From Tang poets to British rebels to matcha influencers, tea has been a ritual, an economic force, and a tool of diplomacy for centuries — and it still shapes culture and soft power today.
A Poetic Beginning
“The first bowl moistens my lips and throat.
The second bowl banishes my loneliness.
The third bowl penetrates my withered entrails,
finding nothing but a literary core of five thousand scrolls.
The fourth bowl brings light sweat,
and all life’s injustices disperse through my pores.
The fifth bowl purifies my flesh and bones.
The sixth bowl calls me to the realm of immortals.
The seventh bowl — ah, but I could take no more!”
— Lu Tong, Tang Dynasty (775–835)
Lu Tong’s words remind us that tea has never been just a drink. It has always been philosophy, ritual, and reflection. Yet as history shows, tea is also an empire, a rebellion, an agriculture, and a multibillion-dollar business.