Tea people have a common saying: "There are many kinds of tea, there are many kinds of water, only with good tea and good water does the taste become beautiful." The ancients had many discussions on suitable water for tea, and their views were not entirely the same. Generally, they can be summarized into the following points.

1. First choose the 'source' of water: For example, in Lu Yu's Classic of Tea from the Tang Dynasty, it is said: 'For water, mountain water is best, river water is medium, well water is inferior.' This holds that the quality of water suitable for tea is closely related to the water source.

2. Water quality lies in 'liveliness': For example, in Su Dongpo's poem 'Drawing River Water to Brew Tea' from the Northern Song Dynasty: 'Living water must be boiled with a living fire, personally go to the fishing rock to draw the honey-like water.' From the Song Dynasty, Tang Geng's 'Essay on Tea Competition' says: 'Water, whether from river or well, the important thing is that it is living.' These all indicate that water suitable for tea values 'liveliness'.

3. Water taste should be 'sweet': For example, Cai Xiang's Record of Tea from the Song Dynasty states: 'If the spring water is not sweet, it will harm the tea's flavor.' This means water suitable for tea should emphasize 'sweetness'.

4. Water quality needs to be 'clear': For example, Xiong Mingyu from the Ming Dynasty said: 'To nurture water, one should place stones in the jar; not only does it benefit the water, but the white stones and clear spring also bring the heart close, even if far away.' This means water for tea should prioritize 'clarity'.

5. Water should be 'light': For example, according to Lu Yitian's Miscellaneous Records from the Cold Hut in the Qing Dynasty, whenever Emperor Qianlong went on tours, he often liked to carry a fine silver vessel to precisely measure the weight of spring water from various places, and ranked them from light to heavy according to the specific gravity of the water.