Chashi 茶史

Chashi 茶史 "A history of tea" is a book on tea written during the Qing period 清 (1644–1911) by Liu Yuanchang 劉源長 (17th cent.), courtesy name Jiezhi 介祉. He hailed from Huai'an 淮安, Jiangsu, but little is known about his life. As stated in the preface of the Chashi, his style was Bashiweng 八十翁, a name that shows that he was already an old man when the book was finished. Liu also wrote the studies Cantongqi zhu 參同契注, Lengyanjing zhu 楞嚴經注, Ershiyishi lüe 二十一史略 and Gujin yaoyan jianshi 古今要言箋釋. The Chashi was only published after Liu’s death by his son Liu Qianji 劉謙吉 (1623–1709), with commentaries written by his grandson Liu Naida 劉乃大, and revisions by Lu Qiuke 陸求可 (d. 1679). Lu also wrote the preface dated 1675, and two other prefaces were written by Li Xiangen 李仙根 (1631–1690) in 1677, and Zhang Tingyu 張廷玉 (1672–1755) in 1728. The first print was published in 1675. In 1705, the book was presented by Liu Qianji to the Kangxi Emperor 康熙帝 (r. 1661–1722) during his southern inspection tour. In 1728, the book was reprinted together with a supplement, Chashi bu 茶史補.

The 2-juan-long Chashi speaks in the first part about different types and qualities of tea and in the second part about the culture of drinking tea. The 30 short chapters are very detailed but not very systematic and do not talk a lot about the actual history of tea, even if it quotes from numerous old books on tea.

The Chashi was presented to the compilers of the imperial series Siku quanshu 四庫全書 by Wang Qishu 汪啟淑 (1728–1798) from his private library, but it was not included in this collection.

Two other books with the title Chashi existed, but nothing is known about their whereabouts. The first was written by Zhang Changbai 趙長白 and is mentioned in Lu Tingcan's 陸廷燦 (c. 1700) Xu chajing 續茶經. The author of the second one is unknown. It is listed in the book catalogue Gu nongshu mu 古農書目, which is owned by the Beijing Library (Beijing Tushuguan 北京圖書館).

Chashi bu 茶史補

There is a supplement called Chashi bu 茶史補 written by Yu Huai 余懷 (1616–1695), courtesy name Danxin 淡心 or Wuhuai 無懷, style Manweng 曼翁 or Manchi Laoren 曼持老人, from Putian 莆田, Fujian. He also wrote the books Banqiao zaji 板橋雜記, Dongshan tanyuan 東山談苑, Weiwaixuan gao 味外軒稿, Yanshan Caotang wenji 研山草堂文集, Furen xiewa kao 婦人鞋襪考, as well as another book on tea, Chayuan 茶苑.

The manuscript of the latter was once stolen, and Yu Huai later found out that Liu Yuanchang's Chashi 茶史 included an abbreviated version of the Chayuan with the title Chashi bu. The Chashi bu was regularly printed together with the Chashi, like in the edition of Liu Qianji from 16789 or Liu Naida's reprint of 1728.

The Chashi bu is also included in the series Zhaodai congshu 昭代叢書 where it is enriched by an afterword written by Yang Fuji 楊復吉 (1747–1820) and two further texts, Shayuan hou zhuan 沙苑侯傳, and Chazan 茶贊.