Asia’s Cup of Tea

by Gong Haiying

Along with the time-honored history of tea consumption， Asian countries have established distinctive tea cultures. Asian people strengthen friendships and conduct cultural exchange while drinking and serving tea.

China is the birthplace of tea as well as the cradle of tea culture， which was later spread to other Asian countries and even the world. Dating back to 4，700 years ago， tea first appeared in Chinese plant atlases as herb or vegetable. During the Tang Dynasty （618-907）， tea gradually developed into a daily beverage for the Chinese people. A Chinese proverb says that “firewood， rice， oil， salt， sauce， vinegar and tea are the most common things in life，”which suggests that drinking tea was already a daily routine in China centuries ago.

Over centuries， the Chinese people have fostered a profound and enduring tea culture， with tea providing both thirst relief and improved health. Chinese tea and tea culture have exerted significant influence on Japan， where the tea ceremony remains a popular cultural ritual. During the Tang Dynasty， many Japanese envoys ventured to Chinas Buddhist destinations to study. When they returned to Japan， they brought back tea seeds， tea-planting knowledge and tea-boiling techniques which sprouted into the countrys tea culture that would prosper and evolve into a key spiritual and national characteristic of Japan.

Now a powerhouse of tea production， consumption and exportation， India started to introduce tea seeds from China in the late 18th century. By the mid-19th century， Indias Assam stood out as an important tea-producing region driving the nations tea industry.

Through channels like the Maritime Silk Road and the Ancient Tea-horse Road， tea was spread to other countries in Asia and the world including Nepal and Vietnam. Thanks to constant communication and exchange， tiny tea leaves have kindled profound tea cultures which have prospered based on local cultures and exerted widespread influence in Asia and the world.