Although tales exist in regards to the beginnings of tea, Wikipedia tells me no one is sure of its exact origins. But with tea plants native to East and South Asia, its use must have originated in what we know today as northeast India, north Burma, southwest China or Tibet. Tea was already a common drink during the Qin Dynasty (around 200 BC) and became widely popular during the Tang Dynasty, when it was spread to Korea and Japan. Trade of tea by the Chinese to Western nations in the 19th century spread tea and the tea plant to numerous locations around the world.
SO – all this preamble to say : I think any purveyor of tea in China should not call itself Teabucks after the coffee company from the USA that has been around for only a few decades ! Both pictures from the weekend in Shenzhen. Yes. I like the Elegant of Tea : ).
