Tea – The Beginning of a Cultural Icon

During the period preceding the first recognized Chinese nation, the Qin Dynasty in 221 BCE, the myth of the discovery of tea focused mainly on its medicinal properties. After the Han in 206 BCE replaced the Qin Dynasty, tea began to rise as part of daily life. Yes it was still part of the healer's kit, but now whole new dimensions developed.

The central point of this change was the Bashu province, which is the modern Chongqing in south central China. This area is well suited to growing tea as the summers are hot and humid, with mild wet winters. The area is also known for heavy fog, which makes for particularly wonderful scenery in the mountains. Combine those two and you have the perfect blend for a potential societal hub that people will want to visit.

During the rule of the Han, Bashu became the tea production center in more than just physical output. Thanks to the amount of tea available, the medicinal manufacture and cultivation became so prevalent that people began to drink it regularly as an ongoing aid to health rather than as a treatment for illness. It was here that the custom of daily tea started.

Another aspect of Bashu influence was changing in the way the nobility treated each other. The most common way to welcome guests was to offer them wine. This was often politely refused if there was any reason to suspect that the host had ulterior motives. Poisoning of rivals was as common in China's past as any other culture. However, tea was regarded as an antidote to dozens of toxins, so it was considered a sign of trustworthiness and proper manners to offer guests a cup of tea. The refreshing feeling caused by the drink and its perceived benefit to the drinker's health caught on readily amongst the upper classes.

As with any trend, the practice began to filter down through all levels of society. While formal religious ceremonies would still use tea as an offering and the medicinal popularity increased, the start of tea as part of daily life started in Bashu during the Han Dynasty. No longer would tea find itself limited to rulers, merchants and influential families.

Another contribution of this region was in the treatment of tea. The continued expansion of production also created several ways of processing the tea into the familiar brick forms that enabled transportation across the country. The charring of the tea and pressing into solid forms meant that it resisted decomposition long enough to be transported far to the ends of the empire, insuring that the popular use would grow as did the culture of China.