"When a guest comes to my home from far away  on a cold night, I light bamboo to boil tea to offer him."
          — Ancient Chinese poem
   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.
   After Ming and Qing Dynasty, tea culture seemed to take on a tendency of returning to the most basics in nature with less people deliberately seeking quality water and less occasions on which tribute tea was blindly elaborated. People paid more attention to and placed more stress on the pure flavor of tea and its inherent taste through which spiritual pursuit could be realized, solace to soul could be obtained and the pursuit for a supreme bourn that human being and nature had been integrated into one entity could be attained
Chinese tea culture
   Chinese tea culture has a long history.Tea culture entered its most prosperous ear in Tang and Song Dynasty, which had evolved into a condition that the fashion drinking tea had extended all over the country and tea had thus won the status as national beverage. And at that moment Luyu who was honored as “ the Saint of Tea” and his masterpiece The Scripture of Tea appeared which promoted the Chinese tea culture to an altitude that had never been previously attained. Those continually emerging eminent figures in the tea industry propelled an intentional pursuit for water, tea, tea set and decoction in tea drinking to such an extreme elegance, perfection, delicacy and sophistication, so much so that in late Tang and Song Dynasty, an extravagant fashion was formed and occurred in tea culture.
      Tea culture is of much elegance. In the contemporary society, tea culture plays a role of enriching cultural and leisure life, promoting the development of tea-related economy and trade, and propelling culture exchange between nations. In the 21st century, tea culture will grow to an even larger scale, involve an even wider range of fields, perform an even stronger function and bring an even closer integration of tradition and modern times which will in turn promote tea culture to an international level
   Chinese tea is part of Chinese culture.Many people likes drinking tea,and a lot of kinds of tea have become famous.Tea has a long history in China.There are a variety of good tea which attract many foreigns.So we must do more to improve Chinese tea and add up more history stories and culture to it.At the same time ,we should prevent some bad tea from damaging the fame of Chinese tea.Only by doing so can Chinese tea become more and more popular and valuable.
    That the fashion drinking tea had extended all over the country and tea had thus won the status asnational beverage. And at that moment Luyu who was honored as “ the Saint of Tea” and his masterpiece The Scripture of Tea appeared which promoted the Chinese tea culture to an altitude that had never been previously attained. Those continually emerging eminent figures in the tea industry propelled an intentional pursuit for water, tea, tea set and decoction in tea drinking to such an extreme elegance, perfection, delicacy and sophistication, so much so that in late Tang and Song Dynasty, an extravagant fashion was formed and occurred in tea culture.
    The Chinese people, in their drinking of tea, place much significance on the act of "savoring." "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 ambience 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.
    The Buddhist monks also began drinking tea in large quantity in order to attain a better meditation on Buddhism. Their study on tea, interpretation of tea and pursuit for tea was completely different from the secular people. With the introduction of religious tinge and Buddhist meditation into the tea culture, a unique phenomenon in the history of Chinese tea culture came forth, that is an integration of tea and Zen.
    Chinese tea can be traced back to 3000 years ago when people knew some herbs smell nice to whet one's appetite. Originally, the Chinese people didn't treat the tea as a valuable thing as functional herbs as medicines did. Gradually, people feel more refresh and more energetic after drinking tea. They realized that this kind of herb was healthy and wholesome. It would act not only as nourish herb,but also as medicine to cure diseasess  
    The recent study shows that dring green tea can reduce the risk of heart attack and cancers. It also can help you lose weight. So in America, powder of green tea, according the regulation, should be added into children' food to prevent them from illness. So Chinese tea is very popular abroad.
   

    knowledge on making tea
       Water quality can affect the tea's taste. Ancient Chinese used spring water from mountains to make their teas. Rain, snow and water from rivers, lakes or streams are suitable for making tea. Tap water, which has too much chlorine, should not be used. Nowadays, purified water and mineral water are used to make tea.
       Water temperature is important. For common green, brown and scented teas, the water should be between 80 C and 90 C. Water used to make famous teas, such as Biluochun and Longjing, should be between 75 C and 80 C. The tea will lose its nutritional value if the water is too hot. For Oolong tea, the temperature should exceed 95 C.

about Chinese tea culture
       Just as coffee became a part of daily life in the West, tea became a part of daily life in China. One can see tea houses scattered on the streets of China . The Chinese have such a close relationship with tea that a cultural phenomenon relating to tea is rising up.
       The Chinese tea Culture includes articles, poems, pictures about tea, the art of making and drinking tea, and some customs about tea.
       Tea plays an important role in Chinese social and emotional life. Tea is always offered to a guest immediately upon entering a Chinese home. Serving a cup of tea is more than a matter of mere politeness. It is a symbol of togetherness, a sharing of something enjoyable, and a way of showing respect to visitors.
       Although there has been an increasing amount of literature about tea in recent years, such literature is certainly not new. During the Song Dynasty, Lu Yu, who is known as the "Tea Sage", wrote the Tea Scripture. This scripture describes in detail the processes of planting tea bushes, harvesting tea leaves, preparing harvested leaves for the brewing of tea. Famous poets such as Li Bai, Du Fu, and Bai Juyi created large numbers of poems about tea. Famous painters Tang Bohu and Wen Zhengming even drew many pictures about tea.
       Chinese prefer pottery wares to wares made of metal or other materials. The best choice is the purple clay wares made in Yixing and Jingdezhen, Jiangsu province. The purple clay of this region gives the wares their internationally-known purple color.