Ten originated in China over two thousand years ago. Today, the country owns over 2,000 varieties of tea, differing in taste, sweet and purpose. Some teas, such as Huang Shan, refresh the sense of taste with their special flavour, while others, such as spicy chai, are added with spices (香料).
China first started exporting tea during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), and the drink has since come to lead humanity's drinking habits far beyond Asia. It is the most widely consumed drink on Earth today, aside from water and coffee.
In Chinese mythology, tea was first discovered by Chinese Emperor Shennong ("Divine Farmer") in 737 BC, when a soft wind carried some leaves into a pot of boiling water. However, the oldest dependable evidence comes from ancient plant remains found in 2016 in Xi'an and western Tibet, showing that tea was grown at least 2,100 years ago during the Western Han dynasty when it was most likely used as medicine.
Generation after generation of tea makers experimented with different brewing (冲泡) techniques, leaves, and ceremonies, resulting in today's tea culture full of life. There's no doubt that China's tea culture has become one of the most popular, diverse, and unique traditions in the world.
China is already the world's largest tea exporter. The inclusion of the country's traditional tea-making process on the UNESCO list will obviously generate practical benefits for tea makers in the country and across the world as more resources are given to protect and preserve such millennia-old tea culture and technical practices. As additional attention is brought to this traditional technique, the Chinese tea sector will further tap its potential and improve its growth.
As one of China's oldest cultural practices, traditional tea processing techniques show the spirit of modesty (谦逊), peace, and comity (礼让). No matter your preference for green or dark tea, with milk or without, Chinese tea isn't just brews. Instead, it is a bridge connecting different cultures and peoples.
