The Lost Tea Art of the Song Dynasty: Tea Hundred Plays
Origin and Early Records
Tea Hundred Plays, also known as Fencha (tea division), originated in the Tang Dynasty.
Though no visual records exist, literary works depict its early form—tea patterns in a bowl, brewed with a teapot. Liu Yuxi described tea foam swirling like white clouds, while Song Dynasty poets like Lu You and Yang Wanli wrote vividly about the joy of creating tea patterns, laying the foundation for this unique tea art.
Flourishing in the Song Dynasty
During the Song Dynasty, Tea Hundred Plays reached its peak, favored by emperors, literati and monks.
A teapot and a tea whisk were essential tools: skilled practitioners poured hot water into a bowl and whisked to create delicate patterns (flowers, animals, etc.) that faded quickly.
Even Emperor Huizong and poet Li Qingzhao were enthusiasts, with the emperor personally demonstrating the art to entertain his ministers.
Records and Definitions
Tao Gu of the early Northern Song Dynasty first defined Tea Hundred Plays in his work, describing it as an art of creating transient images in tea foam with a teapot and a whisk.
It was praised for its ingenuity, blending skill and aesthetics.
The art even spread to the Jurchen people, though it was criticized for "losing the Jurchen way"—a testament to its widespread influence.
Decline and Disappearance
After the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongol rule weakened the popularity of Han tea art, and Tea Hundred Plays began to decline.
Traces of it remained in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, with poets mentioning tea division with a teapot in their works.
However, no detailed records of the art exist after the late Qing Dynasty, making this exquisite tea craft a lost treasure of Chinese tea culture.