Chinese tea has a history of over 5,000 years, during which a series of unique tea culture have come into being, covering from tea plant cultivation and conservation, tea-leaf picking to processing and sampling tea. Tea-leaves are mainly produced in the southern area to the Yangtze River for mild climate and fertile ground there, such as the provinces of Zhejiang, Yunnan, Guizhou and Fujian. There produce an abundance of renowned tea varieties, e.g. Longjin, Wulong, Pu’er, Tieguangyin.
Tea culture is one of the common traits shared by all the 56 ethnic groups in China. Many Chinese people believe that a day is not perfect without a cup of tea. Either in the warm southern mountain area or on the frozen northern grassland, stuff like Gongfu tea, buttered tea and milk tea are all among the favorite drinks. Furthermore, both ancient and modern Chinese people tend to indulge in elaborating on poems, essays, dances and dramas on the tea.
茶在中国已经有5000年的历史。在漫长的历史中，围绕茶的栽培、养护、采摘、加工、品饮形成了一整套独具特色的茶文化及相关艺术。长江以南是中国茶叶的主产区。浙江、云南、贵州、福建等地气候温和，土地肥沃，十分适合茶叶的生长，造就了龙井、乌龙、普洱、铁观音这些驰名中外的名品。
茶文化是中华多民族文化中的一个共同特征。五十六个民族都有饮茶的习俗。许多中国人在生活中不可一日无茶。不论是在温和潮湿的南方山区，还是冰天雪地的北方草原，工夫茶、酥油茶、奶茶都是人们特别喜爱的饮品。以茶为题的诗歌、散文、舞蹈、戏剧更为人们特别津津乐道。