Chinese tea history

China is the original habitat of tea (including,green tea,wu long tea (oolong tea),Puer tea,..as the tea tree,the tea tree most early appears in China north west Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Xishuangbanna area. But has a part of scholar to think the tea tree the original habitat in India, the reason is India has the wild tea tree, but China does not have. But they did not know China "Is elegant" in 200 B.C. about center mentioned has the wild big tea tree, moreover also has "the tea tree king". "

Shen Nong Book on Chinese medicine after" is our country first pharmacy monograph, from Warring States when writes, book in circulation in Western Han Dynasty year. This book by the fable form, has collected since the ancient times, the working people long-term accumulation medicine knowledge, including such record: "Shen Nong tastes , the date meets 72 poisons, must kiss but solves it". According to textual research: Here bitter edible plant was refers to the ancient times the tea, the general idea is said that, far in the antiquity time, in fable Shen Nongshi, personally has tasted , in order to discovered had favor the human survival the plant, unexpectedly within one day many times was poisoned. But as a result of takes the tea to be saved. This although is a fable, has the obvious exaggerating ingredient, but also may know, the humanity uses the tea, possibly is from for medicinal purposes starts. According to the inspection, "the tea" the character most early appears in "Hundred Masters Tablets" and "Bosom Sunshine Tablet" center, the time probably in the Tang Dynasty intermediate stage, A.D. 806 years to the A.D. 820 years around, Before this, "the tea" is "the bitter edible plant" expresses with the equivocal character. "The tea" the character basic significance is "the sow thistle", the antiquity time people also lack to the tea knew, merely acts according to its flavor, belongs to it a sow thistle kind, is definitely may understand, when the people realized when to it with common sow thistle's difference and its special function, alone expressed its new character also produced.

The tea and the grain, hold the equally important position. But, "as a result of reason and so on climate, the locality certainly does not produce the tea, the government authorities in order to strengthen the control national minority the strength, adopts to the tea supplies limits the quantity, the direct apportionment means, side achieved in order to" to the tea governs "goal. At the same time, the government authorities not only the control tea supply, Yu also, by the few teas, exchanges the most warhorses, the brotherly nationality brings the serious burden for, this is in the history "the tea horse trades". The tea took one kind of drink, starts from the Tang Dynasty, to spread our country northwest each national minority area, becomes the local lives of the people the essential item, "on first does not have the tea to stagnate, on third does not have the tea to get sick". The tea from invents to the use, has experienced phase of long history, it therefore deeply people's welcome, besides may drink as the drink by the people with, but also because it to the person physical ability the certain health care and the treatment function. Three countries times, Zhuge Liang leads troops to fight up and down the country. Once, had urged the sea the soldier to Yunnan, the soldier because is unaccustomed to the climate, the multi- evils ophthalmopathy, Zhu Zhuliang orders the soldier to pick the tea to drink, soon, cured the ophthalmopathy. Until now, the local people also were called as the tea tree "Kong Mingshu", revered Zhuge Liang was "the tea ancestor".

China is tea tree's original habitat. However, China on the tea industry to humanity's contribution, mainly lay in had most early discovered tea this kind of plant, has first used tea this kind of plant, and developed it forms for our country and Eastern and even the entire world one kind of bright unique tea culture. If our country historical records carry, in unknown drinks in front of the tea, "ancient summer then the potable water, the winter drinks soup", permanently relieves thirst by the lukewarm water unboiled water. As drank take the tea changes the people to drink the unboiled water the vulgar customs, compared the earth to raise people's health standard. As for the tea area Europe and America, was considered "without doubt is the East grants western the best gift", "Europe if does not have the tea and the coffee spreading to of, drinks wine to be surely more excessive", "the tea is unable for humanity's advantage to estimate", "I believe firmly the tea am one of humanity's savior", "am great consoling" and so on. The various countries drinks the tea and the tea production and the trade, except area North Korea, Japan as well as the central Asia, west Asia is around the Tang Dynasty on from Chinese spreading to, other are many is after 16th century, since specially the nearly 200 years only then have spread develop.