The tea culture of WuYiShan
Tea is both enjoyable to drink and effective in strengthening the body and treating diseases.the Chinese tea ceremony is world famous. It was introduced into the Japan in the Tang Dynasy,where it developed into Japanese tea ceremony.the county of WuYiShan has a history of over 1000 years of tea production,and the Oolong tea is? associated with was already noted all over the world during the Song and Yuan periods. With the development of the tea industry ,the regionally specific tea culture has gradually come into being in WuYiShan and FuJian province as well.Tea songs,tea dances,the tea ceremony,tea dinners and other parts of tea cultures have become a part of the WuYiShan tourism industry.
Important elements in making tea include the purity and temperature of the water,the way the tea is sipped and savoured, and even the mood in which the tea is imbibed,this is all part of the Chinese practiced of grading tea. Tea of the same quality has different characteristics depending on the type of water used. The vessels used, and the method of preparation. Therefore,great skill is needed to bring the inherent quality of a tea to perfection.
Tea leaves
Tea is valued for its freshness .The quality of the tealeaf is one of the basic factors in tea making.WuYiShan people are mosty fond of Oolong tea,the tea should have a yellowish red colour after infusion and have a mellow taste,whereas the leaves should appear partially red and partially green,the DaHongPao of WuYiShan is a favourite choice of WuYiShan People
Tea water
Good tea making requires the use of soft rather than hard warter.Soft water contains less than 8mg.of calcium and magnesium.If one uses hard water.the tea¡¯s flavour becomes astringent.the ordour too pungent and the colour aesthetically displeasing.
Tea Vessels
WuYiShan people tend to choose capped potteryor fine-china tea vessels when making Oolong Tea owing to their ability to preserve both the fragnance and flavour of tea, a normal tea cup about the size of half a table tennis ball,contains about 40 millimeters and the pot between 200 and 250ml,Usually a teapot and four teacups on a round or retangulr board appears and enjoyable work or art.
Heat and infusion control
Tea making is particular about controlinf the heat and the boiling process. The time taken a boil water influences the quality of the infusion. Good tea,water and heat are all essential to sipping tea.Tea experts in WuYiShan,,when boiling water,take care to make water neither too¡±tender¡±(that is ,un-boild) nor too¡±tough¡±¡°that is,over-boiled).The tea is not tasty if made with unboiled,over-boiled or re-boile water. Water boiled for too long evaporates too much,leaving a residue of salts,which is not good for health and harms the flavours of the tea. And tea is not supposed to steep longer,the tea tastes a little bitter between 3 and 5 minutes.If steeped longer,the tea tastes a little bitter and astringent. Therefor,Nowdays people mostly use mineral water or distilled water to make tea,WuYiShan people usually make three to four servings from one pot of tea,regarding the lst pot¡±fresh¡±the 2nd as ¡°sweet¡± and the 3rd as ¡°near its end¡±
Environment
WuYiShan people love the art of tea tasting,Tasting tea is not only concerned with the quality of the tea,but also the enjoyment and appreciation with which the tea is consumed.A large part of this depends on the environment,the surrounding buildings,gardens,decorations,tea sets etc. Dring tea requires a quiet,refreshing,comfortable and clean environment.It is especially propitious to build a tea house in a garden,on a mountain or near water,peaceful lovations where drinkers may rest and relax
WuYiShan people attach great importance to etiquette.It is always essential to entertain a guest with tea. When drinking tea with the guest,the host pays attention to how much is left over in the guests¡¯ cup and in the teapot. Whenever seeing that is half finished, he will add boiled water,and replace the tea in proper time just to assure that tea is not too weak.Cakes,sweetmeats or small dishes can go with tea to add to the taste or serve as light refreshments.
For WuYiShan people nowdays,drinking tea has become very fashionable.During their leisure time,people will gather together in groups,laughing and talking merrily while enjoying tea.Often some will bring their own tea so that everyone can compare and contrast different tea varieties,Indeed a charming and elggant pastime.
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