While production participates in driving the economy, consumption remains a daily life practice with National Tea Museum in Hangzhou telling the story in sound and pictures.

For those who know China or have Chinese friends, drinking tea shouldn’t be strange to them anymore! Visit a Chinese friend, restaurant or attend a Chinese-organised event and what you see in front of you is first a cup of tea. As soon as you empty the cup, ready pretty ladies are there to fill and refill the cup as much as you can drink.

When Cameroon Tribune went unraveling the mystery behind the seemingly long-drawn Chinese tea culture in the beautiful Hangzhou Province which hosts China National Tea Museum, this reporter was told “Tea is an important part of Chinese tradition.”

We learnt that as the Chinese society developed and progressed, tea production has played an important role in driving the economy while its consumption has remained a daily life practice. Consumers say tea brings the spirit and wisdom of human beings to a higher orbit.

“With tea, you don’t need to take pills again,” our guide in the China National Tea Museum in Hangzhou said. With her over 100 tea varieties, Chinese citizens believe that people hold the morality and mind and savour life through tasting tea. Little wonder people take loved ones and friends to tea houses to sip the precious liquid the same way Cameroonians and other nationals would visit beer and liquor parlours.

Reason why prominent tea houses like the Laoshi Tea House in Beijing and the China National Tea Museum remain crowd-pullers today. The Hangzhou Tea Museum even pilots tea research as well as offers insights into various tea customs and ceremonies.

Visitors believe drinking tea refreshes the mind, clears heat within the human body and helps in weight loss. It is therefore medicinal. For efficiency, they advice that tea should be taken hot, strong tea should be avoided and the best time to drink tea is in between meals.

While taking tea is discouraged with medication, green tea is said to be best for office workers as it contains substances (catehins) that help to prevent computer radiation and supplement moisture content of the human body. Wonder no more when next a Chinese friend or host serves you tea first. Consider such treatment as valuing friendship by a friend indeed!