A Note on Tea - Part 1
The significance of tea in the Chinese social life must not be overlooked. It is the symbol of welcome with which one is greeted on arrival in a Chinese home and is responsible for the Chinese reputation of the soberest of all nations. A tea plant cannot be transplanted -- it was therefore considered symbolic of faithfulness and used to play an important part among the presents given for an engagement. "Accepting tea" used to be synonymous with "becoming engaged " and spilling the tea was considered a bad omen. Tea, in use since the Tang dynasty (A.D. 618 - 906) is grown all over China and, broadly speaking, although there are many varieties; there are two categories of China tea: Green and Black which had always been called "red" in China. Both green and black tea come from the same plant - the difference arises out of the different methods of drying the leaves.