Tea Culture

China boasts a sophisticated tea culture: tea was first discovered and drunk in China several thousand years ago and drinking tea has become a daily habit of the Chinese people.
Just as coffee became a part of daily life in the West, tea became a part of daily life in China. People have high requirements for the quality of the prepared tea leaf, the water they use to brew tea and the wares they use to prepare and serve tea. Normally, the finest tea is grown at altitudes of 3,000 to 7,000 feet (900 to 2,100 meters). Fine water must be pure, sweet, cool, clean, and flowing. Water from good springs is always considered the best, as is rainwater from autumn and the rainy seasons.
Tea Culture includes articles, poems, pictures about tea, the art of making and drinking tea, and some customs about tea. The art of drinking and serving tea plays a major cultural role in China. It inspires poetry and songs. Mutual love of tea cements lifelong friendship. For centuries, the ritual of preparing and serving tea has had a special place in the hearts and minds of Chinese aristocracy, court officials, intellectuals and poets.