Park Chung-hee: History of Korean Tea Culture

Our ancestors created a tea culture second to none. In particular, the stone hearths said to have been used by the Hwarang warriors, along with celadon and buncheong ware crafted specifically for tea, are unique sources of national pride. The social classes and methods of enjoying tea were diverse, giving rise to countless tea rituals, including royal court tea ceremonies, temple tea ceremonies, the refined tea ceremonies of the gentry, and ancestral shrine rites. Tea culture, which was utilized in various rituals within the royal court, was passed down to the lower classes, and then to the lower classes as well. It was fascinating to see how the gems of "tea" kept appearing the more one searched through the records imbued with the lives of our ancestors. There are scenes of socializing with friends while drinking tea, as well as moments of realizing the truth while reading books accompanied by tea. Cases of attaining a state of samadhi while drinking tea in nature are also found. There are even monks who attained enlightenment by offering tea to the Buddha and who utilized tea for their own self-cultivation. Even in the lives of common people, tea was used as an offering to gods and nobles. Looking at tea folk songs that describe the lives of commoners, it was also discovered that tea was used as a token to convey meaning in rituals.

Korean title: 한국 차문화의 역사

Korean author: 박정희

Korean publisher: 민속원

ISBN-13: 9788928506750