Tea culture
China is the birthplace of tea and tea culture. Our ancestors discovered tea more than 4,700 years ago. The cultivation, brewing, and consumption of tea evolved over time to create China's rich tea culture encompassing a diverse range of tea traditions, including tea drinking etiquette; customs, songs, and ceremonies associated with preparing and drinking tea; tea utensils; and tea-inspired art and literature.
An old saying goes: "Firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea are the seven essentials of daily life for or- dinary people". Tea drinking became a popular habit among the general population during the Three Kingdoms (220-265), Western Jin (265-316), and Eastern Jin (317-420) dynasties. Eventually, it made its way to the royal court and was em- braced by the upper class of society. Tea continued to grow in popularity during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and the tea connoisseur Lu Yu (c.733-804) wrote the Classic of tea, the world's first monograph on tea culture. Tea processing methods evolved over time, from steaming tea leaves in the Tang and Song dynasties (618-1279) to steaming loose teas in the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), and then to roasting and dehydration in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The distinction between black tea and green tea did not come about until the invention of black tea during the Qing Dynasty (1616-1911). Today, tea culture has blended into all aspects of social life and tea has become a beloved drink among the people.
Ubiquitous in everyday life, tea is served steeped or boiled in homes, workplaces, tea houses, restaurants, and temples. The values of modesty, harmony, courtesy, and respect are embodied through sharing tea with guests, relatives, neighbors, and friends, contributing to moral and personality development.
Tea has become popular worldwide. Since ancient times, tea and tea culture have served as important means for China to communicate with the outside world. Thanks to the ancient Silk Road and the Tea Horse Road, tea culture spread around the world and is now appreciated by people of many countries. This has facilitated exchanges and mutual learning between world civilizations, as well as contributing to the development of human society. In 2022, China's traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices were included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
茶文化
中国是茶叶的故乡，也是茶文化的发源地。上古时期的先人们发现并利用茶，距今已有4700多年历史。人们在产茶、制茶、饮茶等过程中形成了茶文化，包括茶史、茶俗、茶歌、茶礼、茶具、茶艺、茶文学等。
“开门七件事，柴米油盐酱醋茶。”三国两晋时期，民间已有饮茶的习惯，并逐渐传入宫廷，影响到社会上层人士。到了唐代，饮茶之风更盛，茶文化的集大成者陆羽（约733-804）所著述的《茶经》是世界第一部茶文化专著。从唐宋时期煎茶，元代“蒸青散茶”，到明代“炒青”制茶，再到清代产生红茶、绿茶之分，茶文化融入社会生活的方方面面，成为人们最喜爱的饮品。
在当代，饮茶和品茶贯穿于中国人的日常生活。人们采取泡、煮等方式，在家庭、工作场所、茶馆、餐厅、寺院等场所饮用茶与分享茶。以茶敬客、以茶敦亲、以茶睦邻、以茶结友，体现了谦、和、礼、敬的价值观，对中国人的道德修养和人格塑造产生了深远影响。
茶起源于中国，盛行于世界。自古以来，茶和茶文化便作为中国对外交流的重要媒介，通过古代丝绸之路和茶马古道等向世界传播，深受各国人民喜爱，在世界文明交流互鉴和人类社会可持续发展中发挥着重要作用。2022年，“中国传统制茶技艺及其相关习俗”列入联合国教科文组织人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录。
