The essence of tea: The effects of Lu Yu's 'Ch'a Ching' on the extent of changes in tea drinking and the material culture of Yue ware in Tang China after 780 A.D

Tang China (618-907 A.D.) was a society poised for a revolution in its tea culture. Historians have not, however, examined Tang China's tea culture to determine the possible extent and influence of Tang poet/writer Lu Yu's Ch'a Ching, the world's first authoritative and comprehensive treatise on tea. The thesis examines tea during the Tang dynasty to determine the extent of change in its preparation, social ceremony, and the material culture of Yue ware after the publication of Lu Yu's Ch'a Ching in 780 A.D. The final results illustrate that Lu Yu's Ch'a Ching creates notable changes in the preparation of tea drinking and the material culture of Yue ware.