Ep. 8 | Ladies and Gentlemen, Oolong Tea
Buddhism continues to embrace tea even further during the Song Dynasty giving rise to the term 茶禪一味 "Tea and Chan Buddhism are one taste." More Huizong, white tea, Japan's Myōan Eisai, and then we'll close with an intro to Wulong (Oolong) Tea and the emergence of the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian province as a tea powerhouse.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Sòng | 宋朝 | The Song Dynasty 960-1279 |
| Kāimén qījiàn shì | 开门七件事 | The Seven Necessities of Daily Living in China. The original six were firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce and vinegar |
| Tang | 唐朝 | The Tang Dynasty 618-907 |
| Sui | 隋朝 | The Sui Dynasty 581-618 |
| Kaifeng | 开封 | City in Henan, capital of Northern Song 960-1127 |
| Yangzi | 扬子江 | The Yangtze River, second longest in the world, bisects China into north and south |
| Zhejiang | 浙江 | Coastal province in China, and a rich one at that |
| Jiangsu | 江苏 | Another rich and prosperous coastal province in China |
| Dòuchá | 斗茶 | A "tea battle" in which people face off to make the perfect cuppa |
| Chán Buddhism | 禅 | Chinese school of Mahāyāna Buddhism. It developed in China from the 6th century CE onwards, becoming dominant during the Tang and Song dynasties |
| Xiángmó | 降魔藏 | Buddhist monk and Chan Master |
| Língyán Monastery | 灵岩寺 | Monastery at Tàishān where Master Xiangmo lived and taught |
| Jìnán | 济南 | Capital of Shandong Province |
| Kāiyuán Era | 开元 | Period during Tang Emperor Xuanzong's reign from 713-741 |
| Emperor Xuánzōng | 唐玄宗 | Tang emperor who reigned from 713-756 |
| Chá Chán Yīwèi | 茶禅一味 | Tea and Chan Buddhism one taste |
| Hūizōng | 宋徽宗 | Northern Song emperor who reigned from 1100-1126 |
| Cài Xiāng | 蔡襄 | 1012-1067, Chinese politician, engineer, poet, and arguably the greatest calligrapher during the Song dynasty |
| Cái Jīng | 蔡京 | 1047-1126, Norhtern Song statesman and politician during the reign of Huizong |
| Sū Shì | 苏轼 | 1037-1101, Also known as Su Dongpo. One of the most beloved characters from Chinese history. He was a poet, writer, politician, calligrapher, painter, pharmacologist, and gastronome |
| Dàguān Chálùn | 大观茶论 | The Treatise on Tea, also called General Remarks on Tea |
| Qing Dynasty | 清朝 | Last imperial dynasty of China, lasting 1644-1911 |
| Yin Zhen Silver Needle | 白毫银针茶 | A kind of white tea |
| Zhenghe County | 政和县 | A county in northern Fujian, bordering Zhejiang |
| Fuding | 福鼎市 | A county-level city in northeastern Ningde prefecture level city, on Fujian's border with Zhejiang province |
| Fujian | 福建 | Coastal province in China south of Zhejiang |
| guìhuāchá | 桂花茶 | Osmanthus tea |
| Myōan Eisai | 明菴栄西 | 1141-1215, Japanese monk credited with bringing green tea to Japan from China. He also studied the Rinzai school of Chan or Zen Buddhism |
| Minamoto no Yoritomo | 源 頼朝 | Founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura shogunate of Japan, ruling from 1192 until 1199 |
| Tang Tàzōng | 唐太宗 | Second Tang Dynasty emperor, also known as Li Shimin. Reigned 626-649 |
| Wūlóng | 乌龙茶 | Oolong Tea |
| Pu-erh | 普洱茶 | Pu-erh tea |
| Guangdong | 广东 | Southernmost province on mainland China |
| Běiyuàn tea | 北苑茶 | Famous tea from Fujian, in brick form, was one of the earliest Tribute Teas. They were later molded into small tea cakes called Lóngfèng Tuánchá 龙凤团茶: Dragon-Phoenix Tea cakes |
| Yùchá | 御茶 | Imperial tribute tea |
| Wǔyí Yánchá | 武夷岩茶 | Wǔyí Rock Tea |
| Tiěguānyīn | 铁观音茶 | Iron Buddha or Goddess of Mercy tea, a kind of Oolong tea from Anxi, Fujian |
| Guānyīn | 观音 | The Goddess of Mercy |
| Ānxī | 安溪 | City in Fujian north of Xiamen and west of Quanzhou |
| Yán Chá | 岩茶 | Rock tea or Cliff Tea, from the Wuyi Mountains |
| chánóng | 茶农 | Tea Farmers |
| Dà Hóng Páo | 大红袍 | A kind of Wuyishan Rock Tea with a lot of folk tales associated with it |
| Tiě Luóhàn | 铁罗汉 | A kind of Wuyishan Rock Tea |
| Bái Jī Guān | 白鸡冠 | A kind of Wuyishan Rock Tea |
| Shuǐ Jīnguī | 水金龟 | A kind of Wuyishan Rock Tea |
| Shuǐ Xiān | 水仙 | A kind of Wuyishan Rock Tea |
| Bā Xiān | 八仙 | A kind of Wuyishan Rock Tea |
| Ròu Guì | 肉桂 | A kind of Wuyishan Rock Tea |
| Zhèng Yán Tea | 正岩茶 | Tea that grows in the rocks in the highest peaks of the Wuyi Mountains |
| Bàn Yán Tea | 斑岩茶 | Tea that grows in the foothills of the Wuyi Mountains |
| Zhōu Tea | 洲茶 | Tea that grows near the banks of the two main rovers of the Wuyi Mountain area, the Zhoiu and Ba Xian Rivers |
| Bā Shǔ | 巴蜀 | The ancient Bā and Shǔ States of Sichuan |
| Sichuan | 四川 | Province in southwest China |
| Qin | 秦朝 | First imperial dynasty of China, founded by Qin Shihuang. Lasted from 221-206 BCE |
| Han | 汉朝 | Dynasty in China that lasted 202 BCE to 220 CE |
| Nántóu | 南投縣 | County located in the center of Taiwan |
| Jiāyì | 嘉義縣 | County located in southwest Taiwan |
| Huālián | 花蓮縣 | County located on the east coast of Taiwan |
| Ming | 明朝 | The Ming Dynasty that lasted 1368-1644 |
| Zhū Yuánzhāng | 朱元璋 | Founder of the Ming Dynasty. He lived from 1328-1398 |
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