The spring breeze brings new life to all things. March 12th marks Tree Planting Day, and as expected, people across the country plant young saplings, contributing their part to our nation's ecological environment. These tender branches, symbols of life, grow slowly under the gentle caress of the spring breeze. People hope that these saplings will grow strong and lush, providing shade and shelter for future generations.

In the Book of Rites, it is said that “in the first month of spring, virtue is embodied in trees.” Human life cannot exist without a natural ecosystem. Every flower, every blade of grass, every tree is a gift from nature. The tea tree is no exception. Lu Yu wrote in his Classic of Tea, “Tea is a fine tree of the south.”

Why is tea referred to as “fine wood”? Aside from its early use as food, historical records show that in the 2nd century BCE, Sima Xiangru mentioned tea among over 20 medicinal herbs in his work, The Comprehensive Catalogue. At this time, tea was used medicinally, a fact that is reflected in later medical texts such as the Treatise on Febrile Diseases and the Compendium of Materia medica.

Tea provides physical benefits, but it also holds a special place in the hearts of tea makers and literati through the ages. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the custom of drinking tea became widespread, with refined methods of tea production, brewing, and consumption. From this, tea ceremony and tea culture emerged, giving rise to numerous treatises and poems about tea, as well as the invention of tea competitions. A beverage that can bring pleasure to the palate while cleansing the mind and offering insights into life, how could tea not be called “fine wood”?

However, the excellence of tea extends beyond these aspects. Ecologically, tea can create beautiful environments with clear waters and fresh air, while also generating significant commercial value and strategic significance.

The “Tea Horse Road,” which flourished during the Tang Dynasty and into the Ming and Qing dynasties, established an important trade route between China and South Asia, Western Asia, and Western Africa due to the popularity of tea. Centuries ago, Lapsang Souchong black tea became popular in Western societies for its noble and elegant image, leading to the formation of the world-famous afternoon tea culture and bringing immense wealth to China from Britain during the Qing dynasty.

“Green waters and green mountains are gold and Silver mountains.” Today, the tender green leaves in those tea fields are also the gold and silver mountains lifting tea farmers out of poverty. The vigorous development of the tea industry and the promotion of tea culture have paved the way for rural revitalization, enabling impoverished villages to achieve prosperity and beautiful villages to gain recognition worldwide.

Tea is a treasure passed down from the wisdom and culture of our ancestors, a gem of China's five-thousand-year history. Just as the saying goes, “those who plant the trees do not enjoy the shade,” over the millennia, the research and cultivation of tea by our forebears has been passed down to us. We further study tea and develop the spirit of tea culture, generation after generation, decade after decade, century after century, to preserve and spread the legacy of tea and tea culture.

Spring brings birth, summer growth, autumn harvest, and winter storage – the rhythm of nature is written in each season, just as the essence of tea permeates the veins of every Chinese person. In March, as winter gives way to spring and the signs of spring become more pronounced, let us plant the spring and savor the aroma of tea, cherishing every leaf and every patch of land.

If there are any copyright issues, please contact us for removal.