Chapter I · The Origin: Practice today — Tea is a fine and noble tree of the South…

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The passage

“Tea is a fine and noble tree of the South. It may stand one or two feet tall, or reach many dozens of feet. In the mountain gorges of Bashan, there are trees so thick that two men can barely encircle them; one must cut the boughs and pick the leaves from below.”

Practice today

Bring “Tea is a fine and noble tree of the South…” to a modern table through one concrete session: choose water, heat it, warm the vessel, measure leaf, pour, and notice.

You do not need Tang-style pressed tea or expensive utensils. Start with clean water, a sensible temperature, and a clean finish.

The point of reading is not nostalgia. It is a better question at the tea table.

Reading note

Read the passage once for the image, once for the judgment, and once for the practice it implies.

Practice

• Name one thing the passage asks you to notice.
• Compare it with a tea you know.
• Keep the question open.