_{TRANSLATION | Eugenia Yang}

自在品佳茗

從台北永康街到北京茶家十職，似乎是一場道不盡的歷程，如今想起曾昭旭教授的話:「不要想瞭解李曙韻。」因為當你終於看懂她，她就又讓你不認識了。很榮幸本次專訪由於美華姐的牽線，讓我有機會通過與習茶弟子們的訪談，解讀曙韻老師，以茶為表達語言，傳遞生活美學，唐有陸羽《茶經》，宋有宮廷點茶，每段時期的茶文化都是一個時代縮影。而現代生活茶文化又扮演甚麼樣的角色，以何種方式影響人類的物質精神生活?推開茶事之門的初心，一盞茶古韵猶存，聽當代藝術茶人們細數品茗之珍。

初次碰面，落座於自如清庵茶空間，本以為茶人對於習茶上有頗深的講究，身為曙韻老師台灣兩位大弟子林筱如與龔美華，卻沒有過多繁雜禮節與寒暄，卸下了忐忑，於他們身上流露著親切隨和沒有距離感的一面，「現在的茶藝動作講究的是簡化，自在喝茶。」望著茶掛上的一抹藍，我不禁思考著是否可以解讀為在浮躁的社會中，越來越多人希望沉靜心來，做一名自在喝茶人。

The Comfort of Tea Tasting

From Yongkang Street in Taipei to Chajia Tearoom in Beijing, it seems to be an endless journey. Like what Professor Tseng said—“Never try to understand Shuyun Li”—because once you think you’ve understood her, she becomes a new mystery. Special thanks to Meihua Kung for this opportunity to get to meet Ms. Li through her pupils, I had a glance of who she is in the eyes of her students. By using tea as words to express the aesthetics of life—like “The Classic of Tea” by Tang Dynasty writer Lu Yu or Song Dynasty’s practice of whisking tea—the culture of tea representing each time period becomes a microcosm of the era. So what role does tea culture play in this modern society? And how does it affect the materialistic and spiritual life of mankind? With the truest heart, enter the world of tea to savor the ancient charm in the teacup and listen to the treasures of tea recounted by our contemporary tea artists.

First time arriving at Zih Ru Cing An tearoom, I assumed these tea experts to be very particular about the study of tea. And yet, Hsiaoju Lin and Meihua Kung—two of Ms. Li’s major pupils in Taiwan—didn’t dwell on any overly complicated etiquette or formal greetings. My initial agitation was a puff in the air as I was greeted by their easygoing and down-to-earth personalities. “The steps of tea tasting are more about simplicity and comfort now.” I couldn’t help but wonder if this could also be applied to how people are trying harder and harder to settle down in this unsettling era, just like practicing the art of tea.

茶設計美學

「茶與器物，在幼時便已深入成長基因裡，那是一種美，關於童年的記憶，母親的溫暖，與土地的味道。」於琉璃、瓷器到空間、文化風土的轉譯，這是之間茶食器空間主人翁俊杰一直堅持的，習茶後多了一份心境上的沈澱，讓他能夠重新解讀設計美學之意義，現今設計師們追求造型上的創新，卻忽略了使用者的需求與功能性。

同為室內設計師的何朝瑜也強調在習茶過程了解人、茶與器物的連結，是需要一些時間的積累。時下複雜的社會和緊湊忙碌的設計工作狀態能夠保持寧靜的心，點上一盞茶，尋求片刻的自在，平凡而簡單，何朝瑜說這便是最幸福時刻。

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說起人與空間的幸福感，「設計，並非只是硬體空間的規劃，而是呈現居住者生活的體驗。」這是上繹設計總監陳桂香的心聲，一場美妙的茶會，重現 12年前華山人澹如菊「飲、影、隱」茶會，複製茶桌與大型枯樹造景，轉換時空背景，空間主人生活的軌跡，國家歌劇院元宵茶會，顛覆很多茶人生活充滿詩意。

The Aesthetic Design of Tea

“The bond between tea and tea ware are like the deep-rooted genes developed since childhood. The childhood memories, the motherly warmth, the scent of soil. It is a kind of beauty.” Translating lapis and porcelain into a manifesto of space, the owner of In Between Tearoom insisted on always working in job fields in relation to art and design. The calming of emotions after learning tea craft allowed him to reinterpret the meaning of design. Nowadays, designers often try to pursue more creative and versatile designs, and tend to ignore the needs and functionality for the users. Chao-Yu Ho, who is also an interior designer, also emphasized that it takes time to understand the connection between people, tea, and tea ware in the process of learning tea. In today’s complex society and having a busy work schedule, happiness to Chao-Yu Ho is to be able to sit down, enjoy a cup of tea in peace, and appreciate this short moment of comfort—simple as that. “Design is not merely about how you plan the space, but also about the experience of living” This is what Kuei-Hsiang Chen, creative designer of 31 Design, believes in. A wonderful tea party reimagining Non Solo Tea’s gathering at Huashan twelve years ago that replicates the tea tables and the withered tree, and reshapes the temporality and spatiality of the life of the owner. Just like the way the National Theater’s tea party changed the lives of these tea artists, as beautiful as melodic poetry.

用茶搭建舞台

打開美學之窗，從教育做起，身為長虹教育基金會執行長李如華透過「茶教育」，讓孩子發現自我。談起習茶，情感的串聯讓她多了一份詩意陶冶，茶湯一飲而入，非僅在喉頭回甘，而是直貫入心中的甜，住家與辦公室都有一方寸之地作為茶空間。學茶初期由曙韻老師引導從功能面思考茶器皿，漸漸地學會軟性的角度，感知器物材質、季節、空間藝術等美學的搭配。在臺灣，茶桌隨處可見，茶更是唾手可得的，李如華笑稱希望能藉由泡茶，增進與親人共情連結，讓茶桌重新成為一個親友圍繞共享美好時刻之地。

Build a Stage with Tea

To enter the realm of aesthetics, we start with education. CEO of Chong Hong Culture & Education Foundation, Julia Lee allows children to discover themselves through “tea education.” Speaking of the study of tea, the bonding of emotion gave her this extra poetic edification. Sipping on a cup of tea, the sweet aftertaste doesn’t just stay in the mouth, but travels down to the heart. Reserving a space for tea both at home and at work, Ms. Li taught her students in their early stages of tea education to think about tea ware from a functional perspective, then gradually shift to a softer point of view in order to sense the aesthetic bond between the material, season, and art of space. In Taiwan, tea tables are everywhere to be seen, while tea is also readily available. Smiling, Julia Lee wishes to strengthen the familial bond with brewing tea, letting the tea table return to a place where friends and family can share their happy moments.

茶樂合一

「感動人的不只一杯茶湯，還有音樂。」靜靜地深入品嚐一盅茶，才能夠跳脫人浮於世的煩瑣，她喜歡玩音樂、喝茶，優雅自在，卻說自己是個散漫、不務正業的人，她叫邵淑芬。不僅愛茶也愛茶器，愛一個人泡，也愛三五好友一起喝，同一種茶試不同的水質，換不同的茶器，切磋彼此的泡茶技巧。若是幾個音樂朋友同桌，那便要輪流彈琴擊鼓、清唱彈詞或戲曲，甚至有時更即席表演一段默劇，之於她而言，「茶」與「樂」，本身就是一場關於時空的藝術。於我眼中邵淑芬的耽慢，是一種另類堅持與對現代效率的反問，我們終其一生在追尋些什麼？或許是做一名靈魂有趣的斜槓茶人。

Merging of Tea and Music

“It’s not just a cup of tea that touches the heart, but also music.” Only by quietly savoring a pot of tea with the truest heart can one escape the nuisances of this troubling world. With elegance and leisure, she loves music and tea, but sees herself as undisciplined—her name is Su-Feng Shao. Not just a lover of tea, but also tea wares, she enjoys drinking tea alone and with friends. Try to tell the difference between the same type of tea brewed with waters of different quality or tea pots crafted with different materials—it is almost like a challenge to one another’s skills when it comes to making tea. If several friends are at the same table, they would take turns to play the piano and drums, sing A Capella or traditional Chinese opera, or even start acting out an impromptu mime. To Su-Feng Shao, “tea” and “music” are both art forms about time and space. In my eyes, her so-called “undisciplined” is an alternative persistence that asks a question regarding the modern day efficiency—what exactly are we searching for in our lives? Perhaps the answer is to be a tea artist with infinite possibilities and potential.

茶二代之感

老屋飄起悠然茶香，每盞茶湯的美好都留於心底，30年資深茶人呂宜家 GaGa，作為「臻味茶苑」呂禮臻之女的茶二代，出生就已注定一生奉獻給茶。記憶猶深的是曙韻老師授課的那一份認真細膩與跳脫框架，讓學生們能自由攜帶喜愛的器皿，運用容器盛裝相同的茶水，藉由味覺與心境品嚐。或許在不設限的茶道之中，人生猶如一片茶葉，經歷浮沉才精彩，更因習茶學會淡定從容靜心以對。

Second Generation Tea Families

The aroma of brewed tea lingers in the old-fashion house, the beauty of each cup of tea hidden deep in the heart. With thirty years of experience, tea expert and daughter of the founder of “Chen-Wey Tea Garden,” Gaga is destined to dedicate her life to tea. When asked about the most memorable lesson taught by Ms. Li, Gaga describes how she always taught with a serious, detailed manner that broke the conventional framework. Ms. Li would ask her students to bring their favorite containers, fill them with the same kind of tea, and savor it with their taste buds and their heart. In this limitless tea ceremony, life is like a tea leaf that is wonderful because of the float and peaceful because of the calming lessons of tea education.

茶會夫婦

「一旦進入茶的世界，沒有一個人會離開。」很難想像這句話是從一名珠寶設計師口中說出，她是卞巧英。從小習茶潤物細無聲的養成了她專注的性格，慢工出細活追求極致也成為她設計道路上的的風格。隨後與清香齋二號院解致璋老師的邂逅開啟了一段學茶之路，與茶對話，人人心中都有一塊寶山，更通過茶會認識各種領域的朋友。

同為茶人的室內設計師許煌城，人稱茶會總監，是卞巧英的老公，習茶近二十年，他說:「李曙韻老師不輕易收學生，在內人的鼓勵下經李老師同意，才有機會與老師學茶。」就這樣他走入「茶」的世界，回首第一次參加北投溫泉博物館舉行的茶會，觸及內心深處原來茶是可以融入茶藝、花藝、古樂、茶食與茶道精神。而講起設計風格由初期的巴洛克風格演變成現今當代風格與日本民藝時期的設計美學，夫妻倆更強調茶席一期一會，很慶幸能在彼此共情共振的世界，品一杯茶、覺知自己，變得更加的平和與包容。

A Marital Tea Ceremony

“Once you enter the world of tea, you wouldn’t want to leave.” It was hard to imagine a jewelry designer would say this. She is Nirvesha Pien, who cultivated her dedicated personality from learning about tea ever since she was a kid. A patient work ethic and the meticulous pursuit of the best gradually became her design style. Her encounter with Professor Xie from Qing Xiang Zhai Tearoom sent her on a journey of learning tea and meeting an array of tea enthusiasts. Engage in a dialogue with tea, and you will discover that everyone has different hidden treasures residing deep in their heart. The interior designer, Huang Chen Hsu, also known as the CEO of the tea committee, is the husband of Nirvesha Pien. Having studied the art of tea for almost two decades, his design style changed from the original Baroque style to a contemporary style of Japanese folk art. Emphasizing that tea ceremonies are all ichigo ichie—meaning “once in a lifetime” in Japanese—the married couple is glad to have understood tea in the same way. With empathy and resonance, they savor to better understand themselves and to become calmer and more tolerant.

茶中生活

「點茶，應該在傳承的過程裡，有當代的那份時尚。」在對宋代美學與意境的延續之上，當代點茶不拘泥於人的想象和創造力，可以說完美地實現了傳統與當下生活的結合。在與曙韻老師的學習過程中，李國平說他最大的獲得是學習到老師身上的那份對茶的情感，一路走下來的堅持，於是他將這份堅持用在了竹子之上，從茶則到茶筅。用一句話來詮釋李國平心中的茶，莫過於《一代宗師》裡的那一句「念念不忘，必有回響。」

Seeing the Life in Tea 

“Tea whisking should still embody that modern fashion, even in the process of inheriting.” In the process of passing on the aesthetics and concept of the Song Dynasty, tea whisking is not limited by human emotion and creativity. It is safe to say that the practice had perfectly achieved the merging of traditions and the current life. In the journey of learning from Ms. Li, Kuo-Ping Lee says that his main takeaway is obtaining her sentiment towards tea and her perseverance that never wavered along the way. Thus, he followed the same conviction and transferred it onto bamboo, from the art of tea to the making of tea pots. To describe Kuo-Ping Lee’s lesson with one quote, it has to be the one from “The Grandmaster,” which says—”Never forget, for the voice in your head will one day become an echo.” 

東方美人味

回首時代縮影，流水不爭鮮，爭的是滔滔不絕，茶人精神從傳承到發展，源於一份執著。一場場與茶人對話，視線拉回到台灣茶推薦的首選，竟不約而同地分享由自然農法耕種的「東方美人」，紅茶風味散發蜂蜜甜甜的香氣，奢享像當年風靡維多莉亞女皇將一滴白蘭地加進茶湯裡，更是一番有趣滋味。茶可以風情萬種，也可以安靜典雅；而人，是當代的茶人，或許以時下年輕人的語境，茶人沒有硬性標準，歡喜自在，自在喝茶，更接近禪茶之意。

The Taste of Oriental Beauty 

Reviewing the epitome of time, like the water in the stream, life is not striving to be the first, but to make the strive itself endless. From inheritance to development, the spirit of these tea artists stemmed from perseverance. In the interviews with these tea experts, when asked about the top recommended Taiwanese tea, they all chose Dongfang Meiren tea, meaning “oriental beauty” in Chinese. The black tea lingers with the sweet aroma of honey, like the famous Queen Elizabeth, who always added a drop of brandy into her tea, making the taste more playful. Tea can be amorous, or quiet and elegant—it really is your choice. To the younger generation, to become a tea artist no longer means strict standards. Who knows? Perhaps enjoying tea with happiness and ease is a lot closer to the true meaning of Zen than we’d assume.