Tea Culture

During the War of Resistance against Japan, the central region was occupied. This period of history is a heavy topic for our nation, but for Yunnan, it did indeed receive more attention during that time, with a high density of intellectuals and skilled craftsmen coming to Yunnan, leaving behind many legacies. And Dianhong is among these legacies, a very brilliant gem. Father of Dianhong - Feng Shaoqiu Feng Shaoqiu is known as the father of Dianhong. Those of us who have truly studied and delved into tea appreciation have a different feeling about Feng Shaoqiu. He was a true master. Among the tea makers of his generation, in terms of how to shape the quality of fresh leaves and varieties, and the precise and delicate handling of tea, Feng Shaoqiu was the top person. His combination of theory and practice, his integration of knowledge and action, was at a very high level. Of course, this might be a subjective expression, so let's talk about an objective standard. △Feng Shaoqiu, image source from the Internet When Feng Shaoqiu later went to Shanghai to conduct export inspections, he had a nickname – "Feng Nose." Because with a sniff of a tea, he…

As stated in the book "Newly Compiled Yunnan General Gazetteer: Examination of Local Products - Tea," written in the 1940s, "The name Puer tea holds a special place among Chinese teas, far surpassing those from Anhui, Fujian, Zhejiang, and other regions." Puer tea is a gift from heaven and also one of nature's most generous gifts to humanity. It is a purely natural product that has survived the process of natural selection. As time progresses and technology advances, we should have a deeper understanding and appreciation of Puer tea. Puer tea is a solid-state naturally post-fermented tea. Microorganisms and enzymes invisible to the naked eye participate in the fermentation process, producing secondary metabolites with beneficial biological activity. These substances provide functions such as antibacterial, anti-tumor, antioxidant properties, and promote metabolism in the human body. In line with the conventional thinking of most tea-producing areas in China, if we categorize teas by geographical location, color, or production method, Puer tea cannot be grouped together with them. Puer historically served as a distribution center for Puer tea, unlike teas named after their places of origin like Longjing, Huangshan Maofeng, Xinyang Maojian, and Wuyi rock teas. Some people classify raw Puer tea as…

Since I started drinking tea, I've developed a kind of dependence on it. It's like an addiction that I can't let go of. The word "addiction" generally leaves a bad impression, as in alcohol addiction, smoking addiction, or internet addiction. I love tea, and each person may have their own specific reasons for doing so: the lightness of the tea, its sweetness, its bitterness, its gentleness, or its aftertaste... In the hearts of tea lovers, tea is more than just tea; it's akin to the multifaceted nature of life, depicting different states for different people. Our connection with tea is inexplicable. Among thousands of varieties, those who love tea will have their preferences, but this affection and understanding of tea come from within. Cherish a fine cup of tea, waiting for a kindred spirit. Whenever someone talks about a good cup of tea, my eyes light up, and I don’t miss any opportunity to taste it. In the eyes of tea enthusiasts, every type of tea has its supreme quality, and which one you prefer depends on personal taste and the mood at the moment of tasting. Different teas bring different feelings and understandings at different times. The love for…

Sitting idle over tea on the weekend, feeling a simple satisfaction. Perhaps this is what our predecessors referred to as the clear richness in life. Feelings of happiness, pure joy, and tranquility—savoring a cup of tea purely for its taste. Smell the aroma, take a sip, and feel the tea flowing down your throat into your body. Relax your eyes, your mouth, your ears, your nose, and let your whole being unwind, so you can truly appreciate the flavor of the water and the fragrance of the tea leaves. You might even sense the sunlight, air, and soil that nurtured them. A single cup of tea can bring such contentment. Approach each moment with this contented heart, slow down, clear your mind, relax while drinking tea, and live mindfully. In this moment, the tea reflects your own heart, and what you imbibe is your own experience and perception of life. This is simple, yet real. Tea is an invitation to the surprises of life, and life is a series of beautiful tea gatherings. Through the omnipresent presence of tea in life, find peace within. Slow your breathing and let today's happiness begin with a cup of tea!

White tea, a unique and precious type of tea, is beloved for its delicate taste and rich nutritional value. Originating from China, it carries a long history and cultural heritage. Let's embark on a journey to appreciate white tea and savor its charm and flavors. The history of white tea can be traced back hundreds of years, with a long-standing tradition in regions such as Fujian and Yunnan in China. Initially, white tea was presented as a tribute to royalty due to its rarity and unique quality. Over time, it gradually became part of everyday life, becoming a popular beverage. The production process of white tea is relatively simple yet requires meticulous skill and patience. After picking, the leaves are sun-dried and withered, preserving the natural aroma and nutritional components of the tea. Compared to other teas, the processing of white tea is more natural, without undergoing the steps of fixation or rolling, which allows it to retain higher levels of polyphenols and amino acids. When tasting white tea, one can experience its distinctive flavor and aroma. The infusion has a light yellow color, clear and bright, giving a refreshing feeling. In terms of taste, white tea is characterized by…

Along with the rise and fall of Liubao tea industry, the ancient tea ship route has gone through phases of formation, prosperity, dormancy, revival, and decline, leaving a splendid chapter in China's tea transportation history. The ancient route is vast and time has passed slowly. The development of the Liubao tea industry has undergone changes over several hundred years, and the tea ship route has also gone through a long journey from its formation to prosperity, dormancy, revival, and decline. Today, the Liubao tea industry is experiencing a comprehensive revival, but the ancient tea ship route mostly remains as traces of the past. However, there is no doubt that in the course of history, this ancient route, which coexisted with Liubao tea, has written a unique and splendid chapter in China's tea transportation history. The name "Tea Pavilion" can be seen on a map of Cangwu from the 32nd year of the Kangxi era (1693) of the Qing dynasty. 1. The "Annals of Cangwu County" compiled during the Tongzhi era of the Qing dynasty contains records about Liubao tea. 2. On the attached map of Cangwu County in the "Annals of Cangwu County" compiled during the Tongzhi era of the…

For over a century, Liubao tea has been continuously exported through the ancient tea ship route into Southeast Asia, deeply integrating into the daily lives of local Chinese communities. The September monsoon breezes across the west coast of the Malay Peninsula, adding a cool touch to Malacca's evenings. In front of Wu Kunlun's house, in a simple tea pavilion, more than a dozen tea enthusiasts gather around, savoring the fragrant aroma of Liubao tea, chatting and enjoying each other's company in a harmonious atmosphere. These tea gatherings have continued for over a decade, with most participants being avid fans of Liubao tea. Over the years, they've formed bonds over their shared love for tea, spending time together tasting, discussing, and purchasing tea, with Liubao tea always being the central topic of conversation. For many Southeast Asian tea enthusiasts, the cup of tea holds not just the rich and aromatic Liubao tea but also encapsulates the diverse social dynamics and sentiments of their homeland. Because Liubao tea, through its export along the ancient tea ship route in Southeast Asia, has witnessed the region's changes over more than a century and become deeply ingrained in the daily lives of local Chinese communities.…

Liu Bao tea continued to be exported overseas through the ancient tea boat route, permeating the lives of consumers in Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asian countries, influencing their daily habits. At the same time, overseas consumer markets also propelled the development of the Liu Bao tea industry through the ancient tea boat route, increasing the production of tea in its place of origin and promoting changes in production processes. A single boat crossing vast oceans, the living and the dead uncertain. When countless Chinese workers embarked on ships bound for Southeast Asia with hope and uncertainty, they wouldn't have imagined that a route for exporting Liu Bao tea would be initiated because of them; nor could they have foreseen that the development, transformation, and impact of the Liu Bao tea industry would be so closely tied to this piece of history over the years. In the past one hundred plus years, Liu Bao tea was continuously exported overseas via the ancient tea boat route's overseas extension, seeping into the lives of consumers in Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asian countries, affecting their daily habits. Simultaneously, overseas consumer markets also pushed back through the ancient tea boat route, boosting the…

When you make an appointment with tea, there’s no need to rack your brains for words or get entangled in complex thoughts. Simply silently brew a pot and watch the leaves unfurl... All its experiences are fused into the spreading fragrance and clear tea broth. Though it doesn’t speak, you can understand. Your story, unspoken, seems to be understood by it as well. The life of tea is rich and varied. All things have spirits, and tea transforms all its hardships into fragrance and sweetness, then generously offers them up to the tea drinker. Holding a cup of fine tea, one can perceive joy by simply calming down. Brew yourself a pot of tea. The process of brewing is the most mindful moment, free from ripples and thoughts, only the tranquility of being alone with yourself. Closing your eyes, you can hear the chirping of cicadas and birds. Sipping the warm and fragrant tea, the roaring turns into a gentle breeze in the valley, and the clamor becomes jubilation in the forest. The disturbances in your heart retreat. Once you create distance from these nuisances, it's like finding gaps in a tightly wound ball of string; the solution is not…

A pot of tea, the leaves dancing in water, indifferent to joy or sorrow, not competing for morning or night, not sighing at the passage of time. When we drink tea together, we don’t talk about worldly worries. In this cup of tea, there are countless causes and effects, but we need not delve deeply into them. It seems that everything is predestined, accumulated over lifetimes; all we need to do is pick up our teacups. Our meeting in this life, whether it be during autumn’s ripening or spring’s budding. I brew the tea, you come to drink it, and we talk about how the city’s neon lights, no matter how splendid, can never surpass the simple pleasure of trimming a lampwick during leisure time. It is this moment of tranquility that makes us cherish the present time and life, as if in a cycle, like the tea’s cycle of rebirth. The tea in the cup changes from light to dark, floating and sinking, gathering and dispersing. During each tea-drinking session, my heart calmly accepts these changes, brewing with care and drinking with mindfulness. Drinking tea with friends who love tea involves savoring it slowly until it’s fully appreciated. It…

Abstract: The origin and development of ancient tea culture is an integral part of Chinese tea culture, carrying rich historical connotations and cultural significance, adding a vibrant stroke to the spiritual homeland of the Chinese nation. At the same time, ancient tea culture provides valuable insights for the development of modern tea culture, allowing us to appreciate the profoundness of traditional Chinese culture while savoring the aroma of tea. This article analyzes the historical origins, characteristics of varieties, cultivation techniques, cultural aesthetics, application development, and communication of Chinese tea, illustrating its millennium heritage and contemporary appeal. (Note: Written from a personal perspective; April 2024.) Keywords: Chinese tea; heritage; charm I. Historical Origins of Chinese Tea 1.1 Origin and Development of Ancient Tea Culture The origins of Chinese tea culture can be traced back thousands of years, with its deep historical roots and unique cultural essence forming an important component of the Chinese national spirit. Historical records show that tea was used as a beverage as early as the era of Shen Nong, reaching its peak during the Tang Dynasty. Lu Yu's "Classic of Tea," written during the Tang Dynasty, is the earliest, most complete, and most comprehensive treatise on tea,…

After the mid-Qing dynasty, Wuzhou became an important commercial port along the Xijiang waterway. Part of the Liubao tea was transported upstream from Jiangkou and Doucheng docks in Guangdong, converging in Wuzhou before being sent to major ports in the Pearl River Delta region, forming a new form of transportation and trade for Liubao tea. In the Liubao tea culture exhibition hall of the Wuzhou Tea Factory, there is a cultural wall reflecting the development journey of the Liubao tea industry, displaying many old photos of the factory in its early days. Recently, Mr. Liu Fusheng revisited the Wuzhou Tea Factory and specifically came to this cultural wall, gently touching one of the photos displayed on it. In this photo, workers at the tea factory are pushing Liubao tea packed in large bamboo baskets to the triangular mouth dock next to the factory using wooden carts. He gazed for a long time before speaking: “After the Liubao tea produced by the Wuzhou Tea Factory was transported to the dock, it would be loaded onto cargo ships waiting there, which then carried it batch by batch down the Xijiang to Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, and even further abroad…” Selling Tea at…

As the moon rises above the willows, the Qixi Festival arrives once more, with the Milky Way gently pouring down and starlight shimmering, illuminating a millennia-old love story.On this romantic night, tea is not just a beverage; it becomes a bridge connecting hearts, much like the magpie bridge in the ancient legend of the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid, allowing love to flow endlessly. White tea, elegant and refined, grows on mist-enveloped mountain peaks, drawing the essence of heaven and earth, carrying the spirit of the ages. It is not as fresh as green tea or as rich as black tea, but it has its own serenity and composure, much like the purest form of love—no need for grand words, only quiet companionship through the ordinary days, growing stronger with time. On the Qixi night, brew a pot of aged white tea, and in its amber-colored infusion lies the tenderness of time and the aroma of years gone by. Taking a sip, one can almost hear the gentle footsteps of time, leaving a subtle aftertaste in the mouth, much like the unspoken understanding and harmony between lovers. White tea tells its own story of how "companionship is the longest confession…

Abstract: Through a long historical development, Xinyang Maojian Tea has become a brilliant highlight in Chinese tea culture due to its unique origin and exquisite production techniques. This article analyzes the historical origins, cultural connotations, quality characteristics, production processes, market trends, inheritance, and innovation of Xinyang Maojian Tea, thereby elucidating its history, culture, and modern value. Please note that this is one author's perspective, and errors are inevitable; your indulgence is kindly requested (one person's opinion; April 2024). Keywords: China; Tea Culture; Xinyang Maojian; Historical and Cultural; Modern Value I. Historical Origins of Xinyang Maojian Tea 1.1 Origin and Legends Xinyang Maojian Tea is a type of green tea produced in the Xinyang region of Henan Province, China. There are several stories about the origin and legends of Xinyang Maojian Tea: 1. Legend One: It is said that during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, a tea farmer accidentally fell into a pile of tea leaves while picking them. When he climbed up in fright, he found that his sweat had covered the tea leaves. After roasting these leaves, he discovered that they were bright green in color and delicious, becoming the prototype of Xinyang Maojian Tea.…

Tea is not merely a beverage, but also a way of life and a sanctuary for the soul. When we lift a cup of fragrant tea to our lips and savor it gently, we are not only tasting the flavor of the tea, but also feeling the warmth of life and understanding the wisdom of existence. Drinking tea is an appreciation of its beauty and an artistic expression of life. It is a medium of etiquette that elevates life through tea and a lifestyle that cultivates the self through tea. To each person, tea holds different meanings. From the daily necessities of firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea, representing the ordinary and practical aspects of life, to the poetic symbols of music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, wine, and tea, there is a depth of meaning. In times of thirst and heat, tea is a timely balm, refreshing body and soul. And when we slow down, taking time to enjoy tea in a leisurely manner, feeling the tranquility around us, that is the essence of life. It's important to know that the life you yearn for can be found in tea. A simple life is made pure by…

Unswayed by the allure of the mundane world, one seeks only simplicity and richness within, performing tasks with a tranquil heart. The tea remains the same, but the temperature of the water and the brewing time vary, resulting in different flavors and textures with each brew. Brew tea with heart, letting it warm you from your teeth down to your stomach, permeating your entire being. Savor it quietly, reflecting slowly. Tea has memory, recording the passage of time in its tightly bound leaves. Encountering a good tea is like meeting someone who catches your eye—it requires a fortunate coincidence, and then you pray for perfect timing, neither too early nor too late. Nothing remains constant. Life is always marked by gains and losses, and even the most wonderful things cannot be held onto forever. Even the most painful experiences eventually fade into the past. All experiences are a form of cultivation. Looking back from a distance, we find that they have made us stronger and more clear-minded. When people come together or part ways, it is due to the ebb and flow of fate. Do not cling to sorrow or joy, do not mourn the past or crave the future.…

Tea is the true manifestation of nature. Within every Chinese heart lies a whiff of tea fragrance. This magical leaf has nourished our civilization for thousands of years and imbued us with a gentle, jade-like national character. In the collective taste memory and emotional reliance of the Chinese people, tea remains warm and beautiful. For in a cup of tea, there always exists our utopia, the best way to get close to nature. “Our most intimate contact with the natural environment occurs when we eat it.” British historian Philip Fernando-Armesto wrote this in his book Eating: How Food Transformed Us and Our Human and Global History. If we extend this statement to Pu'er tea, especially ancient tree tea, it couldn’t be more fitting. Industrial civilization and urbanization have distanced us from nature, but only tea retains its true essence, presenting the authenticity of nature amidst steel, concrete, glass, and car exhaust. The Lancang River water, trickling down from the snow-capped peaks, fuses with the land where humans and nature coexist harmoniously in Yunnan, giving birth to this miraculous and delightful leaf. Millions of years ago, nature's magic hand allowed tea trees to thrive along the middle and lower reaches of…

Incorporated into Daily Life Singapore's Guangzhen Tea Shop has been in business for over 80 years, consistently trading in Liubao tea. Soon after opening, workers doing manual labor, such as construction, began purchasing Liubao tea from the shop. Gradually, the group of female workers, primarily Cantonese Chinese, became the main consumers of Guangzhen Tea Shop, according to its manager, Liu Xiufeng, who said, "In the past, much of our Liubao tea was sold to the 'Red Turbans.' Even now, their descendants remain our customers." Purchase contract for Liubao tea signed in 1973 between Guanghui Feng Tea Shop in Malaysia and the Guangxi Branch Company of the China National Native Products and Animal By-Products Import and Export Corporation in Wuzhou. Liubao tea samples sent from Hong Kong to Liang Ruisheng Tea and Cigarette Shop in Ipoh, Malaysia, in 1971. Entering the 20th century, the development of Southeast Asia entered a new phase, with rapid advancements in urban and port construction. Ports in cities like Singapore, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and Jakarta developed at an increasingly faster pace, and many Chinese workers participated in these developments. The second wave of Chinese workers moving to Southeast Asia starting in the 1920s brought large numbers…

At 19:30 on June 18th, the mini opera "Love of the Ancient Tea Tree," a project sponsored by the Yunnan Arts Fund for 2023's small-scale productions and works creation, premiered at the Art Practice Theater of the School of Music and Dance, Kunming University. Photos provided by the performance of "Love of the Ancient Tea Tree" According to the introduction, "Love of the Ancient Tea Tree" uses ancient tea trees as its entry point, adopts the form of a mini opera, and follows a timeline to tell a touching story about the relationship between humans and nature. It aims to introduce more people to Yunnan and its excellent culture shared among multiple ethnic groups. Group photo from the premiere of "Love of the Ancient Tea Tree" (photos provided) The mini opera "Love of the Ancient Tea Tree" tells the story of the Lahu, Bulang, Dai, Hani, and other ethnic groups living together in the lush southwest border region of China. They revere and respect nature, planting tea trees under natural forests, creating ancient tea forests that have thrived for thousands of years over vast areas. This story has been passed down for centuries and, in this new era, resonates with…

Tea, as an integral part of traditional Chinese culture, has been endowed with rich cultural connotations and a variety of elegant names since ancient times. In ancient texts, there are numerous names for tea, but "tea" is the most formal term. Before the mid-Tang Dynasty, the character for "tea" was typically written as "tú," which had multiple meanings, one of which referred to tea leaves. With the flourishing of tea production and the popularization of tea-drinking habits, the frequency of using the name for tea gradually increased. To more clearly express the meaning of tea, folk writers simplified the character "tú," removing one stroke, forming the familiar "tea" character we know today. In the poetry and writings of ancient literati, tea has various nicknames, which not only reflect its diversity but also demonstrate the ancients' love and pursuit of tea culture. Here are some of the nicknames for tea found in ancient poetry: 1. Tú (Tear) "Tú" is the most commonly used character to represent tea in ancient times, first appearing in the Book of Songs. Scholars have differing opinions on whether "tú" refers specifically to tea. Xu Shen, in his "Etymological Dictionary" from the Eastern Han Dynasty, mentions: "Tú,…

Abstract: The development journey of Puer tea is not only a history of the evolution of tea but also a testament to the inheritance of Chinese culture. It bears witness to the Chinese nation's pursuit of a better life and respect for the natural environment. At the same time, Puer tea has become an essential companion for healthy living due to its unique taste and nutritional value. This article analyzes its history and culture, varieties and classification, cultivation and processing, value and benefits, market and prospects, as well as tasting and selection, to explore the path to health through the millennia-old culture of Chinese Puer tea. Please note that this is one person's perspective; for issues regarding images, please contact us for removal (2024.04). I. Historical and Cultural Background of Puer Tea 1.1 Origin and Development of Puer Tea Puer tea, a treasure carrying a thousand years of culture, can trace its origins back to the Han Dynasty when the indigenous people of Yunnan began cultivating and consuming tea plants. However, it was during the Tang and Song dynasties that Puer tea truly gained fame worldwide. According to historical records, by the Tang Dynasty, Puer tea had become a precious…

The formation and development history of tea culture is very long. By the time of King Wu's campaign against the Shang, tea was already being presented as tribute. In the late period of the primitive commune, tea became an item for trade. During the Warring States period, there was a certain scale of tea production. The ancient anthology "The Book of Songs" from the Pre-Qin period has records about tea. In the Han dynasty, tea became a special nourishment for Buddhist "zazen" meditation. In the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern dynasties, the custom of drinking tea had emerged. In the Sui dynasty, tea drinking became widespread among the general populace. During the Tang dynasty, the tea industry flourished; tea became something that "no household could do without daily," tea houses, tea banquets, and tea parties appeared, and the practice of offering tea to guests was promoted. In the Song dynasty, the custom of tea competition became popular, along with tribute tea and imperial tea gifts. In the Qing dynasty, storytelling entered tea houses, and the foreign trade of tea developed. Tea culture was conceived and born alongside the emergence of commodity economy and urban culture. Throughout its history, tea…

The Song Dynasty was a time of abundant brick tea (also known as "tuán chá" or "piàn chá"). Regarding the production techniques of this period's brick teas, apart from the main processes recorded in "Beiyuan Bielu" for tribute teas (picking, sorting, steaming, pressing, grinding, shaping, drying), there was also the "gao you shou mian" technique, which involved adding a paste-like substance to the surface of the brick tea. Although this technique has been widely discussed by Song literati, detailed records of its specific operations are scarce, leading to a lack of systematic research on it within academia. Academic interpretations of "gao you shou mian" have largely focused on Su Shi's poem, "To know the purity of heart is good, not new with paste on the surface," interpreting it primarily as the act of applying paste to the surface of brick tea, with some suggesting it was a method of tea fraud. There are few discussions in academia about the formation of "gao you shou mian," though some trace it back to the Tang Dynasty, but their arguments are not particularly persuasive. The selection of materials for the paste is widely mentioned to include fragrant pastes, rice paste, and occasionally tea…

Many tea merchants viewed Jiangkou in Guangdong and Doucheng as key nodes on the ancient Tea Ship Route, setting up transshipment points to transfer Liubao tea for onward transportation. Summer in Guangdong is punctuated by sudden downpours. In Doucheng Town, Duancheng County, Yunfu City, a heavy rainstorm dispersed the heat of the afternoon. Deng Zhi brewed a cup of Liubao tea at home and began recounting past tales to his guests. Deng Zhi's grandfather and uncle ran Tongfa Long Trading House in Doucheng and Yingji Tea Shop in Liubao Town, Guangxi, respectively. One was responsible for production, the other for sales, controlling the family's tea business until the 1950s. At its peak, other tea merchants would entrust them with the storage and transportation of Liubao tea. When speaking of his family's former glory, Deng Zhi couldn't help but light up. Over 60 years have passed since the main branch of the Tongfa Long Trading House in Doucheng changed hands, rebuilt into a new shop. The Doucheng wharf has also undergone significant changes, but the memories linger in the elderly man's mind... Establishing a Transshipment Point in Jiangkou The Hejiang River, 433 kilometers long, flows through Fengkai County, Zhaoqing City, Guangdong…