8 tea culture.ppt

Chinese Tea Culture An introduction As is known to all, China is the birthplace of tea. After thousands of years’ developing, Chinese tea culture has formed a complete system, in which the history of tea, elements of tea culture, the Teaism Chadao , customs about tea and other aspects are included. Chinese tea culture is more than what it sounds like. It is a combination of tea art and spirit. People express the spirit through the performance of tea art. It has profound cultural connotation ,which refers to some philosophical significances. The Origin of Tea It is said that tea shrubs were first discovered in the tropical and sub-tropical climate zone in the southwestern part of China, where primeval forests prevailed and the warm and moist setting was favorable for the growth of tea shrubs. Wild tea trees of 2,700 years old and planted tea trees of 800 years old can still be found in the area. Shen Nong Shi, the God of Agriculture, was believed to be the first to discover tea. In his “Book of Herbs”, it says that “Shen Nong shi personally tasted hundreds of species of herbs and he was hit by 72 poisons in a single day. But he used a kind of tree leaves to ease his case and it turned out to be tea tree. “茶之为饮，发乎神农氏。” —《茶经》 “Tea as a beverage originated with Shennong.” —The Classic of Tea “神农尝百草，日遇七十二毒，得茶而解之” —《神农本草经》 Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs; he encountered seventy two poisons daily and used tea as an antidote. The first cup of tea was an accident. Tea gets its name. Tea gets its name From the earliest times tea was renowned for its properties as a healthy， refreshing drink. By the third century AD many stories were being told and some written about tea and the benefits of tea drinking， but it was not until the Tang Dynasty （618 AD - 906 AD） that tea became Chinas national drink and the word cha was used to describe tea. The Spread of Chinese Tea As Buddhist priests start to move around China and Japan， the spread of cultivation and tea drinking