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Rise of Tea Culture in China

The Invention of the Individual
  • ISBN-13: 9781442251786
  • Publisher: ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS
    Imprint: ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS
  • By Bret Hinsch
  • Price: AUD $238.00
  • Stock: 0 in stock
  • Availability: This book is temporarily out of stock, order will be despatched as soon as fresh stock is received.
  • Local release date: 14/01/2016
  • Format: Hardback 172 pages Weight: 0g
  • Categories: Asian history [HBJF]
Description
Table of
Contents
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This distinctive and enlightening book explores the invention and development of tea drinking in China, using tea culture to explore the profound question of how Chinese have traditionally expressed individuality. Western stereotypes portray a culture that values conformity and denigrates the individual, but Bret Hinsch convincingly explodes this facile myth. He argues that although Chinese embrace a communitarian ethos and assume that the individual can only thrive within a healthy community, they have also long respected people with unique traits and superior achievements. Hinsch traces how emperors, scholars, poets, and merchants all used tea connoisseurship to publicly demonstrate superior discernment, gaining admiration by displaying individuality. Acknowledging central differences with Western norms, Hinsch shows how personal distinction nevertheless constitutes an important aspect of Chinese society. By linking tea to individualism, his deeply researched book makes an original and influential contribution to the history of Chinese culture.
Timeline of Major Chinese Dynasties Introduction Chapter One: The Rise of Tea Chapter Two: Power Chapter Three: Lu Yu Chapter Four: Connoisseurship Chapter Five: Morality Chapter Six: Transcendence Chapter Seven: Manhood Glossary Bibliography
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