Wang Fu is an author about whom public information is very limited: neither his dates nor his birthplace nor his identity is known, and the only surviving work confirmed under his name is one title, Cha Jiu Lun (A Discourse on Tea and Wine). The piece uses personification to set tea and wine against each other in debate, each boasting of its own merits and attacking the other's faults, until water is brought in to reconcile them; the argument unfolds through questions and retorts, with an allegorical and playful flavor. Its lively manner and accessible language draw on everyday food and drink to reflect on usefulness, proper measure, and harmony, which is why it is classed under Eastern philosophy. Given the scant sources, Wang Fu's overall output cannot be examined in detail, yet Cha Jiu Lun, with its ingenious conceits and dialogue structure, remains an intriguing specimen for studying ancient tea-and-wine culture and popular argumentative writing, and offers later readers a clue to the style of such works.
