The Beauty of Chinese Tea Names
Tea aesthetics is an important part of tea culture, and tea names are a component of tea aesthetics. The beauty of tea names lies in the infinite imagination they inspire about tea, reflecting a high level of aesthetic appreciation. This article analyzes the beauty of tea names from the perspectives of season, shape, color, aroma, region, and moral character, discussing tea aesthetics with peers and promoting tea culture.
The classical aesthetics master Zhuangzi said: "Names are the guests of reality. Reality is the foundation of names." People's likes and dislikes of things can be roughly understood from their names. "A determined man would rather die of thirst than drink from the Stealing Spring; he would rather suffer heat than rest under a cursed tree." It is not that the Stealing Spring is dirty or the cursed tree does not provide shade, but because their names are bad. Therefore, the naming of all things in the world is meticulous.
The naming of tea, in our ancient country with five thousand years of civilization, is even more refined. Many carefully named teas reflect the cultural and artistic cultivation, social and historical knowledge, and overall quality of the namers. For example: Banner Spear, Phoenix Eyebrow, Rui Cao Kui, Dongting Spring Bud, Shanhe Picking Jade... These tea names embody the namer's deep affection for tea, their aesthetic taste, and reflect a high level of aesthetic appreciation.
There are many tea names, which can be roughly classified into the following categories: those named according to the picking season, such as Spring Tea, Pre-Qingming (Before Qingming Festival), Riding Fire, Post-Qingming, Pre-Grain Rain, Post-Grain Rain, Summer Tea, June White, Autumn Fragrance, White Dew Tea, Winter Slices, etc.; those named for the shape of the tea leaves, such as Banner Spear, Eagle Beak, Horizontal Bud, Sparrow Tongue, Wheat Grain, Flake (Scale) Armor, Cicada Wing, Jade Ring, Lobster, etc.; those named for the color of the tea, such as Green Snow, Green Bud, Bamboo Leaf Green, White Bud, Purple Shoot, Green Flower Purple Petal, Yellow Soup, Glowing White, etc.; those named for tea aroma and taste, such as Orchid, Cinnamon, Narcissus, Bitter Tea, etc.; those named for the place of production, such as Dongting Biluochun, Shouzhou Yellow Bud, Mengding Stone Flower, Lushan Cloud Mist, Junshan Silver Needle, Anhua Pine Needle, etc.; those named for the moral character of tea, such as Auspicious Grass, Grass Hero, Jade Horn, Cang Jian, Ice Heart, Cold and Clean, Spiritual Bud, etc.; and those named after folk legends, such as Tieguanyin, Dahongpao, Zhou Datie Tea, Zhaojun Maojian, etc. In addition, some tea names have strong religious connotations, and some contain people's good wishes, such as Thousand Buddha Rock Tea, Putuo Buddha Tea, Longevity Tea, Five Sons Pass the Exam Tea, etc.
In tea names such as Banner Spear, Eagle Beak, Green Snow, and Orchid, we can appreciate the beauty of tea's color, aroma, taste, and shape. In tea names such as Junshan Silver Needle, Shimen Silver Peak, and West Lake Longjing, we can experience the beauty of famous mountains and springs. Some tea names can even transport us into a wonderful realm. Before tasting, hearing the tea name evokes the shape, color, and aroma of the tea. After brewing, the buds and leaves unfold, and the fragrance permeates the heart. When the tea enters the mouth and is savored slowly, one enjoys the pleasure brought by the beauty of tea. At this moment, the sweetness returns to the tongue, and the mind is relaxed and happy. Analyzing the tea name again provides a full sensory experience of the ears, eyes, nose, tongue, and heart. Circling back and forth, it gives people infinite aesthetic enjoyment.
