Ming And Qing Tea Customs

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, tea production improved greatly. In 1381, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang promoted the development of loose tea leaves. The production of green tea developed from steamed green tea to pan-dried green tea. Other tea varieties, such as floral tea, dark tea, black tea, Oolong tea, white tea and yellow tea also made their appearance. Tea drinking became a simple process of adding tea leaves in a tea bowl or teapot and adding heated water. This method retained the original flavor and scent of the tea leaves.