The Grand Banquet of Chinese Tea Savoring in the Tang Dynasty

A Nation’s Age-Old Fancy for Tea

Wherever the Chinese go, tea follows. Take to any bystreet of Beijing, Guangzhou or Xi’an, you’re likely to see elderly citizens seated in twos and threes, gathering around a teapot for to enjoy some authentic Chinese tea.

For thousands of years, the Chinese keeps a ceaseless passion for tea, emperors and commoners alike. This passion is especially ubiquitous in dynasties such as Tang over 1,000 years ago.

It’s no coincidence that the Chinese Tea Classics – ‘the bible of tea’- was compiled this time.

Tea and the Tang Dynasty Emperors

During Tang dynasty, imperial China was at its peak. With its military holding the nomadic invaders back, and the economy prospering, Tang’s greatness was felt far beyond its borders. For the Tang emperors, there seemed not to be much to worry about.

They went to enjoy themselves, with tea!

The Grand Event of Chinese Tea Drinking

In the fourth month of each lunar year, a grand banquet would be held in the imperial palace. High-ranking officials, ambassadors, and the emperor himself would all participate. No one hoped to miss the best part of the banquet: some of the best Chinese tea China could possibly offer would be served.

Each year, imperial tea plantations several thousand miles away in southern China supply the tea for the grand banquet. Local officials were entrusted to oversee the picking and processing of the Chinese tea. Everything was strictly observed so that the best tea could be made and their tea-loving emperor satisfied.

Once the processing was finished, the tea would be transported to the capital day and night for grand banquet known as the ‘Qingming Banquet’.’

Natural spring water fetched from local Zhejiang province streams also travelled with the tea. The clear and fresh spring water brewed the best tea, and the emperor wanted anything but less.

The tea leaves were not fermented until they’d arrived in the imperial palace. So first the tea leaves were baked as workers prepared for the banquet. The process was helpful in extracting the moisture out of tea leaves and giving it a breezy, delicate aroma. Bakers worked with great care, as overheating could easily destroy the delicate flavor of the tea.

Next, workers grinded the dried leaves, and selected only the smoothest powder for the next step. As strange as it sounds, people of Tang dynasty would actually eat instead of drink tea!

As soon as the water boils, workers would put in salt, together with the powder from the tea leaves. Brew for a few more minutes and the tea was finally ready. Now it is more likely to remind you a thick soup than a clear Chinese tea brew!

As the Chinese tea was served, and if anyone hoped to request something for the emperor, no time could be better than this. The tea would be an excellent topic to start from!