China is the hometown of tea, the ancients discovered tea after the development of tea culture, tea culture began in the "Shennong tasted all kinds of grass", more than 4700 years ago. To this day, many cities in China still have the custom of tea instead of gifts. As one of the seven things to do, tea drinking was very common in ancient times. Chinese tea culture has a long and profound history, which not only contains the material culture level, but also contains a profound spiritual civilization level. In the new era, we must maintain our love for traditional culture and adhere to the inheritance!
1. The Origin of Tea
It is said that when Emperor Yan of Shennong's body was unwell, he inadvertently tasted a piece of leaf, the flavor is bitter, but he gradually clear mind, toxins are also slowly discharged. So he brought this leaf back to study, and found that it has the effect of detoxification. This is the Qin and Han Dynasties, "Shennong tasted a hundred herbs" recorded in: "Shennong tasted a hundred herbs, the day encountered seventy-two poisons, to get the Tantalum and the solution".
2. The development of tea
During the Western Zhou Dynasty, it was recorded in the Huayang Guo Zhi that tea had been used as a tribute at that time. During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, tea was already used as food, and people had begun to cook and drink fresh tea. During the Western Han Dynasty, folk began to have tea cooking utensils and tea stores, at this time, tea as a commodity began to circulate. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the popularity of "tea instead of wine" between celebrities and scholars began to choose the side of the tea while talking.
The Tang Dynasty, the development of tea culture to its heyday, the types of tea also began to enrich the drinking of tea not only became the daily habits of the Chinese ancient people, foreign scholars also benefited from the Tang Dynasty. There is a saying that tea in the Tang and flourished in the Song Dynasty, it is true. Song Dynasty, up to the court, down to the people, all good tea. Tea culture has developed into a hospitality ritual, when the "fighting tea" began to rise.
Ming and Qing dynasties, Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang abolished the tea group, the rise of tea. Because of the complexity of the process of making tea cakes, and production costs are high, Zhu Yuanzhang that this tea is too extravagant, has always advocated frugality, he ordered to not be allowed to drink tea in this way, but directly to the tea leaves brewing method of tea flavor. Since then, the fried green tea to develop.
After the Ming Dynasty, Chinese tea has been spread to all over the world, the process of baking and frying is mainly made only oolong tea, black tea, black tea, flower tea, green tea, as well as white tea.
Modern times, 1846 to 1886 is the boom period of Chinese tea, tea plantation area continues to expand, tea production continues to increase, and favorably promote the development of foreign trade. 1886 to 1947, China's tea experienced more than half a century of decline. 1950 to the present, due to the government's support and attention to the tea economy towards a stable development path.