Our Mission
Home
Korea's Tea History
Teas and Tisanes
Store
Contact Us
Hancha Tea
Korea's Tea RenaissanceBy: Yoon Hee Kimreprinted from Invest Korea JournalUntil recently, Korean tea, tea history and the country's tea culture have been virtually unknown outside of Asia. This is despite the fact that Korea is one of the earliest tea-originating countries, and has a 2,000-plus year history steeped in its own distinct tea culture that is characterized by a unique philosophy and traditional practices. ************As Korea gained independence and began to rebuild as a nation, following the devastation of WWII and the Korean War, the country's tea culture began its most recent revival in the late 1960s. The reinvigorated tea culture and tea industry has not only had an important and dynamic impact on Korea's modern day tea drinking but also on the nation's overall cultural landscape as well. Korea's early tea culture was so closely identified with Buddhism that when it was replaced by Confucianism as the country's primary religion/philosophy at the end of the Goryeo dynasty in the 14th century, tea drinking and customs were also repressed at the same time along with Buddhist customs. When the invading Japanese of the 1590s forced hundreds of the finest Korean potters to work in Japan, tea became more associated with Japan rather than Korea. In fact, many of the finest bowls used in Japanese tea ceremonies were made in Korea or were produced by potters of Korean descent. Ancient texts dating back some 5,000 years reference PaeksanCha - white mountain tea and other teas indigenous to Korea and legends that surrounded them. However, it is generally accepted that Korean tea traces its roots to the Gaya Kingdom (42 to 532 AD), which existed just before the period of the Unified Three Kingdoms. According to the Samguk Yusa, classical archival texts of the Three Kingdoms period, and Garakgukki, the ancestral record of the Gaya (or Garak) Kingdom, tea was among the treasured wedding gifts brought by an Indian princess, Heo Hwang Ok of Ajodhya, who arrived on the shores of Gaya in 48 AD to marry the founding king of Gaya, Kim Suro. Ajodhya was the ancient capital of the Kosala Kingdom in northern India. The Heo clans, of which Princess of Ajodhya was a royal, had long before migrated and settled in China's Sichuan province where ancient tea trees were already in abundance. Although she came from India, the tea seeds she carried, along with jewels and other precious wedding gifts, were of the Chinese Camellia sinensis sinensis variety. TEA DRINKING AS AN ART FORMWhen the gifted tea seedlings were taken to nearby mountains above Gimhae to be planted, it was discovered that indigenous tea bushes were already growing in Korea, although it is unlikely that tea was being consumed as a beverage on any regular basis at this time. After King Geodeong succeeded King Kim Suro, special rituals were held from the year 199 AD onward as a tribute to the previous monarch for his role in founding the Gaya Kingdom. These rituals included many offerings, among them fruits, rice cakes and tea. In 661, King Munmu -- a descendant of King Kim Suro and credited with unifying the country -- declared that the tributes continue during the successor Shilla kingdom (57 BC to 918 AD) to which Gaya capitulated in 532. Thus, archival records indicate ceremonies with tea offerings to have officially begun during the Gaya Kingdom and continued through the Shilla period. These ancestral tea offerings/ceremonies were called Charye. More often pronounced nowadays as "Darye," it means "tea rite, propriety or etiquette." Toward the mid-Three Kingdoms period, emissaries to China's Tang Dynasty brought back tea seeds, which were then planted on Mount Jiri by royal decree. Under the Unified Shilla Dynasty, Korea's tea culture blossomed, first evolving around Buddhist temples, aristocrats, and scholars but soon quickly spread throughout the country. The rise of the Goryeo Kingdom (918 to 1392) saw Buddhism ensconced as the national religion and with tea favored by Buddhist monks, tea culture flourished and became prevalent in Korea during this period. The popularity of tea further expanded during this time from the royal court, Buddhist monks and scholars to the literati and the public at large. Formal tea ceremonies were routinely conducted for royal functions and Buddhist rituals. The royal court, in fact, established a special national agency, DaBang which translates into "tearoom." Equivalent in importance to a government ministry, Dabang was in charge of overseeing tea supplies and organizing the many and elaborate royal court tea ceremonies that were developed. Commoners also began including tea ceremonies in special occasions and celebrations. Tea villages (known as DaSeoh) began appearing near Buddhist temples. Consisting primarily of tea farms, they cultivated and supplied tea to nearby temples. Meanwhile, tea wares gained popularity as collectables among Buddhist monks and the nobility. Tea drinking was also widely embraced by the scholars of the time. Tea drinking among the aristocracy took the form of outings to scenic locations and involved music, dance, poetry and even wine. Courtesy and tea etiquette were properly followed at these ceremonies and all in attendance were naturally expected to know the propriety associated with taking tea. The tradition of composing verses in praise of tea started during this period. Scholars considered tea drinking as a necessary way to clarify the mind and at the same time tea was considered the ideal accompaniment to the appreciation of nature. While tea was first introduced to the masses through Buddhist rituals, it was Korea's poets and writers who elevated tea drinking to an art form. REINTRODUCING TRADITIONAL PRACTICESThe onset of the Joseon Dynasty (1392 to 1910) forced tea to take a proverbial back seat. The dynasty's adoption of Confucianism during the 14th century resulted in the near-obliteration of tea drinking as Buddhism was abolished and its temples destroyed. What's more, Confucian aesthetics also centered on rice wine, and tea soon lost its place in society. Tea consumption, practices and cultivation instead were quietly maintained by the aristocracy and Buddhist monks. The Joseon Dynasty came to an abrupt end in 1910 when Japan occupied Korea and subsequently colonized the nation for thirty-five years. During this time, all things Korean, including the arts, language, traditional practices and even Korean tea culture, were strongly suppressed by the colonial government. At the same time, the colonial leaders mandated that all high school girls study Japanese tea culture and etiquette, causing many Koreans to distance themselves from tea because of its association with Japanese rule. Also during this time, Japanese tea growers began to plant tea seedlings of the Yabukita strain from Japan on the hills of Boseong County (Boseong-gun), Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla Province) and nearby areas. Out of necessity, Korea's own tea culture went underground again, maintained by monks and small segments of society who waited until their own indigenous tea culture could rise once more. During the final days of Japanese colonial rule, much of Korea's cultural and economic fabric was destroyed, including many of its tea plantations. Further destruction occurred during the Korean War of 1950/53. Another significant impact on Korean tea drinking and culture also occurred during this time with the arrival of the American military. The GIs introduced instant coffee to Korea and the rising popularity of this variety even led to a new interpretation of the word "Dabang" as the traditional tea rooms soon became better known as coffee houses. Once Korea began to rebuild after the devastations of colonial rule and war, Koreans began archiving and restoring many of the country's aesthetic and cultural practices. In the 1960s, dedicated tea masters "Cha-In" began the arduous task of rebuilding damaged tea plantations, and reintroducing traditional practices such as Korean tea ceremonies and tea education, thus laying the groundwork for today's "Tea Renaissance." In addition to the enormous growth in tea production over the past several decades, Korean tea culture has enjoyed unprecedented levels of interest and popularity among Koreans of all ages and backgrounds. This revival has witnessed the return of the Dabangs as tea houses and tea culture schools offering readily accessible tea education courses throughout the country that are tailored for young children to students and for housewives to professionals. Annual tea festivals are held in every tea growing region where visitors come from near and far to enjoy, taste and celebrate tea and its attendant culture. There are also a growing number of universities offering not only certification courses in tea, but full undergraduate degree programs to graduate and doctoral level in tea and tea sciences. For as much as Korea's tea, tea culture and history have managed to endure over the past 2,000 plus years, at times quietly and also facing great challenges, it is clear that the most recent revival and current renaissance of Korea's tea and tea culture is here to stay and will only continue to grow. The fast-growing interest in preserving Korean tea culture by Koreans, as well as the expanding Korean tea industry, are both welcome news to all tea enthusiasts as a certain sign that more Korean teas will be available on the world tea market.
|
|
Find Us On:
©Hancha Tea. All Rights Reserved.
Need Help? Email us:
info_hanchatea.com
Home
Our Mission
Teas and Tisanes
Store
On the Go Tea Sachets
Contact Us
Wholesale
Classes and Tours
