Tea culture began its formal ascent in the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907), as tea drinking and production became widespread. Tea also finally got some character, literally: the first usage of the character for tea (cha) is documented in this time period.
The Tang ushered in not only a distinct culture of tea but also a subculture of the tea-obsessed. As Gilles Brochard wrote in his essay, "Time for Tea," "Under the Tang dynasty, tea was glorified by poets and codified by tea masters, becoming the quintessential beverage of refined souls." Tea officially entered into the annals of posterity with a tea history, in poem form, written by the pioneering tea scholar Lu Yu.
The Green Tea Store website features an electronic version of Lu Yu's Book of Tea.
The Song dynasty (960-1279 AD) saw the apogee of tea culture. The process of brewing and preparing the drink was refined, well, to a tee. The craftsmanship of teapots, cups and dishware that had evolved into an art form during the Tang became increasingly sophisticated in the Song. Tea drinking became a hallmark of courtly recreation, with tea brewing contests and the establishment tea ceremony protocols, which later gave rise to the intensely elaborate Japanese tea ceremony.
One of the main tea rites to emerge in this period was pre-marriage tea ceremony, in which a betrothed bride would reveal her face for the first time to her future husband as she served tea to the visiting bridegroom.
Song scholars fused the cultures of tea and intellect by publishing various manuscripts praising and analyzing tea. Tea drinking became a backdrop for intellectual and social exchange.
The Emperor Hui Zong (1100-1126) created the indulgent ritual of "imperial plucking": according to court documents, he sent virgins to harvest premium tealeaves using golden scissors. To preserve their pristine state, the leaves were sun-dried on golden plates.