During the mid Zhou Dynasty (1122-256BC) China’s three great religions came to be: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism, each embracing tea for its many healthful benefits and powers of rejuvenation. The monks and priests of these religions declared tea to be the “elixir of life,” and that all people should drink it. By the beginning of the Qin dynasty (221-206BC) they had helped spread the word of tea’s many healthful properties far and wide. |
It was under the Qin emperor, Qin Shuhuangdi (r. 221-210BC), with help from the holy men that the greatest number of Chinese citizens heard of, and began to consume tea. It was also under emperor Shihuangdi that China became a unified country, bringing together a number of pre- viously warring states into a single empire, with a single, centralized government.It was also under the Qin emperor that a number of massive building projects were begun. Under his rule remote sections of previously built fortification walls were link- ed together, creating one strong defensive wall, completing what would one day be- come the first stage of the Great Wall of China. |
He also brought thousands of workers from throughout China to construct other massive and elaborate projects, including grand imperial palaces and even his own tomb, complete with thousands of terra cotta warriors, that are famous today.The workers were made to live in compulsory labor camps and during rest periods talked and shared stories of their families and homeland. It was here that workers from the western provinces shared what they knew of this invigorating brew called tea. From there word spread across the empire and everyone who heard of it, wanted to try tea. Around 53BC during the Han dynasty, a Given the title of Master of Sweet Dew by Song Dynasty (960- yellow tea history, with many of China’s majority ethnic groups Under Emperor Gaozu the Han empire was divided into areas directly Yunnan provinces, as well as all the southern provinces Even though tea had become more accessible and popular, its preparation still produced brewing of fresh tea leaves changed.Where the tea leaves had been dried and charred before, now they were steamed to make them soft and pliant, then These changes in processing and firing is said to have eliminated the bitterness, chang- The next great changes to tea and tea drinking were ahead, coming during the refined and sophisticated Tang |