Birth of Tea

The history of tea can be traced back 5,000 years when the legendary Chinese emperor, Shen Nong discovered this popular drink. The story of his discovery is surprisingly similar to how Isaac Newton discovered the Law of Gravity. Legend has it that one summer day, Shen Nong visited a distant region of his realm and while he rested under a tree with his retinue, servants boiled water for them to drink. A few dried leaves from the tree coincidentally fell into the boiling water - out of curiosity Shen Nong drank the fragrant brown water. The flavor was so delicious that he knew immediately what to do - a little like the apple falling on Newton's head.
There is another account about the discovery of tea and it also centers on Shen Nong. Apart from being an emperor, Shen Nong is also said to have been the first medical practitioner. He taught people how to cure their diseases and collected his prescriptions in a book called the Materia Medica of Shen Nong. He was believed to have tasted hundreds of the local herbs. Once while experimenting, he ate a golden-green colored herb and died of its poison. Luckily the spot he died on was right under the tea tree, and coincidentally the water dripping down from the tea tree fell into his mouth. The water had flowed over the tealeaves and absorbed some of their healing power - transforming into an elixir of life. Fortunately Shen Nong was restored to life when the water entered his body.
Tea drinking may have started with an emperor, but the monks weren't far behind. In the Southern and Northern Dynasties (317-589 AD), when Buddhism was popular in China, meditating monks would drink tea to keep themselves awake. From the Buddhist temples, the cultivation and drinking of tea gradually became widespread. By the time of the Tang Dynasty (618-908 AD), tea drinking had become fashionable among scholars and poets who would often employ tea as a theme in their writing. During this period The Book of Tea was written by Lu Yu and was the world's first thesis on the art of tea! Later, people even called Lu Yu the "God of Tea."
Of course the tea we use these days isn't simply dried leaves that fall from trees and even if tea does have a medical value - resurrecting the dead probably isn't one of them. However, a few things do seem clear from the stories - the beginning of tea is closely related to the legendary Shen Nong, tea was recognized very early on as a beneficial plant, and there is little question that China was the first nation in the world to cultivate and drink tea. Actually, it was only in the latter half of the 16th century that Chinese tealeaves were taken to Europe .
Tea Custom
If you have ever had yum cha with Chinese friends, you may have seen them tapping the table lightly with their fingers while somebody else pours tea in their cups. You might also feel puzzled to see people putting the lid of the teapot on top of the teapot mouth. Like nearly everything in China, there is a story behind these actions that speaks to a moral lesson.
Table Tapping
Tapping actually represents thankfulness. It was said that once, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1710-1799) made a tour of his domain disguised as a commoner. During this time, emperors rarely left the palace and having a chance to be among their subjects was truly extraordinary. As many gentleman of his age would have done, he headed to a teahouse - only he was dressed as a restaurant attendant. Usually, when subordinates approached the Emperor, they would perform kowtow (knocking their head on the ground to show respect to the Emperor high above), but now, the Emperor served them himself. A clever imperial bodyguard then thought of using his finger to tap the table to mimic his usual kowtow. He kept the Emperor's real identity hidden and, most importantly, showed his respect and thankfulness to the Emperor. Even now, people do this to express their gratitude for other people's kindness for offering them tea.
Teapot Lid Treatment
Similar to the above story, an emperor made a tour in his kingdom and again rested in a teahouse. This time, it was the restaurant attendants who served him. When the attendant went over to the Emperor's table and opened his teapot to see whether a water refill was required, a bird flew out of the pot! He didn't know that the Emperor had hidden his beloved pet in the teapot. No doubt the Emperor was very angry and to avoid this happening again, the restaurant attendants requested the tea drinkers open their teapot lids themselves when they needed more water.
These stories may not be actual historical references but we can still derive some meaning behind the curious teatime habits .
Tea Drinking Styles Yum Cha
In southern China, especially Guangdong province, tea drinking takes on a whole new meaning. Although people commonly called it yum cha, which literally means "drinking tea," the focus is not the quality of the tea but the quality of the conversation. Indeed, tea drinking is only a background for lively eating and chatting - dish after dish of small dumplings called dim sum flow across the table. Friends and families sit together and share tea rather than ordering their own pots. The only real guideline is that one must never pour their own tea first. As a sign of respect and politeness, they always serve others before refilling their own cup.
The environment of these tea restaurants is nearly the opposite of the teahouses - they are always filled with lively conversation. Many Chinese people go to yum cha in the early morning or afternoon - almost never for an evening meal. However, different trends are always evolving and in some areas of Guangzhou (across the border from Hong Kong) the trend of night tea has been developing recently. After finishing dinner at home, people go to yum cha to meet up with friends and neighbors. The tea drinking style in different regions has been constantly changing and developing but the core of devotion for tea seems everlasting.