old article about lu-yu
Luyu center fosters rebirth of Chinese tea culture Publication Date:07/26/1991 http://www.taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=12466&CtNode=122 By Jennifer Chiu Tea drinking is part of China's daily routine. Certainly, in no other country except Japan does tea drinking appear to be more universal. Tea is drunk in China by people of all ages and classes, on all occasions, at any time of day or night. Tea drinking is also an art. Greatly promoted during the Tang (A.D. 618-907) and Sung (960-1279) dynasties, tea became more than a drink. The two great dynasties cultivated a culture of tea appreciation. Tea treatises, tea paintings and tea poetry abounded. China teemed with tea houses where people could enjoy their tea while listening to lectures, reading manuscripts, exchanging political opinions, or strolling about the exquisite gardens of the tea house. But, by the early 20th century, Chinese tea art was headed towards oblivion. A combination of internal decay and exter...