來源

茶的起源已不可考。 傳說認為茶大約在公元前三千年由神農發現。有一天神農在煮水﹐有一片葉子掉到神農的熱水裡﹐他嚐了一口覺得很好喝。他並且發現這個新飲料有醫藥價值。茶因此出生。

The origin of tea as a beverage is lost in antiquity, but there are several Chinese legends that attempt to provide an answer.

One such legend says that Shen Nong, the Divine
Cultivator, discovered tea accidentally about 3000 B.C.

One-day leaves of the tea plant fell into water he was boiling outdoors. He liked the drink, found it to have medicinal value, and tea was born.

A second legend indicates that an herbalist sampled many kinds of plants to determine there individual effects. He sometimes was poisoned and used tea as an antidote.

A third legend relates tea to Buddhism. The Bodhidharma, an indian monk who brought Buddhism to China, fell asleep while he was meditating. He cut off his eyelids to make sure he wouldn't fall asleep again and he cast them away. In the spot the eyelids landed grew a bush and from this bush the leaves were boiled and drank as a way to stay awake during meditation.