A Study of Seokjidajo (stone tea furnace with water pail) of Four Taoistic Hwarang in Silla Dynasty

The four elite leaders, Yeongnang(永郞), Sulnang(述郞), Namnang(南郞) and Ansang(安詳), brewed tea in seokjidajo at Hansongjeong, a pavilion situated in the middle of a pine forest in Gangneung, Gangwon-do Province, surrounded by splendid natural scenery. Then the tea was offered to the gods and appreciated by the men themselves, who also went sightseeing. The seokjidajo of Silla had two holes dug into a large rock, with one of the holes allowing the wind and air to pass through, while the other served as a container to hold water. There were two other Seokjidajo mentioned in the Goryeo records, which were the one in a forest near the temple in Gaeseong and the one in Gyeongpodae. It was confirmed by the scholars of Goryeo that the Hwarang(花郞) of Silla considered tea sacred and placed importance on tea culture. The seokjidajo used by the four Taoist leaders of Silla is characterized by its stone structure, originality and convenience in outdoo r use. It served as tea utensils for study of sightseeing in nature and performing ceremonies, and it could be used by anyone. This is associated with the outdoor tea meetings held while appreciating the beautiful scenery in the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, and later developed into the outdoor tea meetings, which are characteristic of the modern Korean tea offering culture. From it stemmed the original tea culture of Korea, with over 1,400 years of history, and thus it is valuable cultural heritage that should be preserved and reproduced today. The seokjidajo of the four Taoist Hwarang, which is the one and only tea brewing brazier in the world, serves as the basis for which the elegant beauty of nature pungnyu(風流) is pursued at Korean tea meetings.