Speaking of the Classic of Tea (茶經) written by Lu Yu (陸羽) in the Tang Dynasty, Chou said the meticulous details of the tea-making and brewing reflect an Eastern way of thinking that fosters a sensitivity to the ever-changing environment and achieves a state simplicity by the understanding of its complexities.
"In Western culture, reason and sensibility stand opposite to each other, whereas in the East, there is no distinction between the two. Eastern culture speaks of a state of consciousness, of being sensitive to all things. And such is the spirit embodied in tea," Chou said.
According to Ho of Yeh Tang, Taiwan's tea art has developed multiple facets over the past 30 years, flourishing in diverse combinations with music, ceramic art, calligraphy and Chinese painting. The Chrysanthemum Chaism Studies (人澹如菊茶書院) founded by Li Shu-yun (李曙韻) is a celebrated example of the experimental spirit of Taiwan's creative tea culture.
First established in Chiayi City (嘉義市) over a decade ago, Chrysanthemum Chaism Studies has now moved to Taipei, and holds regular tea workshops combining traditional music such as guqin (Chinese lute, 古琴) and nanguan (南管), calligraphy, Chinese opera and floral art.
Running the risk of provoking conservatives, Li further explores the possibility of tea space by combining tea ceremonies with installation art and her workshops have even crossed over into theater, being performed at the theater space Taipei Eye (台北戲棚).
"Throughout history, tea has always played an auxiliary role to other artistic and spiritual practices. It can go with many other things as it is rooted in life. When tea culture and etiquette grow mature, it can become an independent art form," Li said.
While experimenting with tea as a creative form of expression, Li has also returned to basics by staging intimate, small workshops in a secluded tea house in Yangmingshan (陽明山).
"Unlike China, Korea and Japan, Taiwan hasn't developed an institutional system for tea study. It can be our flaw or our biggest strength, as each and every voice can be heard and contested in an energetic, free environment," said the reticent tea connoisseur who usually avoids media limelight.
At Li's Off Chaism (別茶院), a teahouse with a wide collection of teas mainly from Taiwan, China, Japan and India, visitors are left alone to listen to teas murmuring their own stories about the lands they are from.
As the globe has undergone enormous climatic changes, Li points out that there is no other time in history when we need to put so much effort into tea study and focus on skills to prepare a cup of good tea. The connection? The deterioration in tea quality resulting from changes to the Earth and it climate.
"You can really feel the Earth's rebellion ... I believe water will become a key factor in tea culture as it is more and more difficult to have a pot of good water," Li lamented. But in the meantime, Li does what she can to preserve a place to cultivate peace of mind and ancient wisdom.
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