China also incorporates this tea drinking tradition into its more modern society.
Tea drinking in China is very different from the way that I drink my coffee in New York. There are many shops – some that will remind you of a traditional tea house and others that are more Westernized, that allow their patrons to come in and sit for hours at a time, to enjoy a freshly brewed pot of tea with an assortment of snacks and desserts. There are even cat cafes, where cats roam around the shop and snuggle with guests while they sip their tea!
The selection in modern tea houses includes fruit teas, floral teas, and iced teas, in addition to the traditional green and black teas. My favorite is always chrysanthemum tea, a delicate white or yellow flower with a subtle sweet taste. To enhance its natural sweetness, goji berries and jujubes are added.
The Chinese community holds on to this tradition, yet modernizes it so that it appeals to the younger generations. After all, it is always the younger generation that traditions must be passed onto. Many tea shops provide lightning fast Wi-Fi, which allows students and even business men to surf the web and study in a peaceful environment.
This tradition also emphasizes the importance that tea has had throughout Chinese history, as well as in the modern world where tea has become one of the major exports for China. As a Chengdu native describes, “Tea is something that anyone can drink, no matter if you are rich or poor. The quality of the tea may be different, but every person is still able to take part in brewing tea and enjoying it. In a way, this connects people, no matter if they are royalty or peasants.”
