Chinese Writings on Tea: Classifications and Compilations

The present article deals with the historical evolution and the current state of the classification and compilation of Chinese writings on tea. The Chajing (Tea Classic) by Lu Yu was the first essay entirely dedicated to tea, inspiring the composition of other writings on this subject. In the bibliographical catalogues of the Tang and Song dynasties, texts on tea were classified under different categories. Tea literature was recognized as an individual genre in 1612 with the publication of the first dedicated collectanea, entitled Chashu (Writings on Tea). During the Qing period there was no other comparable compilation of texts of this kind. In the twentieth century the term chashu was adopted by various scholars and compilers as a general label for tea literature. Nevertheless, there is at present neither a unique nor unequivocal term to denote tea literature, nor is there common acceptance of the scope and typologies of the texts that form this literary genre.