다신계(茶信契)가 강진지역 다사(茶史)에 미친 영향

Impact of Dashingye on the History of Tea in Gangjin

Dashingye was Korea’s first traditional private fund that Dasan Jeong Yak-yong organized with his disciples before he returned to his hometown after finishing his 18-year banishment. Dasan and his disciples wrote a book entitled Dashingyejeolmok containing the purpose of Dashingye, the list of participants, and the pledges made on the last day of August in 1818. Dasan’s disciples living in Gangjin had continuously sent teas to Dasan and his descendants since the rescindment of Dasan’s exile, in accordance with the Dashingye pledges. This tradition continued until the 1930s. Jeondeunggye, which is believed to have been organized by Dasan and Mandeoksa monks, also continued to send teas to Dasan. Mandeoksa just made teas according to Dasan’s teachings. However, with the increasing yield and rising demand for tea, they began to see tea as a crop of economic value. Judging from the above, it can be concluded that Gangjin has a long tradition of making tea according to the Dashingye pledges made between Dasan and his disciples and saw tea as a product of economic value and exploited it for commercial purposes earlier on.