Tea History

It is believed that tea-shrubs existed in China as early as five to six thousand years ago. Human cultivation of tea plants dates back to over two thousand years. Tea, silk and porcelain began to be known to the world over a thousand years ago and have been an important Chinese export product ever since. At present, tea is grown in more than fourty countries all over the world. Asian countries produce 90% of the world's total output. All tea trees have their origin directly or indirectly in China.
According to Chinese mythology, the tea story begins in 2737 BC when the Chinese Emperor, Shen Nung, scholar and herbalist, sat beneath a tree while his servant boiled drinking water. A leaf from the tree dropped into the water and Shen Nung decided to try the brew. The leaf came from a wild tea tree.

From the earliest times tea was renowned for its properties as a healthy, refreshing drink. By the third century AD many stories were being told about tea and the benefits of tea drinking, but it was not until the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 906 AD) that tea became China's national drink and the word ch'a was used to describe it. Taoists and Buddhist monks did much to promote tea and helped to give tea drinking a special, spiritual meaning. As Buddhist priests started to move around China and Japan, the spread of tea cultivation and drinking followed them.

The Indian and Japanese legends both attribute tea to Boddhidharma, the devout Buddhist priest who founded Zen Buddhism. The Indian legend tells how in the fifth year of a seven year during sleepless contemplation of Buddha he began to feel drowsy. He immediately plucked a few leaves from a nearby bush and chewed them, which dispelled his tiredness. The bush was a wild tea tree.
Arabs are alleged to be the first to mention tea outside China and Japan. They are said to have brought it to Europe via the Venetians circa 1559. To deepen this mystery of ‘tea travel', the Portuguese and the Dutch also claim the credit of bringing tea and tea drinking to Europe.

The Portuguese opened up the sea routes to China, some say as early as 1515. Sailing Jesuit priests brought the tea drinking habit back to Portugal, while the sailors manning the ships encouraged the Dutch merchants to enter the tea trade. Subsequently a regular shipment of tea to ports in France, Holland and the Baltic coast was set up in 1610. England entered the trade via the East India Company, or the John Company as it was known, in the mid to late 17th Century.

The first book on tea "Ch"a Ching", circa 780 AD, was written by the Chinese author Lu Yu. It comprises three volumes and covers tea from its growth through its making and drinking, to famous early tea plantations and historical summary. There are many illustrations of tea making utensils and some say that the book inspired Buddhist priests to create the Japanese tea ceremony.

In China's history, tea was not only a drink for people's daily lives, but also played an important role in the country's political and economical system. There were many important policies and events regarding the trading of tea. When tea was later introduced to the world, events which might have had a profound effect on the world's history took place.

Link to Chinese Tea Culture Online Museum" http://tea.timzhao.com/CTCOM/history/history.php
Tea history in dynasties