Tea is a friend of meditation, keeping the heart immerged in profound tranquility. Tea is wings of imagination, lifting people above the mundane world while remaining clear minded, getting people nearer wisdom rather than losing sanity. Therefore in nearly every Eastern country people have the same habit of drinking tea, because people in the east need this simple but not insipid drink. This is a tradition of life as well as of culture, just like the Eastern wisdom that they admire, which is featured in the spirit of self-reflection.
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China is the homeland of tea, taking a leading position in the planting,producing and drinking of tea. Because of their different producing techniques, Chinese tea is divided into six major types-green tea, black tea,oolong tea, dark tea, yellow tea and white tea. Some people say that green tea, simple and light, stands for the scholasticity of south China; black tea, mild and reserved, is quite ladylike; oolong tea, warm and persistent,resembles the perseverance of gymnosophists; dark tea, with lingering aftertaste, symbolizes the wisdom of the elderly, and so on and so forth.
Preface
Good Tea from Remote Mountain
The Art of Tea-making
Well-known People and Books about Tea
Lu Yu and The BookofTea
Cai Xiang and Record of Tea
Zhao Ji and General Remarks on Tea
Zhu Quan and Guide of Tea
Lu Tingcan and Additional Book of Tea
The Spread of Tea from China
Tea Tax and Tea Trade System
Bartering of Tea and Horse
The Tang-Tibet Road and the Tea-Horse Road
Popularization of Tea Leaves in the World
Lingering Taste of Famous Teas
Green Tea
West Lake Longjing tea
Black Tea
Oolong Tea
Dark Tea
Yellow Tea
White Tea
Nice Utensils for Tea
Tea-Zen Affinity
Tea Ceremony in China
Tea-drinking Customs
Tea with Friends
Tea and Marriage
Interesting Tea Drinking Customs
Elegance in tea cup
Enjoy Tea-time
Appendix: Chronological Table of the Chinese
Dynasties