Cha Pu


The Cha Pu is a short work written in 1440 by Zhu Quan, the Prince of Ning, the 17th son of the Hongwu Emperor of the Ming dynasty, and relates the methods of tea preparation and degustation. It is considered by some to be a milestone in Chinese tea culture.
Following the Hongwu Emperor's ban on manufacturing of tea cake, Zhu Quan advocated a simpler way of steeping loose tea, a radical departure from the involved tea cake preparation methods of the Tang and Song dynasties, thus pioneered a new era in Chinese tea culture. There is also a short discussion of tea wares.

Content

The Tea Manual includes a preface and sixteen chapters:
  1. Selecting Tea
  2. Storing Tea
  3. Whisking Tea
  4. Scenting Tea Method
  5. Tea Brazier
  6. Tea Stove
  7. Tea Mill
  8. Crushing Roller
  9. Tea Sieve
  10. Tea Stand
  11. Tea Spoon
  12. Tea Whisk
  13. Tea Cup
  14. Tea Pitcher
  15. Water Heating Method
  16. Selecting Water

    Tea wares of Ming Dynasty

Some of the tea wares can be derived from the tea wares of the Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty.