Puntogf Antiques.

Chinese Tang Dynasty

The Chinese Tea Culture

Who discovered the Chinese tea

Chinese were the first to discover tea

In the early 17th century, the Dutch East India Company introduced Chinese tea for the first time to Europe. By the mid-17th century, afternoon tea had become a standard ritual of the British nobility. It is interesting to note that the two different pronunciations for "tea" most common in languages that borrowed the word from Chinese-cha and tee-originate from different dialects of Chinese.

Chinese people are believed to have enjoyed tea drinking for more than 4,000 years. Legend has it that Yan Di, one of three rulers in ancient times, tasted all kinds of herbs to find medical cures. One day,as he was being poisoned by some herb he had ingested; a drop of water from a tea tree dripped into his mouth and he was saved. For a long time, tea was used as an herbal medicine. During the Western Zhou Dynasty, tea was a religious offering. During the Spring and Autumn Period, people ate fresh tea leaves as vegetables. With the popularization of Buddhism from the Three Kingdoms to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, tea's refreshing effect made it a favorite among monks in Za-Zen meditation.

Chinese tea as a drink prospered during the Tang Dynasty, and tea shops became popular. A major event of this time was the completion of Tea Classics, the cornerstone of Chinese tea culture, by Lu Yu, Tea Sage of China,. This little book details rules concerning various aspects of tea, such as growth areas for tea trees, wares and skills for processing tea, tea tasting, the history of Chinese tea and quotations from other records, comments on tea from various places, and notes on what occasions tea wares should be complete and when some wares could be omitted.

How Chinese tea is made

Tea is made from the young, tender leaves of the tea tree. The differences among the many kinds of tea available are based on the particular methods used to process the leaves. The key to the whole process is the roasting and fermentation. Through fermentation, the originally deep green leaves become reddish-brown in color. The longer the fermentation, the darker the color. Depending on the length of the roasting and degree of fermentation, the fragrance can range from floral, to fruity, to malty.

Cultivating teapots

The proportion of tea leaves to water also depends on the kind of tea leaves used. The teapot may be filled from one-quarter to three-quarters full with tea leaves, depending mainly on how tightly curled the tea leaves are as a result of the rolling and roasting processes. The teapot is then filled with water. Steeping time starts at one minute, but varies from tea to tea. The time required for subsequent brews from the same leaves must be proportionally lengthened. The best kind of teapot to use for most fermented teas is a purple clay ceramic pot. The size of the pot should be in correct proportion to the size of the cups. Ideally, the cups should have white interiors, to facilitate accurate assessment of the color of the tea.

Types of  tea

Chinese tea may be classified into five types of teas according to the different methods by which it is processed.

Green tea

Green tea is the variety which keeps the original colour of the tea leaves without fermentation during processing. This category consists mainly of Longjing tea of Zhejiang Province, Maofeng of Huangshan Mountain in Anhui Province and Biluochun produced in Jiangsu.

Black tea

Black tea, known as "red tea" (hong cha) in China, is the category which is fermented before baking; it is a later variety developed on the basis of the green tea. The best brands of black tea are Qihong of Anhui , Dianhong of Yunnan, Suhong of Jiangsu, Chuanhong of Sichuan and Huhong of Hunan.

Oolong tea

This represents a variety half way between the green and the black teas, being made after partial fermentation. It is a specialty from the provinces on China's southeast coast: Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan.

About the Author

We are here to share with you our passion for Chinese tea and offer you our finest selection direct from China! Our Chinese teas are all naturally processed, with no additional flavorings, additives or preservatives. Oolong tea is our specialty and our best product.

Two Riders, Chinese, Tang Dynasty $49.99 Two Riders, Chinese, Tang Dynasty - Giclee Print

Rare chinese scroll painting :Tang-Dynasty travel free shop $48.66 Rare chinese scroll painting :Tang-Dynasty travel free shop

China's Southern Tang Dynasty, 937-976 $130 This book is the first in English to provide a comprehensive overview of the Southern Tang Dynasty (937-976). It shows that the Southern Tang was the key Chinese state of this period, preserving cultural values and artefacts from the former great Tang dynasty (618-907) which were to form the basis of the much better known Song dynasty (960-1279).

Chinese Pendants, 17 Carat Gold Plated, Tang Dynasty, 618-907 AD $49.99 Chinese Pendants, 17 Carat Gold Plated, Tang Dynasty, 618-907 AD - Giclee Print

Man Travelling Along the Silk Route,Detail of the Bust, Chinese, Tang Dynasty $34.99 Man Travelling Along the Silk Route,Detail of the Bust, Chinese, Tang Dynasty - Giclee Print

Chinese Poetry of the Tang Dynasty $22.04 No Synopsis Available

Tang Dynasty Tales $43.31 The book provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive survey of the genre of Tang tales in English, including discussions of the numerous Chinese studies from the last decade. Tang Tales itself contains the first annotated translations of these famous s

Masterpieces of the Chinese Qin from the Tang... $13.99 Track Listing: 1. Guangling Melody [Song Dynasty Qin, Chiba/Shakuhachi], 2. Moon Over the Mountain Pass [Song Dynasty Qin, Xiao], 3. Beating Clothes [Yuan Dynasty Qin, Di], 4. Solitary Orchid [Tang Dynasty Qin], 5. Peaceful Evening Prelude [Qing Dynasty Qin, Xiao], 6. Clouds Over the Xiao and Xiang Rivers [Song Dynasty Qin], 7. Regarding Seagulls Without Ulterior Motives [Song Dynasty Qin, Xun], 8. Deep Night [Modern Qin, Big Drum], 9. Dialogue Between a Fisherman and Woodcutter [Ming Dynasty Qin], 10. Three Variations on the Plum Blossom Theme [Song Dynasty Qin, Xiao], 11. Flowing Water [Song Dynasty Qin], 12. Three Refrains on the Yangguan Pass [Song Dynasty Qin, Gongdi/Bow Flute], 13. Moon Over the Mountain Pass [Tang Dynasty Qin], 14. Spring Breeze [Modern Qin, Shougu/Hand Drum]

Tang Dynasty Fortress $24.99 Manfred Gottschalk Tang Dynasty Fortress - Photographic Print

Landscape, Tang Dynasty $39.99 Li Sixun Landscape, Tang Dynasty - Giclee Print

Engraved Dish, Tang Dynasty $49.99 Engraved Dish, Tang Dynasty - Giclee Print

Funerary Statue of a Dancer, Tang Dynasty $49.99 Funerary Statue of a Dancer, Tang Dynasty - Giclee Print

Poetry of the Tang Dynasty with Landscape Painting Folding Bamboo Paper Fan $6.53 Description:Paper and rice starch Folding Bamboo FanLandscape Painting Fan with poetry of the Tang DynastyPainting on fan is Chinese character ( poetry of the Tang Dynasty ) and landscapeSize of the Folding Paper Fan (when opened): 24 x 12 1/2 inches ( W*H ); when closed 12 3/4 x 1 1/4" ( L*W)Weight: 76.8gPackage content:1 x Bamboo Paper Fan

Tang Dynasty Performance, Xian, China $29.99 Adam Jones Tang Dynasty Performance, Xian, China - Photographic Print

Three Hundred Tang Poems $10.08 This new translation of a beloved anthology of poems from the golden age of Chinese culture is a treasury of wit, beauty, and wisdom from many of China's greatest poets.These roughly three hundred poems from the Tang dynasty (618-907) - an age in which po

A Painted Pottery Figure of a Dancer, Tang Dynasty $49.99 A Painted Pottery Figure of a Dancer, Tang Dynasty - Giclee Print

Woman in Tang Dynasty Traditional Costume, China $24.99 Bill Bachmann Woman in Tang Dynasty Traditional Costume, China - Photographic Print

Statuette of Buddha in Meditation, Tang Dynasty, 618-907 $49.99 Statuette of Buddha in Meditation, Tang Dynasty, 618-907 - Giclee Print

Chinese 13-inch Tang Tomb Horse Statue (China) $49.49 This beautifully handcrafted horse is a reproduction of a ceramic Tang dynasty era reliquary statue recovered from an archeological dig in Xian, China. Horses had huge practical and symbolic importance in ancient China. Product Features: Reproduction of a ceramic Tang dynasty era reliquary statue Cast from a heavy black resin Classically proportioned Authentic details with accurate saddle Deep burgundy color with lovely antiqued sand patina Measures 13 inches high x 12 inches wide x 4 inches deep Story Behind the Art:This hand-crafted item and many others come from a third generation family run workshop in mainland China. Their skills of hand-painting, hand-rubbed lacquering and hand-tooling have been passed down for many generations. We are proud to support them in their quest to keep their age-old techniques alive for future generations. Many of the artists are hired out of semi-retirement to work from home training the next generation to become master craftsmen. These masters are highly respected in their craft and their culture which have survived through many Chinese dynasties and continue to produce valuable and desirable pieces for your home decor. What is Worldstock?The handcrafted touch of artisan skill creates variations in color, size and design. If buying two of the same item, slight differences should be expected. Note: Color discrepancies may occur between this product and your computer screen.ImportedShips Carbon Neutral*

Classical Chinese Literature: An Anthology of Translations : From Antiquity to the Tang Dynasty $60.45 No Synopsis Available

Classical Chinese Literature: An Anthology of Translations, from Antiquity to the Tang Dynasty $107.25 No Synopsis Available

A Large Sancai Pottery Camel, Tang Dynasty 7th-10th Century $49.99 A Large Sancai Pottery Camel, Tang Dynasty 7th-10th Century - Giclee Print

Life Sized Statue of the Buddha from the Tang Dynasty Period $69.99 Life Sized Statue of the Buddha from the Tang Dynasty Period - Photographic Print

Tang Dynasty - Pathway | Chinese Heavy Metal