Tea in Shang and Zhou Dynasties – China from 1700 BCE to 250 BCE

Ancient traditions do not spring forth as a complete whole. These rituals, societal norms and common practices must come from somewhere. To trace the influence of tea, we have to go beyond the current popular history of the cultivation and use, to the roots of Chinese history and culture.

The first mythological rulers of China were three demi-gods known as the Three Sovereigns. This set of rulers act as the proverbial founders of civilization in China where people still revere them as symbols today. The first of these, Fu Xi, created of three essentials of human survival – hunting, fishing and writing. The second, Nuwa, is the female creator figure of humanity itself. These two become the parents of humanity in this mythos. The third is the figure credited with the discovery of tea.

Shennong is as important to Chinese pre-history as the legends of Greek demi-gods in the West. His alternative title is “Emperor of the Five Grains” as he taught the ancient people of the region to grow and harvest grains. Legend has it that he was in the habit of having hot water as a drink and a gust of wind blew some dry leaves from a tea branch into his cup. His discovery of this refreshing drink was also one of the mainstays of traditional Chinese medicine. There is still a book credited to him called “The Divine Farmer’s Herb-Root Classic”. This book lists multiple medicines created from plants, animal parts and minerals. One of the central plants is tea, that in this volume alone acts as an antidote to over seventy toxins.

After Sheenong came five other rulers, and eventually the history of China moves from legend and myth to early documentable history with the rise of the Shang Dynasty in 1700 BCE. This ruling family was one of the first to establish laws that affected the common man as a protected resource rather than an exploited commodity. This included encouraging the use of tea as a medicine for the masses, and in turn elevated the drink as part of the social structure.

This dynasty fell in 1122 BCE, replaced by the Zhou dynasty. This was also a time when the country became divided into multiple kingdoms. One lingering unifying force was language, but with multiple dialects. Another was a common set of religious traditions, but the strongest was still veneration of ancestral spirits. The one commonality that remained consistent across the country was the tea culture and the concern over any threat of war. Tea was often so highly regarded that it was an accepted offering in religious ceremonies directed at  either appeasing angry spirits or to enticing good fortune.

Buddhism began to make inroads into China from India during the most violent era of the Zhou dynasty, from 480 BCE until the rise of the Han dynasty in 221 BCE. People looked to the monks as peacemakers who taught the virtues of compassion and mercy. They were also instrumental in spreading tea as a refreshment that did not cloud the mind and raised the spirit to greater things.