第1个回答 2024-03-25
1. The Culture of Tea
China is the home country of tea. Before the Tang Dynasty, Chinese tea was exported by land and sea, first to Japan and Korea, then to India and Central Asia, and, in the Ming and Qing dynasties, to the Arabian Peninsula. In the early period of the 17th century, Chinese tea was exported to Europe, where the upper class adopted the fashion of drinking tea. Chinese tea, like Chinese silk and china, has become synonymous worldwide with refined culture.
At the heart of the tea culture is the study and practice of tea in all its aspects, which is the simple gesture of offering a cup of tea to a guest. This act, for Chinese people today, is a fundamental social custom, as it has been for centuries. China traces the development of tea as an art form to Lu Yu, known as the Saint of Tea in Chinese history, who lived during the Tang Dynasty and who wrote The Book of Tea, the first ever treatise on tea and tea culture.
The spirit of tea permeates Chinese culture, and throughout the country, there are many kinds of teas, teahouses, tea legends, tea artifacts, and tea customs. Better-known places to enjoy a good cup of tea in China include Beijing, known for its variety of teahouses; Fujian and Guangdong provinces, which serve gongfu tea, a formal serving of tea in tiny cups; the West Lake in Hangzhou, also the home of the Tea Connoisseurs Association, noted for its excellent green tea; and Yunnan province in the southwest, where the ethnic groups less affected by foreign cultures retain tea ceremonies and customs in original tea-growing areas.
2. The Chinese Tea Culture
The Chinese people place much significance on the act of savoring tea. Savoring tea is not only a way to discern good tea from mediocre tea but also how people take delight in their reverie and in tea-drinking itself. Snatching a bit of leisure from a busy schedule, making a kettle of strong tea, securing a serene space, and serving and drinking tea by yourself can help banish fatigue and frustration, improve your thinking ability, and inspire you with enthusiasm.
You may also imbibe it slowly in small sips to appreciate the subtle allure of tea-drinking, until your spirits soar up and up into a sublime aesthetic realm. Buildings, gardens, ornaments, and tea sets are the elements that form the ambiance for savoring tea. A tranquil, refreshing, comfortable, and neat locale is certainly desirable for drinking tea.
Chinese gardens are well known in the world and beautiful Chinese landscapes are too numerous to count. Teahouses tucked away in gardens and nestled beside the natural beauty of mountains and rivers are enchanting places of repose for people to rest and recreate themselves.
China is a country with a time-honored civilization and a land of ceremony and decorum. Whenever guests visit, it is necessary to make and serve tea to them. Before serving tea, you may ask them for their preferences as to what kind of tea they fancy and serve them the tea in the most appropriate teacups.
In the course of serving tea, the host should take careful note of how much water is remaining in the cups and in the kettle. Usually, if the tea is made in a teacup, boiling water should be added after half of the cup has been consumed; and thus the cup is kept filled so that the tea retains the same bouquet and remains pleasantly warm throughout the entire course of tea-drinking. Snacks, sweets, and other dishes may be served at tea time to complement the fragrance of the tea and to allay one's hunger.
3. Tea Culture
Chinese tea, known as tea culture, is a integral part of Chinese culture. As one of the seven necessities of life (along with firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea), tea has a long history and holds great cultural significance in China.
Tea culture in China encompasses not only the material and cultural aspects but also the spiritual aspect. It has been deeply rooted in various fields such as literature, art, calligraphy, medicine, and religion.
Lu Yu, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, is considered the saint of tea in Chinese history. His book, The Book of Tea, is the first treatise on tea culture and has had a significant impact on the development of tea culture in China.
Tea culture in China is characterized by its long history, profound connotations, and unique customs. It is a cultural phenomenon that embodies the spirit of Chinese culture and has been passed down from generation to generation.