LINE

Text:AAAPrint
Culture

In the gene: Hangzhou's tea culture(2)

1
2016-09-06 09:00China Daily Editor: Feng Shuang ECNS App Download
The entrance of the tea museum.

The entrance of the tea museum.

The museum, set among plantations that emanate from surrounding peaks near chockablock teahouses run by farmers, is regarded among China's most beautiful.

Six exhibition halls present the plant's social and scientific dimensions-from history to health, customs to chemicals-with displays that range from early relics to the latest research.

The establishment chronicles how tea drinking emerged from China's southwestern jungles as a medicinal concoction to become the sophisticate's pour of choice-and eventually the world's most popular beverage (after water).

Legend holds that its homeopathic properties were divined nearly five millennia ago by Shennong, a quasi-mythical medicine man sometimes depicted as sporting ox horns.

About 2,500 years later, a monk in Southwest China cultivated the plants in a temple-a trend that spread throughout the nation. Visiting Chinese elite got their first taste during pilgrimages to these places of worship.

Tea retains a spiritual component, and Longjing, in particular, has for centuries been associated with Chan Buddhist meditation.

And it sustains a sacred role in contemplative intellectual pursuits, as painters, poets and artists have incorporated it in their creative processes for centuries.

  

Related news

MorePhoto

Most popular in 24h

MoreTop news

MoreVideo

News
Politics
Business
Society
Culture
Military
Sci-tech
Entertainment
Sports
Odd
Features
Biz
Economy
Travel
Travel News
Travel Types
Events
Food
Hotel
Bar & Club
Architecture
Gallery
Photo
CNS Photo
Video
Video
Learning Chinese
Learn About China
Social Chinese
Business Chinese
Buzz Words
Bilingual
Resources
ECNS Wire
Special Coverage
Infographics
Voices
LINE
Back to top Links | About Us | Jobs | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
Copyright ©1999-2018 Chinanews.com. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.