Many westerners find it interesting that Chinese people always carry a vacuum cup (保温杯) .If you go to a western restaurant, they usually serve you a cup of cold water with ice. And when you ask if they can change to hot water, you may receive a strange look from the waiter or people nearby. Hot water? Seriously?
So hot water VS cold water, which one is better?
By 1930s, the water supplies(供水) was polluted. In order to prevent people from diseases, the government suggested drinking boiled water, because they considered it a way to kill off bacteria (细菌).
People at that time always boiled water and stored it in vacuum bottle to keep it warm for the day. Even now, you can find hot water everywhere, in schools, factories, and offices across the country. While for western countries, many people died of the plague (鼠疫) .They took water quality seriously from then on, so that people can drink water directly rather than boil it.
You may also discover that Chinese people prefer hot meals. Some parents always teach their children to drink hot soup with meals, because they think mixing cold water with hot meals is really bad for the stomach, and cold water may cause digestive (消化) problems, while hot water helps digestion.
According to the eating habits in western countries, they prefer "raw" food, so they also prefer their water "raw". They also like hamburgers and fried food, which are all with high calorie (高热量), so they need cold drinks to cool them off.
Drinking hot or cold water also has something to do with medicine beliefs. In traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese people consider drinking hot water increases blood circulation (循环) and washes away the coldness in one's body, and thus eases pain. However, most westerners believe that drinking hot water may weaken your body. Drinking hot water too often will make your body unable to stand water below your body temperature.
You may find out that there is no answer to this question. The causes are various, so don't feel strange next time you see a Chinese ask for hot water, just show your respect.
①History ②Medical beliefs ③Body structure ④Eating habits ⑤Water system
