A journey through the history of tea
Tea is the national drink of the Chinese civilization. It began with the legend of Shennong, gained prominence during Duke Zhou’s era, flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and reached its zenith in the Song Dynasty. Today, it has become a globally cherished health beverage.
As the birthplace of tea, China has shared this treasure with the world – from tea cultivars to cultivation techniques, from processing methods to drinking customs, they all have their roots in Chinese tradition.
For the Chinese people, tea serves as a medium for friendship, a vessel for virtue, and a pursuit of harmony, respect, integrity and beauty. Tea opens a gateway between nature and the human spirit, blending seamlessly into Chinese life with its unassuming charm. For millennia, it has quietly nourished generations of Chinese people while profoundly influencing global lifestyles and the pursuit of world peace.
Tea is the national drink of the Chinese civilization. It began with the legend of Shennong, gained prominence during Duke Zhou’s era, flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and reached its zenith in the Song Dynasty. Today, it has become a globally cherished health beverage.
As the birthplace of tea, China has shared this treasure with the world – from tea cultivars to cultivation techniques, from processing methods to drinking customs, they all have their roots in Chinese tradition.
For the Chinese people, tea serves as a medium for friendship, a vessel for virtue, and a pursuit of harmony, respect, integrity and beauty. Tea opens a gateway between nature and the human spirit, blending seamlessly into Chinese life with its unassuming charm. For millennia, it has quietly nourished generations of Chinese people while profoundly influencing global lifestyles and the pursuit of world peace.
Tea travels the world
During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian pioneered the ancient Silk Road, guiding tea merchants westward. For thousands of years thereafter, tea remained one of China’s primary exports. Historical records indicate that prior to 1886, China virtually monopolized the international tea market as the sole supplier, leading global health, diverse tea-drinking customs and related industries. Consequently, tea became one of the world’s three major beverages. Branched into Overland and the Maritime Tea Routes, primarily utilizing Huangpu Port, tea’s journey flowed.
Tea shakes the world
For millennia, tea produced throughout the country has traveled via the inner rivers and ancient post roads, traversing mountains and valleys to reach the Guangzhou Thirteen Hong, and then continuing its journey to the world through here. During the Song Dynasty, maritime trade flourished, attracting traders from over fifty countries to Guangzhou. Tea enriched Guangzhou’s prosperity and after the 17th century, tea followed the footsteps of the British Empire, becoming the world’s choice of beverage. As so called “green gold”, tea prompted and witnessed the communications between modern nations.
Tea affairs in the greater bay area
In 1498, Vasco da Gama’s opening of the sea route between Europe and Asia marked a turning point in global trade, allowing Europeans to participate directly in maritime exchanges along the Maritime Silk Road. During the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing dynasty, Guangzhou became a key distribution hub for goods traded via the sea, thanks to the flourishing maritime commerce. The Canton Thirteen Hongs, a government-licensed merchant guild, monopolized China’s tea exports and established a comprehensive system from procurement to maritime transport. Chinese tea was shipped from Guangzhou’s Huangpu Port to Europe and the Americas, making the city a global center of tea trade in the 18th and 19th centuries.
This commercial boom catalyzed the development of tea culture in Guangzhou. Tea stalls and teahouses emerged along the port, transforming tea drinking from a domestic ritual into a vibrant part of urban life. As Cantonese immigrants moved southward, tea-drinking customs spread to Hong Kong by the mid-19th century, where teahouse culture took root alongside the rise of Cantonese dim sum. In response to growing market demand, Guangdong industrialized the fermentation process of ripe Pu’er tea in 1957. Its rich red hue and grease-cutting qualities made it a popular choice in Hong Kong teahouses.
Throughout history, the Greater Bay Area has leveraged its coastal location and trade networks to serve as a gateway for Chinese tea culture to the world. From da Gama’s pioneering voyages to the Thirteen Hongs’ trade system and the innovation of ripe Pu’er processing, the region has remained a vital link in the global transmission and evolution of Chinese tea heritage.
Tea and health
The Panacea: Tea’s Health Value
The potential health benefits of tea have been extensively studied. Since the 1960s, researchers have employed cellular experiments, animal models, and epidemiological investigations to systematically characterize over 1,500 identified compounds in tea. Among these, tea polyphenols, caffeine, and theanine are the most representative functional components.
Tea polyphenols, one of the main functional components of tea, are most notable for their antioxidant properties.
Catechins, a type of flavonoid, dominate the polyphenols in tea, with over 20 types of catechins identified, the most abundant being EGG.
Research on cells and animals has shown that tea polyphenols have effects such as anticoagulation, antibacterial properties, and the ability to regulate lipid metabolism. They have been found to prevent and inhibit conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and breast cancer, even contributing to wound healing and the prevention of oral diseases.
The purine alkaloids in tea mainly include caffeine, theobromine, and theanine. Among them, caffeine is easily soluble in hot water and serves as a key component in forming the taste of tea. It has the effects of strengthening the heart, diuresis, and refreshing, while also promoting the secretion of stomach acid.
The free amino acids in tea are the primary substances that give tea its fresh taste. Tea contains at least 25 amino acids, including 6 of the 8 essential amino acids required by the human body. Theanine and glutamic acid are the main amino acids in tea, which provide protective effects against ischemic brain injury. Additionally, theanine has been shown to have pharmacological effects, such as alleviating stress, acting as an antidepressant, and potentially preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
Six major types of tea
| Component Characteristics | The polyphenols undergo enzymatic oxidation, resulting in the highest levels of theaflavins and thearubigins. The polyphenols and soluble sugars are low, and free amino acids are the lowest. The taste is sweet, mellow, and rich, with a sweet fragrance. |
| Nature and Flavor | Warm in nature, sweet in taste. |
| Pharmacological Effects | Harmonizes the stomach and dispels cold, regulates lipids, acts as an antioxidant, and has anti-thrombotic effects. |
| Component Characteristics | Contains the highest levels of aromatic compounds and soluble sugars, with small amounts of theaflavins and thearubigins. Amino acids are low. The taste is rich, smooth, and refreshing, with a natural, lasting floral and fruity fragrance, leaving a sweet aftertaste. |
| Nature and Flavor | Slightly warm in nature, sweet in taste with a hint of bitterness. |
| Pharmacological Effects | Aids digestion, promotes alertness, relieves qi stagnation, strengthens the stomach, and regulates lipids. |
| Component Characteristics | Characteristics: High in tea polyphenols and free amino acids, rich in flavonoids, with low soluble sugars. |
| Nature and Flavor | Cool in nature, sweet in taste with a slight bitterness. |
| Pharmacological Effects | Clears heat and detoxifies, has antioxidant properties, and promotes mental clarity and alertness. |
| Component Characteristics | Polyphenols undergo complex oxidation through microbial activity, forming polymers and oxidation products. The levels of polyphenols and amino acids significantly decrease. Aged black tea increases in brown polymers such as flavonoid glycosides. Additionally, tea polysaccharides and high-boiling-point aromatic compounds increase. |
| Nature and Flavor | Warm in nature, with a rich and mellow taste, smooth and soothing. |
| Pharmacological Effects | Reduces turbidity, regulates lipids, lowers blood sugar and uric acid, benefits the digestive tract, and helps prevent arteriosclerosis. |
| Component Characteristics | The polyphenolic compounds undergo non-enzymatic transformation, resulting in a reduction of their content. The level of free amino acids is relatively higher. |
| Nature and Flavor | Slightly warm in nature, with a bitter taste. |
| Pharmacological Effects | Clears turbidity, regulates lipids, lowers blood sugar, and helps prevent arteriosclerosis. |
| Component Characteristics | High in polyphenolic compounds, with a fresh and mellow taste that has astringency. |
| Nature and Flavor | Cool in nature, with a bitter (astringent) taste, and a slight sweetness. |
| Pharmacological Effects | Clears heat and detoxifies, has antioxidant properties, and helps refresh the mind and stimulate mental clarity. |
