Books edition.] [Wang. Tea and Chinese Culture, 1.]
Thesis statement: Although tea is a commonly known beverage around the world, the historical basis concerning about its cultural use in different countries as well as its traditional preparation and serving should be studied to further appreciate tea culture as an art.
Research question: What are the similarities and differences of the cultural ceremonies among the different tea culture, including the Gonfu Cha ceremony of China, Chanoyu ceremony of Japan and the afternoon tea tradition of England; also, how is the traditional tea preparation, tea serving and tea utensils portray the social culture of tea as a traditional art among the different regions?
Tea cultural traditions are learned behavior with culture specific preconceptions. The tea culture in China transformed from being linked to the people's religious affiliation into a form of social and cultural activity. One famous cultural activity of China is called the "Gonfu cha Tea Ceremony" or commonly known as the “Kung Fu tea.” The ceremonial name loosely translates into "Making Tea with Skill," where they show the traditional ceremonial preparation and serving of tea to the guest of the ceremony. Due to the relaxing nature of tea, different Philosophies and Religion such as Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism makes use of tea culture as a reflection of their commitment with nature and the search for the meaning of life. The tea experiences of these men out rightly declared the beverage as comparable to the "elixir of life" that should be consumed by the people every day. The tea culture then spread through different region and by the start of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD), tea culture was integrated in the Japanese culture as well. In Japan, a very important tea cultural activity is called, "Chanoyu," which loosely translates to "hot water for tea," for the traditional preparation procedures in consuming the tea "Matcha," which is a powdered form of green tea leaves. The Japanese tea culture makes use of the process of steaming in brewing the ceremonial green tea. The unique style of brewing using steam the overall leaf structure of the tea leaves is not important where the brewed tea would generally create a heavier taste which will linger in the palate longer than non-powered tea. According to Japanese tea culture, this ceremony is a way in which tea aesthetic connects the tea drinkers to an enhanced level of spirituality. This ceremony makes use of specific tea utensils where Japanese hosts usually spends weeks in preparation in order to ensure the perfect celebration of the tea ceremony. In the Ming Dynasty (1366-1644 AD), the process of making tea was further improved where mass production techniques were produced to spread the market for tea around the world. During this era (mid-1600's), the consumption of tea became popular in the streets of Europe especially in the streets of London. However, during that time, only the wealthy gentlemen are the only ones permitted to enter the coffee shops which forbid women to enter these old fashioned cafés. In 1717, a teashop opened and sold loose tea leaves for the general public. The excluded women bought stacks of tea from this merchant, which lead to the culture of Englishwomen to host the high society gatherings called, the “Home Tea Party." The home consumption of tea by the British lead to England’s the most classic tradition of tea culture integration in the world. The British’s typical noon lunch is often followed by the well-established "afternoon tea tradition," where black tea is flavored with milk and sugar followed by the consumption of confectionery delights, such as scones with jam.[Jennifer L. Anderson. “Japanese Tea Ritual: Religion in Practice.” Man 22, no. 3 (1987): 476.] [Alina Anto. “What’s Your Cup of Tea? — Tea Cultures around the World”. Accessed on May 2, 2019. /magazine/what-s-your-cup-of-tea-tea-cultures-around-the-world-19048.] [Anto, “What’s Your Cup of Tea? — Tea Cultures around the World.”] [Kegon Teng Kok Tan. “What are the origins and functions of Kung Fu tea?” Last modified on January 10, 2014. /What-are-the-origins-and-functions-of-kung-fu-tea.] [Anto, “What’s Your Cup of Tea? — Tea Cultures around the World.”] [Heiss and Heiss, The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide.] [Heiss and Heiss, The Story of Tea: A Cultural History and Drinking Guide.] [Dubrin, Tea culture, 13.] [Anto, “What’s Your Cup of Tea? — Tea Cultures around the World.”] [Mary lois] [Anto, “What’s Your Cup of Tea? — Tea Cultures around the World.”] [Anto, “What’s Your Cup of Tea? — Tea Cultures around the World.”] [Dubrin, Tea culture, 14.] [Dubrin, Tea culture, 14.] [Dubrin, Tea culture, 17.] [Dubrin, Tea culture, 17.] [Dubrin, Tea culture, 17.] [Anto, “What’s Your Cup of Tea? — Tea Cultures around the World.”]
Historically, the Chinese and Japanese tea cultures originally derived their love for tea as a way to further enhance their spiritual perspective and enhance their human experience. Their culture contains a great deal of philosophy and religious beliefs where their culture of tea was once a means of feeling the interconnectedn...