Chinese Tea Culture – Thousands of Years of Tradition

China is the cradle of tea. According to legend, tea was discovered around 2737 BC by Emperor Shen Nong – making Chinese tea culture more than 4,700 years old and the oldest in the world. In China, tea has never been just a drink, but always a source of ritual, connection, and refinement.

During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), many teahouses were closed and old traditions discouraged. Yet tea culture survived in the south and west. Since the 2000s, it has been flourishing again and is once more spreading throughout China – and far beyond.

Three historical styles of tea art

Tang Dynasty (618–907)
Tea was ground into powder and boiled with water, often with a pinch of salt. This style is sometimes called the School of Salted Powder Tea.

Song Dynasty (960–1279)
Tea powder was whisked with hot water using a bamboo brush, creating a foamy drink. The goal: to keep the froth standing as long as possible. Known as the School of Foaming Jade.

Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)
Tea was brewed with whole leaves – the beginning of the Gong Fu Cha ceremony (Kung Fu Cha). Especially Oolong tea is central to this style, also called the School of Fragrant Leaves.