Tea and the Three Teachings: Harmony in the Mountains of Wuyishan
Wǔyíshān 武夷山 has long been a land where the Three Teachings (Sānjiào 三教) — Confucianism (Rújiào 儒教), Daoism (Dàojiào 道教), and Buddhism (Fójiào 佛教) — thrive together. Tea has grown among these traditions for centuries, shaping a uniquely Wuyi spirit: Confucian uprightness, Daoist purity, Buddhist harmony, and the refined elegance of tea culture.
In 2009, Phoenix Television filmed Seeking the Way of Tea and the Three Teachings (Wèndào Chá Hé Sānjiào 《问道茶和三教》) in this UNESCO World Heritage landscape. Three eminent masters —
• Tang Yijie (Tāng Yījiè 汤一介), President of the Confucius Academy
• Master Yicheng (Yīchéng 一诚法师), President of the Buddhist Association
• Daoist priest Ren Farong (Rén Fǎróng 任法融), President of the Daoist Association
gathered beneath Yùnǚ Fēng 玉女峰, offering a living echo of the saying:
“Qiān zǎi Rú–Shì–Dào, wàn gǔ shānshuǐ chá” 千载儒释道，万古山水茶
(“A thousand years of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism — ten thousand years of mountains and tea.”)
Buddhism (Fójiào 佛教): Tea as a Practice of Inner Peace
Buddhism cultivates character through harmony, and tea mirrors this spirit with its quiet simplicity. In the heart of Wuyishan stands Tiānxīn Yǒnglè Chán Sì 天心永乐禅寺, the ancestral temple of Dàhóngpáo 大红袍 — situated in the legendary “Three Pits and Two Ravines (Sān kēng liǎng jiàn 三坑两涧)” tea region.
Tea has grown in Wuyishan since the Shāng–Zhōu 商周 period. It expanded in the Hàn 汉, spread in the Southern Dynasties (Náncháo 南朝), flourished in the Táng 唐, shone in the Sòng 宋, and was perfected through the Míng–Qīng 明清 dynasties. When the monastic code Bǎizhàng Qīngguī 《百丈清规》 became widely practiced, monks cultivated tea as part of their livelihood, supported by nature’s abundance.
In the monastery resounded tea drums (chá gǔ 茶鼓), silence settled in tea halls (chá táng 茶堂), and meditation blended into tea — “tea entering Zen” (chá rù chán 茶入禅). The poet-monk Guǎnxiū (Guànxiū 贯休) visited Wuyishan three times in the late Tang and met the revered monk Kòubīng Gǔfó 扣冰古佛. Their teachings intertwined Zen and tea:
“Yǐ chá jìng xīn, xīn jìng zé guótǔ jìng;
yǐ chá ān xīn, xīn ān zé zhòngshēng ān.”
以茶净心，心净则国土净；以茶安心，心安则众生安。
(“Purify the mind with tea — when the mind is pure, the land is pure;
bring peace through tea — when the heart is calm, all beings are at peace.”)
From these encounters, Wuyi Zen Tea (Chánchá 禅茶) entered written history.
During the Song dynasty, monks taught “Chán chá yī wèi 禅茶一味” — “Zen and tea share one flavor.” By the Ming dynasty, Dàhóngpáo 大红袍 was famed across China, and Wuyi monks contributed to the creation of Wuyi Oolong (Wǔyí Wūlóng 武夷乌龙).
Daoism (Dàojiào 道教): Tea as Nourishment for Life
If Buddhism softens the heart, Daoism nourishes life. Daoist philosophy speaks of “Shàngtiān yǒu hǎoshēng zhī dé 上天有好生之德” — “Heaven cherishes life.” Tea, pure and natural, became an ideal companion to Daoist self-cultivation.
Northern Fujian has deep Daoist roots. As early as the Qín–Hàn 秦汉, people worshipped Wǔyí Jūn 武夷君. During the Táng 唐, more Daoist practitioners came to Wuyishan, including the three Daoist nuns Kǒng 孔, Zhuāng 庄, and Yè 叶. In the Sòng 宋, masters like Lǐ Tiědí 李铁笛 and Bái Yùchán 白玉蟾 cultivated at temples such as Chōngyòu Guān 冲佑观 and Táoyuán Dòng 桃源洞, leaving behind rich Daoist heritage.
Around hermitages and shrines grew tea trees. Tea drinking matched Daoist cultivation perfectly:
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Natural nourishment (zìrán yǎngshēng 自然养生) — humans living in harmony with mountains, water, and plants
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Purifying the spirit (qīngjìng yǎngshēng 清静养生) — tea’s quiet nature encourages stillness and reduces desires
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Nourishing virtue (yǐ dé yǎngshēng 以德养生) — tea teaches moderation:
“Zhīzú bù rǔ, zhīzhǐ bù dài 知足不辱，知止不殆.”
From this alignment arose Daoist Tea (Dào chá 道茶) — tea that regulates qi, clears the meridians, and supports longevity. Tea and Dao nourished each other in the shared pursuit of “Tiānrén hé yī 天人合一”, the unity of nature and humanity.
Confucianism (Rújiào 儒教): Tea as Moral Cultivation
Confucianism emphasizes self-cultivation, family harmony, benevolent governance, and peace under heaven:
“Xiūshēn, qíjiā, zhìguó, píng tiānxià 修身、齐家、治国、平天下.”
Tea, with its balance of bitterness and sweetness, became a natural metaphor for moral cultivation.
The great Neo-Confucian master Zhū Xī 朱熹 — who grew up observing nature — believed that tea’s flavor embodied the principle of harmony. After becoming a scholar-official, he often spent nights at Tiānxīn Sì 天心寺 discussing Chan Buddhism with Master Dàhuì 大慧, integrating Buddhist clarity into Confucian thought.
As supervisor of the Daoist Chōngyòu Guān 冲佑观, Zhu Xi became a bridge between the Three Teachings. He wove Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism into his Neo-Confucian system centered on Tiānlǐ 天理, establishing doctrines of lǐ–qì 理气, xīnxìng 心性, gézhì 格致, and tōngbiàn 通变. His Commentaries on the Four Books (Sìshū Jízhù 《四书集注》) became foundational for generations. Tea accompanied his lifelong pursuit of clarity, benevolence, and the ideal of “jiāguó tiānxià 家国天下”.
Tea: Where the Three Teachings Meet
To “seek the Way through tea” — wèndào yǐ chá 问道以茶 — requires sincerity, humility, and reverence for life. It calls for a heart that is peaceful and natural, a mind that is balanced, and compassion for all beings.
When the righteousness of Confucianism (Rújiā zhèngqì 儒家正气),
the clarity of Daoism (Dàojiā qīngqì 道家清气),
and the harmony of Buddhism (Fójiā héqì 佛家和气)
come together in a single cup, they form:
hé měi 和美 — harmonious beauty
hé shùn 和顺 — harmonious flow
hé qì 和气 — harmonious spirit
hé píng 和平 — harmonious peace
hé xiáng 和祥 — harmonious blessing
And thus the old Wuyi ideal endures:
“Chá hé tiānxià 茶和天下” — Tea can bring harmony to the world.