Grace Kimble

Title of Work:

Tea Sage Yu Lu (633-804 CE) and the Culture of Tea in China

Abstract:

My CCS 490 Capstone project investigated how the Tea Sage, Yu Lu, has continued to impact the crafting of China's national identity in the 21st Century based on the legend surrounding his life story. By re-examining some his contributions to the study of tea and the evidence of various modern-day representations as public statues throughout China, I aimed to explain how this figure influenced tea culture within China. My main focus was on his historical legend, significance of Buddhism and tea, his book and later additions, and public images from the 20th and 21st century. This was an important topic since tea has spread to become a symbolic part of many cultures outside of China, each contributing more to the continual development of the art and cultural significance of tea.

Elevator Pitch Video

Elevator Pitch Transcript:

Hello everyone, my name is Grace Kimble, and I’m a fifth year in the IGP China cohort. I am studying business management and comparative cultural studies with an emphasis in Asian studies and am currently studying abroad in Hong Kong at Hong Kong Baptist University. At HKBU, I am taking classes within my CCS degree program in history and cultural studies.

While Hong Kong wasn’t originally where I planned on going, it’s where I ended up and I have really enjoyed my time here so far. I’ve explored a lot of the city like the Temple Street night market and a bunch of other street markets that open later in the day. I’ve also visited a few local temples, done some hikes, and enjoyed the beaches that this region has to offer. I included a few pictures I have taken while exploring.

Since I haven’t started my internship yet, my summit presentation is focused on my CCS capstone project that I completed last Spring under the guidance of Dr. Gulacsi. I researched the life story of a famous tea sage, Yu Lu, who lived from 733 to 804 CE and how his contributions impacted the crafting of China’s national identity in the 21^st century.

I have noticed here that a lot of street stalls sell delicate tea sets, both for decorative and practical use. All restaurants and shops offer tea as a beverage due to the high demand and popularity of tea. Personally, my favorite tea here has been the iced lemon tea, which is found in many of the vending machines on campus and can be ordered in the cafeteria and restaurants. I hope to visit the tea museum that is in Hong Kong Park as well when I have the chance. It’s clear to me that tea drinking culture is a very prevalent and important part of Hong Kong life.

Digital Poster