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Chinese tea refers to tea leaves which have been processed using methods inherited from mainland China. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Tea leaves in a Chinese gaiwan. ...

Tea leaf selection

The highest grade white tea, yellow tea and green tea are made from tender tea shoots picked early Spring. These young tea shoots may consist of a single terminal bud, a bud with an adjacent leaf or a bud with two adjacent slightly unfurled leaves. It is generally required that the leaves are equal in length or shorter than the buds. Bai Hao Yinzhen from Fuding in Fujian Province, widely considered the best grade of white tea Bai Mu Dan, widely considered to be the second grade white tea White tea is tea made from new growth buds and young leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis. ... Junshan Yinzhen, a Chinese Famous Tea Yellow tea usually implies a special tea processed similarly to green tea, but with a slower drying phase. ... Green tea (绿茶) is tea that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. ...

The more oxidised tea such as red tea or oolong tea are made from more matured leaves. The Anxi Tieguanyin, for example, is made from one bud with two to four leaves. Red tea may refer to: A type of tea known by Westerners as Black tea and made from the completely oxidized bud leaves of Camellia sinensis. ... Alternate meanings: Oolong (disambiguation) Oolong (烏龍 wūlóng in the Mandarin Pinyin romanization) is a traditional Chinese type of tea somewhere in between green and black in oxidation (traditionally but improperly called fermentation) time. ... Tieguanyin is a premium variety of Chinese oolong tea associated with Anxi in the Fujian province. ...

Not all high grade green tea is made from tender tea shoots. The highly regarded green tea Liu An Gua Pian is made from more matured leaves. Lu An Guapian tea (六安瓜片) is a Green tea from Anhui designated as a China Famous Tea. ...

Traditionally these tender tea shoots are picked before 5 April, or Qing Ming Jie. The standard practice is to start picking when 5% of the garden is ready, or when the tea buds reach certain size. In some tea gardens, tea shoots are picked daily, or every 2 days. Qing Ming Jie (Chinese: 清明節; Hong Kong Ching Ming Festival; pinyin: qīng míng jié), literally Pure Brightness Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival/holiday on the 106th day after the winter solstice, occurring on April 4 or April 5 of the Gregorian calendar (see Chinese...

Modern tea production

Chinese Tea history

The varieties of Chinese tea are extensive with many different types grown during each Chinese dynasties in China. China is the worlds oldest continuous major civilization, with written records dating back about 3,500 years and with 5,000 years being commonly used by Chinese as the age of their civilization. ...

Tea plants originated in China, although the ancient Chinese first used them for medical purposes, before developing it into a drink (tea), to this day known for purging the digestive track of 'toxins'. Later the Chinese learned to grow tea plants and use their leaves to make various types of tea.

The Tang Dynasty

A list of the differing grades of tea grown in the Tang Dynasty: For the band, see Tang Dynasty (band). ...

• Premier Grade Tea: Xiazhou, Guangzhou, Huzhou, Yuezhou, Pengzhou.
• Second Grade Tea: Jingzhou, Ranzhou, Changzhou, Mingzhou.
• Third Grade Tea: Shouzhou, Hangzhou, Muzhou, Hengzhou, Taizhou, Xuanzhou, Yiazhou, Luzhou.
• Fourth Grade Tea: Jinzhou, Lianzhou, Huangzhou, Sozhou, Yunzhou, Hanzhou, Meizhou.

Tea dates back to the West Zhou Period in ancient China, when the Chinese used tea as offerings. Since then, tea leaves were eaten as vegetables, used as medicine, and finally, in the Han dynasty, people boiled the leaves in water, and this new drink became a major commodity. There are almost an infinite number of different kinds of tea, but the three most basic categories are green tea (non-oxidised), oolong tea (semi-oxidised) and black tea (fully oxidised). These teas are usually all made from the same type of plant, the “Camellia Sinensis”, although some teas are flavored with other plants and flowers. Guangzhou is the capital and the sub-provincial city of Guangdong Province in the southern part of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Huzhou City (hanzi: 湖州市) in northern Zhejiang Province in China, it is located on Taihu lake (太湖). It covers an area of 5,817 km² and has a population of over 2. ... Pengzhou is a town in China, near Chengdu and Deyang. ... Green tea (绿茶) is tea that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. ... Alternate meanings: Oolong (disambiguation) Oolong (烏龍 wūlóng in the Mandarin Pinyin romanization) is a traditional Chinese type of tea somewhere in between green and black in oxidation (traditionally but improperly called fermentation) time. ... Binomial name Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze Camellia sinensis is one of the two major varieties or strains of the tea plant, the plant species whose leaves and leaf buds are used to produce tea (The other being Camellia Assamica). ...

Tea is made through a very long and delicate procedure where young tea leaves are picked, steamed or pan fried, then dried and sifted, and finally distributed to wherever they need to go. The flavor of tea varies depending on how it is prepared.

Many people drink tea because of its health advantages. Tea promotes digestion, is rich in vitamins, and brings a feeling of relaxation when you drink it.

Overall, tea is consumed more than any other drink besides water worldwide.

The Song Dynasty

Tea was an important crop during the Song Dynasty. Northern Song in 1111 AD Capital Kaifeng (960–1127) Linan (1127–1279) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy History  - Zhao Kuangyin taking over the throne of the Later Zhou Dynasty 960  - Battle of Yamen; the end of Song rule 1279 Population  - Peak est. ...

In the History of the Song Dynasty tea farms covered 242 counties. This included expensive tribute tea; tea from Zhejiang and Fujian provinces, where some was exported to Southeast Asian and the Arab countries. Northern Song in 1111 AD Capital Kaifeng (960–1127) Linan (1127–1279) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy History  - Zhao Kuangyin taking over the throne of the Later Zhou Dynasty 960  - Battle of Yamen; the end of Song rule 1279 Population  - Peak est. ... Zhejiang (also spelled Chehkiang or Chekiang) is an eastern coastal province of the Peoples Republic of China. ...   (Chinese: ; pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Fu-chien; Postal map spelling: Fukien, Foukien; local transliteration Hokkien from Min Nan Hok-kiàn) is one of the provinces on the southeast coast of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Location of Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is a subregion of Asia. ... The Arab states include 22 countries spanning Asia and Africa. ...

In the Song Dynasty, tea started to be pressed into tea cake, some embossed with patterns of the dragon and the Phoenix and was called exotic names including: A compressed tuo of Xiaguan Te Ji pu-erh. ... For other uses, see Dragon (disambiguation). ... The phoenix from the Aberdeen Bestiary. ...

Large dragon tea cake

Large Dragon tea cake, Small Dragon tea cake, Surpass Snow Dragon ball cake, Fine Silver Sprout, Cloud Leaf, Gold Money, Jade Flower, Inch of Gold, Longevity Sprout, Eternal Spring Jade Leave, Dragon in the Clouds, Longevity Dragon Sprout, Dragon Phoenix and Flower, Eternal Spring Silver Sprout. Download high resolution version (662x883, 81 KB)Song dynasty big dragon cake File links The following pages link to this file: Chinese tea ... Download high resolution version (662x883, 81 KB)Song dynasty big dragon cake File links The following pages link to this file: Chinese tea ... Tea Bricks are blocks of whole or finely ground tea leaves that have been packed in molds and pressed into block form. ... Chinese dragon (spelled Long, Loong or Lung in transliteration), is a mythical Chinese creature that also appears in other East Asian cultures, and is also sometimes called the Oriental (or Eastern) dragon. ...

The Ming Dynasty

Ming dynasty scholar 文震亨 Wen Zhenheng's book 长物志 Zhang Wu Zhi (On Superfluous Things) chapter 12 contains description of several famous Ming dynasty tea: For other uses, see Ming. ... Wen Zhenheng (Chinese: 文震亨 ) (1585-1645 AD) was a Ming dynasty scholar, painter, landscape garden designer, and great grandson of Wen Zhengming, a famous Ming dynasty painter. ... For other uses, see Ming. ...

Tiger Hill Tea and Heaven Pool Tea

During this time Tiger Hill Tea was purportedly developed as (still) the finest tea in the world, however, the production quantity was rather small, and growing is regulated by the Chinese government. Some, however, consider its taste to be second to Heaven Pool tea. Zhen Heng.

Jie Tea

Jie Tea from Chang Xing of Zhejiang is superb and highly regarded, though rather expensive. Zhejiang (also spelled Chehkiang or Chekiang) is an eastern coastal province of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Those from Jing Qi find it is slightly inferior.

NB: "Jie" is the short hame for "Luo Jie". Luo Jie was the name of a mountain bordering Zhejiang and Jing Qi (in the Ming dynasty), where "jie"-- meant boundary. Chang Xin was south of Luo Jie mountain, Jing Qi was north of Luo Jie. Chang Xin retains its name till today. For other uses, see Ming. ...

Luo Jie tea from Gu Chu mountain in Chang Xing county in Zhejiang was also known as Gu Chu Voilet Shoot. Gu Chu Voilet Shoot had been imperial tribute tea since the Tang dynasty for nearly nine hundred years until the middle of the Qin dynasty. Gu Chu Voilet Shoot was revived again in the seventies as a top grade tea in China. Zhejiang (also spelled Chehkiang or Chekiang) is an eastern coastal province of the Peoples Republic of China. ... For the band, see Tang Dynasty (band). ... Qin empire in 210 BC Capital Xianyang Language(s) Chinese Religion Taoism Government Monarchy History  - Unification of China 221 BC  - Death of Qin Shi Huang 210 BC  - Surrender to Liu Bang 206 BC The Qin Dynasty (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Chin Chao) (221 BCE - 206 BCE) was preceded...

NB. Jin Qi is now called Yi Xin township. Jin Qi tea was also known as Yang Xian tea. Ruo Leaves are leaves from Indocalamus tessellatus bamboo. The leaf is about 45 cm long.

Liu An Tea

"Liu An" tea is used for Chinese medicine, although if it is not baked right, it cannot let out its aroma and has a bitter taste. The inherent quality of this tea is actually quite good. Wen Zhenheng Traditional Chinese medicine shop in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. ...

Note: Liu An is a county in Anhui. Liu An tea is still produced from Liu An county in Anhui province in China. The Liu An tea from the Bat Cave of Jin Zai county is of superior quality, as thousand of bats in the cave can provide an ideal fertilizer for the tea plants.

Song Luo Tea

Song Luo tea is manufactured at Song Luo mountain located north of Xiu Ning township in An Hui proovince in China. The tea farms are scattered between a height of six to seven hundred meters on the mountain. Lyskamm, 4 527 m, Pennine Alps A mountain is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain in a limited area. ...

There is no real Song Luo tea outside an area of a dozen mu* and only one or two families possess the refined skill to prepare Song Luo tea. Recently the tea hand baked by mountain monks is even better. A Roman Catholic monk A monk is a person who practices monasticism, adopting a strict religious and ascetic lifestyle, usually in community with others following the same path. ...

Genuine Song Luo tea is produced at the foot of the Dong Shan (Cave Hill) and on top of the Tian Chi (Heaven Pool), highly treasured by people in Xin An county. It is also a favourite for the people of Nan Du and Qu Zong counties, due to its ease in brewing and intense aroma.

• One mu = 667 square meter.
  • Xiu Ning county is now in An Hui province.

Dragon Fountain Tea and Eyes on Heaven Tea

Long Jin and Tian Mu may match Heaven Pool tea due to the weather in their growing regions. Because the cold season comes earlier to the mountains, there is abundant snow in the winter, hence the tea plants germinate later. [Wen Zhenheng] In a botanical sense, germination is the process of emergence of growth from a resting stage. ...

Long Jin tea is manufactured in the West Lake district in Hangzhou city, China. There is a Longjing (Dragon Fountain) on the Feng Huang mountain. Tian Mu mountain is located in Lin An county in the north west of Zhejiang province. There are two peaks of fifteen hundred meter height, each with a pond on top filled with crystal clear water, look like a pair of eyes, hence the name of Eyes on Heaven. Longjing is a famous variety of green tea from Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China where it is produced mostly by hand and has been renowned for its high quality. ... Zhejiang (also spelled Chehkiang or Chekiang) is an eastern coastal province of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Variety of Tea

• Green tea
• Red tea
• White tea
• Black tea
• Oolong tea
• Pu-erh tea
• Flower tea
• Yellow tea
• Pressed tea
• Quick tea
• Medicinal tea
• Kudin tea

Green tea (绿茶) is tea that has undergone minimal oxidation during processing. ... Red tea may refer to: A type of tea known by Westerners as Black tea and made from the completely oxidized bud leaves of Camellia sinensis. ... Bai Hao Yinzhen from Fuding in Fujian Province, widely considered the best grade of white tea Bai Mu Dan, widely considered to be the second grade white tea White tea is tea made from new growth buds and young leaves of the plant Camellia sinensis. ... Black tea Black tea is more oxidized than the green, oolong and white varieties; all four varieties are made from leaves of Camellia sinensis. ... Alternate meanings: Oolong (disambiguation) Oolong (烏龍 wūlóng in the Mandarin Pinyin romanization) is a traditional Chinese type of tea somewhere in between green and black in oxidation (traditionally but improperly called fermentation) time. ... Pu-erh or Puer tea (Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese: 普洱茶; pinyin: pǔěr chá, Cantonese pou2 lei5 (bou2 lei5) or pou2 nei5 (bou2 nei5) tea (Jyutping romanization)) is a type of tea made from a large leaf variety of the tea plant Camellia sinensis and named after Puer... Junshan Yinzhen, a Chinese Famous Tea Yellow tea usually implies a special tea processed similarly to green tea, but with a slower drying phase. ... A compressed tuo of Xiaguan Te Ji pu-erh. ... All teas that are used primarily for medicinal purposes, or which are used for means of preserving or maintaining health, or healing illnesses; or preventing illnesses. ... Ku Ding tea is a particularly bitter-tasting Chinese tea which is derived from two source materials: the wax tree species Ligustrum, and most commonly, the holly species Ilex (typically, the Ilex kudincha plant). ...

See also

• Chinese tea culture
• History of tea in China
• Tea Classics
• Tea

Turning the cups in a Chinese tea ceremony Chinese tea culture refers to the methods of preparation of tea, the equipment used to make tea and the occasions in which tea is consumed in China. ... This article is about teas history in China. ... // Chinese Tea Classics Tea as a beverage was introduced to China no later than the fifth century BCE. The earliest extant mention of tea in literature is in the Shih Ching or Book of Changes, written circa 550 BCE. Although the ideogram used (Tu) also can designate a variety of... Tea leaves in a Chinese gaiwan. ...

References

• The Chinese Green Tea Crown Jewel
• Wen Zhen Heng: On Superfluous Things, Zhang Wu Zhi
• Translated by Gisling from Wen Zhenheng: Zhang Wu Zhi