On display in this second part of a series of cultural and educational exhibits funded by the Bank of America, Chinese Tea presents a collection of tea pots, cups, and types of tea with descriptive text. Everyone leaves knowing how to brew the perfect pot of Chinese green tea!

Tea, the "Sweetest Dew of Heaven," can be consumed for a multitude of health benefits. Tea is full of vitamins, essential oils, derivatives, and fluoride. Its medicinal properties have been proven both experientially and scientifically. If one feels hot or cold, feels melancholy, has a headache, or has painful limbs or joints, tea is the remedy. It can be used as a diuretic; it also can improve eyesight and increases alertness. It alleviates drowsiness, but Lu Yu notes, in The Classic of Tea, that this should not be its only function. Fukian tea, a popular beverage during the Ming period, was thought to have the power to "purify the blood of the ill and renew strength in the debilitated." Due to all of these healing properties, tea is believed to increase one's lifespan.

Cultivation
For the cultivation of the tea plant, there are very specific guidelines that have been followed in the art of tea for centuries in China. The seeds are selected in October and are placed in sandy, rocky soil. However, tea that grows wild is best. Tea leaves are usually picked between April 5th-20th , on clear days instead of cloudy days. This has always been the best time for leaves to become extremely tender. Tea picked out of season can lead to toxic effects on the body.

Tea Ritual
The ritual of tea employs many specific tools: the furnace and cauldron, boiler, pestle, shaper, holder, cover, screen, awl, beater, drying hole, stringers, drying shed, and storage containers. Key to processing tea is roasting and fermentation. Fermenting deep green leaves turns the tea reddish-brown. A longer fermentation time yields a darker shade of tea. Green tea is prepared without fermentation; Black tea is created through oxidizing fermentation; and Oolong tea, or Dragon tea, is prepared through fermentation followed by a quick halt in fermentation, completing the process.

Brewing the Perfect Pot
The teapot should be filled with one quarter to three quarters full of leaves. The amount of tea used depends on the physical state of the leaves; i.e. how curled they are. This depends on the rolling and roasting processes. Tea is present in many shapes. The different shapes of tea leaves have been likened to: Mongol's boots, the dewlap of wild ox, and even mushrooms. Next, the teapot is filled with water. The quality of the water is also very important to the process. Soft water with a low mineral content works well. The temperature of the water should be brought to 212F, but a low temperature of 194F is permissible. The size of teapot used should be proportional to the amount of leaves used. In most homes in China today, people employ the "kung fu" method of making tea. Following this method, tea is steeped in small teapots because this draws out the tea's full aroma and sweetness. This style of preparing tea has its roots in the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) with Emperor Shen Tsung. Lastly, how one judges tea is critical. Even today, tea farmers, merchants, and connoisseurs take part in tea tasting competitions in China. The tea that wins title of "Superior" is sure to grow in monetary value. The Classic of Tea points out that the worst judges of tea will note the smoothness and glossy shades of coloring. Other inexperienced judges will bring attention to the fine yellow and wrinkled appearance, as well as its depressions and mounds. Nevertheless, Lu Yu says that the best judge looks at all of the characteristics of tea and comments upon both the good and the bad.

Collecting Tea Pots
Collecting teapots has become a pastime. Often used are teacups with a white interior because they allow the best assessment of the tea's coloring. During the Ming dynasty and Qing dynasty (1644-1911), the purple clay teapot of the master potter Yihsing Kiangsu became famous.