Once again, we will delve into the daily lives of Chinese citizens, discovering what they do when they are not working, studying or spending time with their families.
In previous editions of the S3 Newsletter we focused on calligraphy, mahjong and the practice of taichi (and martial arts in general).
The fourth most prominent traditional hobby in China is probably the least understood in the West, as it appears very similar to a habit in many European or North American households.
But nothing could be further from the truth: Chinese tea culture is a very different cultural phenomenon and worthy of more in-depth explanations.
Tea culture has its origins in southwest China more than 4,000 years ago and was developed mainly during the Tang Dynasty (about 2,000 years ago).
As a result, it substantially influenced the respective tea cultures in other Asian regions (Japan, Korea, etc.) and also countries that adopted it much later, such as India, Great Britain and Russia.
It is worth noting the importance of the tea ceremony, which is highly valued in China, and the role tea plays in both traditional medicine and Chinese cuisine.
Such is the importance of tea in the culture of the country that many “tea houses” have sprung up, of which there are still several exceptional examples due to their decoration and privileged location.
It is certainly an aspect to take into account for anyone visiting China.
Chinese tea culture on Wikipedia
Source: https://www.pandanese.com/
