From a distinct perspective, this relatively slim yet fluently written book opens up a new dimension about the tea culture in China. After a brief discussion of the ancient form of tea, the author switches his attention to the period of the Tang and Song dynasties, when the making and drinking of the beverage once again experienced a marked change. But his real interest lies elsewhere. Hinsch is intent on describing how tea drinking at that time played a role in fostering a new culture from the Tang to the Song. Drawing on existent scholarship, the author maintains that China’s political culture experienced a transformation marked by the rise of individualism (however one chooses to define the term in a Chinese context). He illustrates how this cultural transformation was reflected in tea drinking customs and habits, especially among the literati class. In particular, he points out that from the Tang to the Song, while tea became increasingly accessible to people of all walks of life, it attained a particularly rich sociocultural and religious meaning for the literati class. Very worthwhile reading. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.

Choice Reviews

Bret Hinsch’s delightfully written book is a very welcome addition to the literature on tea. Using largely Chinese sources, Dr. Hinsch finds that tea was associated with individuality and connoisseurship in imperial China. He focuses on the Tang and Song dynasties, when tea became popular and became a topic for conversation, meditation, and luxury. This is a highly original book with new and exciting ideas about the history of tea in China.

Eugene Anderson, University of California, Riverside

In this captivating volume, Bret Hinsch demonstrates as never before how an unpretentious infusion of the dried leaves of a bitter plant from the southern hinterland became the iconic beverage of high culture in central China. Beyond that, he shows how the art of tea drinking during the transition from medieval to early modern China was intimately involved in the development of individualism and self-expression, such that the ‘new man’ of this period had a very different outlook on personhood from individuals of classical times. This is a learned study of the role of tea in Chinese society, one that ranges from literature and aesthetics to gender and morality, covering a host of topics in a most engaging fashion.

Victor H. Mair, University of Pennsylvania