1, tea has a long history of medicine:
Traditional Chinese medicine is a rich treasure house. Tea has a long history as a medicine. There are many records in ancient books. For example, Compendium of Materia Medica, Medicine Book, Hua Tuo's Food Theory and Tea Spectrum all record more than 20 functions of tea, such as quenching thirst, refreshing, promoting digestion, diuresis, relieving asthma, eliminating phlegm, improving eyesight and thinking, eliminating phlegm and diseases, diminishing inflammation and detoxifying, and prolonging life. Chen Zangqi, a great medical scientist in the Tang Dynasty, said in Compendium of Materia Medica that "all kinds of medicines are the medicine for all diseases, and tea is the medicine for all diseases", which almost deified the medicinal value of tea.
With the development of modern tea biochemistry research, up to now, more than 500 known compounds * * * have been isolated and identified from tea, and many experiments and clinical tests have proved that the pharmacological effects of tea also include weight loss, blood pressure lowering, heart strengthening, blood enriching, anti-arteriosclerosis, blood sugar lowering, anti-cancer and anti-radiation. Recently, China has extracted a water-soluble plant pigment-tea pigment from green tea. Clinically, it has been proved to have the effects of regulating blood lipid, anticoagulation, promoting fibrinolysis, improving microcirculation, enhancing immune function and inhibiting tumor growth. It is another major breakthrough in the pharmacological research of tea and is in a leading position in the world.
Drinking tea is closely related to human health. It is predicted that tea will become the most popular healthy drink in 2 1 century. Therefore, as long as we advocate scientific and moderate tea drinking, we can say that tea is of great benefit to human health and longevity. This is the material basis of the close relationship between tea culture and health preservation in China.
2, tea culture and health:
To sum up, China tea culture is the crystallization of China's traditional tea drinking habits and tea tasting skills, with profound oriental cultural heritage. The spiritual mainstream that runs through China tea culture is influenced by traditional philosophy and closely related to the rise of Zen. It is not easy for generations to attack each other. The health education in China regards self-cultivation as the first priority of health. For example, Gao Lian, a famous health care practitioner in the Ming Dynasty, wrote Eight Notes on Respect for Life, which matched the tea ceremony with China's health care spirit. In the Ming Dynasty, Gu's Tea Spectrum quoted Dream Record: "A monk in Tokyo is 130 years old in the middle of the New Year. Xuanzong asked what medicine to take. Yun: Sex is just good tea ",OK!
According to historical records, China tea was introduced to Japan in the 9th century. Jianning II, the founder of Japan, entered the Tang Dynasty, and the right monk was a great monk, who wrote the book Seven Forks. It is called "tea is also a health elixir". It also profoundly clarified the cause and effect of tea and health preservation.
It is worth mentioning that China tea culture (China Tea Ceremony) is essentially different from Japanese tea ceremony. Japanese tea ceremony originated from Jingshan culture in Tang Dynasty in China. After centuries of development, it gradually evolved into a cultural system with both religious philosophy (so-called "harmony, respect, purity and silence") and strict and cumbersome procedures, which was summarized and advocated by Shao Ou and Li Xiu in the middle of Ming Dynasty and was called "religious aesthetics". China Tea Ceremony, on the other hand, forms different types of tea ceremonies and ceremonies due to different times and different types of teas, but they have one thing in common: instead of deliberately pursuing red tape, they deliberately taste and exert the color, fragrance and rhyme of various teas, and pursue a harmonious and relaxed atmosphere, so as to achieve a "relaxed and happy" spiritual realm. Their tea ceremony procedures and ceremonies closely cooperate with scientific tea drinking and benefit each other. This is the reason why China Tea Ceremony has both fitness and health preservation functions, and it is also the reason why China Tea Ceremony has been able to last forever, from the court to the people, from the literati to the monks, and from the Central Plains to the frontier, reaching unprecedented prosperity.
Second, on the tea culture in China
( 2006-09- 13 08:37)
First, the definition of tea culture Tea is a product of labor and a drink. Tea culture takes tea as the carrier, through which various cultures are spread. It is an organic combination of tea and culture, which contains and embodies the material civilization and spiritual civilization in a certain period.
Second, the connotation of tea culture Tea culture is an integral part of China's traditional excellent culture, which is very rich in content, involving science and technology education, culture and art, medical care, historical archaeology, economy and trade, catering and tourism, press and publication and other disciplines and industries, including tea monographs, tea periodicals, tea and poetry, tea and song and dance, tea and novel, tea and art, tea and wedding, tea and sacrifice, tea and Zen, tea and catalpa.
Third, the history of tea culture system: the origin, discovery and utilization of tea, the formation, development, evolution, characteristics and manifestations of tea culture; Sociology of tea culture: the influence of tea culture on all aspects of society, the role of social development and progress on tea culture and the relationship between social class and tea culture; Tea-drinking folklore: the tea-drinking customs of history and modernity, regions and nationalities, cities and rural areas; Tea aesthetics: the shape design of finished tea, the naming of famous tea, the design of tea packaging and advertising, etc. Tea culture communication: international and domestic seminars, tea culture exhibitions, tea performances, children's tea art, tea historical and cultural fairs, tea tourism; Functionalism of tea culture: tea culture resources, characteristics, historical tea culture, tea culture function in the new period, and the role of tea culture in modern society and spiritual civilization construction.
Fourth, the historical characteristics of tea culture: the formation and development of tea culture has a long history. Tea has always been used as a tribute to the king of Wu. In the late primitive commune, tea became a commodity exchange. During the Warring States period, tea had a certain scale. Tea was recorded in the Book of Songs in the pre-Qin period. In the Han Dynasty, tea became a special tonic for Buddhist meditation. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, there was an atmosphere of drinking tea. During the Sui Dynasty, the whole people generally drank tea. In the Tang Dynasty, the tea industry flourished, and tea became "indispensable to others". Teahouses, tea banquets and tea parties appeared one after another to encourage guests to worship tea. Fighting tea, tribute tea and gift tea were popular in Song Dynasty. In the Qing Dynasty, Quyi entered the teahouse and the foreign trade of tea developed. Tea culture was born with the emergence of commodity economy and the formation of urban culture. The tea culture in history pays attention to cultural ideology, elegance, poetry, painting and calligraphy, drinking tea, singing and dancing. In the process of its formation and development, tea culture has integrated the philosophical colors of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, evolved into the customs and habits of all ethnic groups, and became an integral part of excellent traditional culture and a unique cultural model. Times: The development of material civilization and spiritual civilization has injected new connotation and vitality into tea culture. In this new period, the connotation and expression of tea culture are constantly expanding, extending, innovating and developing. In the new era, tea culture has merged into the essence of modern science and technology, modern news media and market economy, which makes the value function of tea culture more remarkable and further strengthens its role in modern society. The consciousness that the value of tea is the core of tea culture has been further established, and international exchanges have become increasingly frequent. In the new era, the forms of tea culture communication show the trend of scale, modernization, socialization and internationalization. Its connotation is expanding rapidly and its influence is expanding day by day, attracting worldwide attention.
Nationality. All ethnic groups love to drink tea. The combination of tea and national cultural life has formed tea ceremony, tea ceremony, tea drinking custom and festive wedding with their own national characteristics. Tea art of all ethnic groups is formed by artistic processing and tempering on the basis of national tea drinking methods, which is more lively and cultural, showing the diversity and colorful life interest of tea drinking. Tibetan, Tujia, Wa, Lahu, Naxi, Kazak, Xibe, Bao 'an, Achang, Bulang, De 'ang, Jino, Salar, Bai, Kemi, Yugur and other tea cultures and festive weddings have also fully demonstrated the nationality of tea culture.
Regionality: famous teas, famous mountains, famous waters, celebrities, places of interest, and various regional tea cultures. China has a vast territory, a wide variety of tea, different tea drinking customs, and differences in history, culture and life economy, which have formed a tea culture with local characteristics. In the big cities with economic and cultural centers, with its unique advantages and rich connotations, it has also formed a unique urban tea culture. Since 1994, Shanghai has held four consecutive international tea culture festivals, showing the characteristics and charm of urban tea culture.
Internationality: The ancient traditional tea culture in China combined with the history, culture, economy and humanities of various countries and evolved into English tea culture, Japanese tea culture, Korean tea culture, Russian tea culture and Moroccan tea culture. In Britain, drinking tea has become a part of life, a kind of etiquette for the British to show their gentlemanly manners, an indispensable procedure in the life of the Queen of England, and a necessary ceremony in major social activities. Japanese tea ceremony originated in China. Japanese tea ceremony has a strong Japanese national flavor, forming a unique tea ceremony system, genre and etiquette. Koreans believe that tea culture is the root of Korean national culture, and May 24th every year is the National Tea Day. China tea culture is the cradle of tea culture in various countries. Tea people don't care about national boundaries, races or beliefs. Tea culture can unite tea people all over the world to discuss tea art, academic exchanges and economic and trade negotiations.
5. The social function of tea culture is mainly manifested in carrying forward traditional virtues, displaying culture and art, cultivating self-cultivation, cultivating sentiment, promoting national unity, demonstrating social progress and developing economy and trade.
Traditional virtue is a beautiful morality accumulated for thousands of years and respected by people of all ages, and it is the embodiment of national spirit and social fashion. The traditions of tea culture mainly include loving the motherland, selfless dedication, perseverance, modesty and courtesy, thrift, mutual respect and mutual accommodation. Mr. Wu Juenong and Mr. Liu Xianhe from Hunan are both devoted to the tea industry. They are both patriots and outstanding representatives of contemporary tea people. Lu Yu's Tea Classic is the crystallization of ancient tea people's diligent study, assiduous study, painstaking exploration and indomitable spirit. Treat guests with tea, replace wine with tea, and "a cup of green tea is intoxicating" is a true embodiment of the Chinese nation cherishing the fruits of labor, saving and resolving risks.
The social functions of tea culture with tea characters as the head are "thinking about the source of tea, entertaining guests with tea, making friends with tea, socializing with tea, being honest with tea, educating people with tea, replacing wine with tea, keeping fit with tea, entering poetry with tea, entering art with tea, painting with tea, dancing with tea, singing songs with tea, rejuvenating culture with tea, giving gifts with tea, promoting agriculture with tea and promoting tea".
Tea is the pride of China, the self-esteem, self-confidence and pride of the nation. You can think of the source when you drink tea. Dr Joseph Needham, a world-famous historian of science and technology, regards China tea as the fifth greatest contribution to mankind after the four great inventions of China (gunpowder, papermaking, compass and printing). Lu Yu's Tea Classic in Tang Dynasty was the first tea book in the world. China tea culture has a great influence on the world.
Taking tea as a friend is one of the most extensive social functions of tea culture. Today's market economy is characterized by fierce competition, survival of the fittest, and emphasis on interests and benefits. However, human feelings are relatively indifferent and interpersonal relationships tend to be indifferent. Through teahouses and teahouses, friends get together to exchange information, feelings, understanding and friendship. Friends gather in the old teahouse, talking and laughing at will, recalling life and enjoying life again.
In ancient times, there was a saying that "tea is wine when guests come on a cold night". Replacing wine with tea embodies traditional virtues, which conforms to the requirements of the central government advocating strict economy and putting an end to extravagance and waste today.
Educating people with tea is a new social function bred by tea culture in the new period. Shanghai children's tea art learns tea by itself, promotes traditional excellent culture and receives patriotic education. When offering tea, we respect the elderly, elders, parents and classmates.
The role of tea culture in modern society Modern society relies on high technology and information to create more social wealth, more and more material wealth and richer life. In the process of industrialization in some East Asian countries, while absorbing excellent western technologies and crafts, decadent western cultural values and customs have also eroded society, resulting in moral crisis, money worship and extreme individualism. The experience of social development shows that modernization is not the only goal. Modern society needs a spiritual civilization that adapts to it, and it needs to explore the spiritual resources of excellent traditional culture. Tea culture has historical, contemporary cultural factors and reasonable factors, and has played and is playing its own positive role in modern society.
Tea culture is an elegant culture, and celebrities are willing to participate. Tea culture is also a popular culture, in which people participate extensively. Tea culture covers the whole people and affects the whole society. There are five main functions of tea culture in modern society:
First, tea culture takes morality as the center, attaches importance to people's group value, advocates selfless dedication and opposes mercenary. Advocating justice over profit, paying attention to coordinating the relationship between people, advocating respect for people and paying attention to self-cultivation are conducive to balancing people's mentality, solving modern people's mental confusion and improving people's cultural quality; Second, tea culture is a good friend to meet the challenges of life. In the fierce social competition and market competition, intense work, entertainment, complicated interpersonal relationships and various pressures attached to people are not light. Participating in tea culture can relax the spirit and body and meet the challenges of life, and the role of Hong Kong teahouse is very significant. Third, it is conducive to the construction of community civilization. The economy has gone up, but the culture can't lag behind, the social atmosphere can't be dirty, and the morality can't be decadent and ugly. The spread of tea culture after the reform and opening up shows that tea culture has the functions of changing unfair social consumption activities, creating spiritual civilization and promoting social progress. Fourth, it plays an obvious role in improving people's quality of life and enriching cultural life. Tea culture is knowledgeable, interesting and entertaining. Tasting famous tea, tea sets and refreshments, and watching tea-folk tea art all give people a beautiful enjoyment. The fifth is to promote opening up and promote international cultural exchanges. Zhabei District of Shanghai held the International Tea Culture Festival for four consecutive years, which expanded the visibility of Zhabei District at home and abroad. The four teams in Zhabei District unanimously decided to hold a tea culture festival and invest in the construction of tea culture attractions in Zhabei Park in order to build a tea culture grand view garden. The frequent exchange of international tea culture has made tea culture cross national boundaries and spread to all parts of the world, becoming the spiritual wealth of human civilization.