The importance of water can enhance the beauty of tea soup and allow the tea to reveal its brilliance. Good tea achieves its true flavor, and different types of tea require different brewing water, each with its own merits. Water is the key to tea soup, a wisdom held by ancient tea connoisseurs.

Three Ming Dynasty literati spoke of "water as the spirit of tea" and "water as the body of tea." This indicates that only with good water can one brew excellent tea soup, serving as a model for us to learn from today. Now, standing before an ancient well, I wonder where to find good water? To draw spring water for brewing fine tea, whether seeking famous springs or visiting them, one must first learn the methods to discern water quality.

Clear means the water has no sediment and is transparent and colorless. Light refers to what we now call the distinction between soft and hard water. Sweet refers to the taste of the water; the tip of the tongue is most sensitive to sweetness and reacts immediately. Cold means the water should be cool. Coldness is a characteristic of water quality. Pure means free from pollution. Water without pollution enhances its freshness and clarity, making the tea soup brighter. Lively means water should be boiled fresh. The ancients emphasized that lively water requires lively fire to brew.

First, let's look at the effect of water quality on the extraction of substances from tea leaves. Water hardness affects the solubility of the tea's effective components. Therefore, water with higher purity allows for greater extraction of tea polyphenols and amino acids, while hard water, containing higher levels of minerals like magnesium and calcium, results in lower effective solubility. Purified water produces a mellower and fresher effect on the taste and aroma of green tea; whereas tap water, with higher chlorine content, yields a less fresh and vibrant flavor.

Having good tea and good water, but ruining the water by overboiling or boiling it for too long, renders all previous efforts futile. Yuan Mei, in "Suiyuan's Menu of Food and Drink • Tea and Wine," provides an excellent explanation: "When boiling, use strong fire. Use a perforated pot and brew as soon as it reaches a rolling boil. If it boils for too long, the water's character changes. If you stop the boil and then brew, the leaves will float. Drink immediately after one infusion. If you cover it, the flavor changes again. The margin for error here is extremely narrow."