{"id":381,"date":"2023-10-16T05:24:05","date_gmt":"2023-10-16T05:24:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lbteas.com\/allaboutteas\/?p=381"},"modified":"2023-10-16T05:24:12","modified_gmt":"2023-10-16T05:24:12","slug":"chinese-tea-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbteas.com\/allaboutteas\/chinese-tea-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Chinese Tea History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I. China is the hometown of tea and the birthplace of world tea culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chinese tea culture has a long history, and the utilization of tea has already begun as early as the Shennong era. With the passage of history, tea culture continues to enrich and develop, becoming an important part of Chinese culture. Elaborate on the history, development, inheritance, and cultural connotation of Chinese tea culture<\/a> to demonstrate the unique charm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Medicinal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The discovery and utilization of tea can be traced back to the primitive period. In the “Shen Nong’s Materia Medica”, our country’s first pharmaceutical monograph, there is a saying that “Shen Nong tasted a hundred herbs” and encountered 72 poisons every day, and then solved them in full swing. “The tea is used for medicinal purposes. Chew it raw and take it internally to clear away heat. It can be applied externally to reduce inflammation and detoxify.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Edible<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From chewing raw to cooking, tea leaves can be cooked with food into “tea porridge”, “soup seal”, or boiled, scooped up, and seasoned. Today, the Jinuo people in Yunnan still have “cold tea dishes”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Drinking<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drinking comes from eating, and the journey from eating to drinking is based on the pursuit of the original taste of tea. There is still the custom of drinking tea in modern times. In pastoral areas, tea is mixed with milk and drunk together. In ethnic minority areas, there is Leicha and Camellia oleifera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

II. Origin of Chinese tea culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The discovery and utilization of tea<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In China, the discovery and utilization of tea has a long history. It is said that the first person to discover tea was Shen Nong. According to myths and legends, Shen Nong accidentally discovered tea, and the utilization of tea began. The ancient Chinese regarded tea as a medicine, believing that it had the effects of clearing away heat, detoxifying, and refreshing the mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tea culture before Tang Dynasty<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Western Zhou Dynasty and Eastern Zhou Dynasty<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3000 years ago, tea trees began to be artificially cultivated and used as vegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Qin Dynasty<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2300 years ago, it began to be drunk as tea, boiled, and made into soup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Han Dynasty<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Western Han Dynasty: Before 2000, commercialization began, and Chengdu became the earliest distribution center for tea in our country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eastern Han Dynasty: Around 1500, tea cakes<\/a> began to be made to facilitate transportation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although tea had been utilized before the Tang Dynasty, the development of tea culture really began in the Tang Dynasty. During this period, tea culture was highly praised by the rulers and became a fashion and cultural art. At the same time, the rise of Buddhism and Taoism also promoted the development of tea culture, because tea is considered a drink that can help practitioners maintain a peaceful mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

III. The rise of tea culture in Tang Dynasty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lu Yu and “Tea Classic”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rise of tea culture in the Tang Dynasty is closely related to Lu Yu’s “Tea Classic”. Lu Yu was a famous tea expert in the Tang Dynasty. His “Tea Classic” is an encyclopedia on tea cultivation, production, drinking and culture. The publication of this work marks that Chinese tea culture has entered a new historical stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tea ceremony and zen tea<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Tang Dynasty, tea ceremony and Zen tea gradually developed. Tea ceremony is a cultural form that combines tea making, tea drinking and art. It emphasizes the quality of tea, tea drinking etiquette and atmosphere. Zen tea combines tea drinking with Zen practice, believing that drinking tea can help practitioners maintain a peaceful mind and better understand Zen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IV. The prosperity of tea culture in the Song Dynasty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tea fighting and tea ordering<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the Song Dynasty, tea culture further developed, and tea fighting and tea ordering became popular cultural activities at that time. Tea fighting is to evaluate the quality of tea leaves, while tea ordering is to demonstrate the tea making skills. Both activities added a strong atmosphere to the tea culture at that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rise of the tea trade<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the Song Dynasty, tea became an important trading commodity. With the mass production and export of tea, the variety and quality of tea have also continued to improve. At the same time, the trade of tea has also promoted the exchange and integration of cultures from various places.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

V. The development of tea culture in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expansion of tea production areas<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Loose tea began to appear in the Yuan Dynasty. Among the people, loose tea is the main drink, while cake tea is mainly used by the royal family. The method of brewing tea began to appear, that is, brewing tea leaves directly with boiling water. Laying the foundation for the rise of loose tea in the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang abandoned the tea group and changed it to loose tea, and the crafts of yellow tea, green tea<\/a> and scented tea were successively formed. 300 years ago, Chinese tea was popular all over the world and dominated the world tea market. At that time, only China exported tea. The main techniques were roasting and frying, and produced oolong tea, black tea, scented tea, green tea, and white tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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