Category Archives: Headlines
Lu Yu and the purity of tea
Lu Yu, a Tang Dynasty figure whose authorship of the Cha Ching (the Classic of Tea) has earned him the status as the “god” of tea, is a fascinating figure who has given us an historical insight into the growing, manufacture and brewing of tea. At his tea blog, Loose Leaf, Alex Fraser has a [...]
Artist makes kimonos from silkworm eggs
Bryan Whitehead redefines what it means to “make something from scratch.” Starting with some silkworm eggs and easily available natural resources, he eventually ends up with rolls of fine and heavy kimono silk. The textiles created by this Vancouver native are not only beautiful, but it’s as if they also embody some essence of nature [...]
Tea Gathering at San Francisco’s Urasenke Society
Christie Bartlett, Founding Director of Ursaenke Society, San Francisco talks about the history of Urasenke, why tea gatherings matter today, and the ripple effect of “peace through a bowl of tea.” Watch Video
Artisans hand down tea-whisk tradition
This year marks the 1,300th anniversary of the relocation of the capital to present-day Nara, then called Heijokyo. And while tourists may flock to anniversary events, temples and shrines renovated for the occasion and to special public viewings of Buddhist statues and treasures, Nara has another treasure to be proud of. It is Takayama chasen, [...]
Tea and Chinese Cultural Aesthetics
Pei-kai Cheng, founding director and professor of the Chinese Civilisation Centre at the City University of Hong Kong and author of the recent two-volume publication, The Complete Annotated Collection of Chinese Tea Books, explores the cultural significance of tea drinking during the Tang period (618–907 CE). Cheng discusses the change and continuity of “The Way [...]