China is the hometown for tea. Southeast China is the place of origin of tea tree.Shennong ever suffered 72 poisons in trying herb medicines and tea is the detoxifcation for him, which is the earliest record of tea by our ancestors.
Tea attained the prime in Tang Dynasty ,which spread from southwest China through Yangtze River over thousands of years. The unification of the country, the development of traffic and the deepening of economic and cultural exchange between South China and North China have provided outstanding conditions for the production of tea and the promotion of the tea culture.
Song Dynasty is a key period for the great development of tea culture. The continuous development of imperial tea and the investment from the emperor and the high rankings in Song Dynasty replaced the tea culture pattern of Tang Dynasty which was led by the tea farmers and monks.
Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of Ming Dynasty, published a decree to replace the ball tea tribute with the bulk tea tribute, which was an unprecedented action. This replacement led to the diminishing of tea competition and the change of tea drinking. Making tea with hot water, this drinking habit has been kept so far.
The tea culture in Qing Dynasty is much more popular. It began to widespread in the folks, connected with the daily life and etiquette. Tea drinking had become a universal national habit.
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