Hangzhou West Lake Longjing and Jingshan Tea Ceremony was just added to the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list

HANGZHOU,China,Dec. 28,2022 -- A news report by haiwainet.cn:Chinese traditional tea processing techniques were officially recognized by the United Nations Educational,Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recently,when the techniques and associated social practices were added to the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage for Humanity.

The application to be added to the list was jointly submitted by 44 sub-projects related to diverse kinds of tea around China,including the Longjing Tea Industry Association of Xihu (West Lake) district in Hangzhou,East China's Zhejiang Province,which is responsible for Green Tea (West Lake Longjing Tea) processing techniques and Jingshan Tea Ceremony.

As early as in the Tang Dynasty,Hangzhou was a famous tea producing area with a long history of tea culture. The water of West Lake and Qiantang River,combined with the Southeast Asian monsoon,has formed a warm and humid microclimate in Hangzhou,providing unique natural conditions for the growth of tea trees. In addition to West Lake Longjing,which is one of the top ten famous teas in China,Hangzhou famous teas also include Jingshan tea,Qiandao Yuye,Xueshui Yunlu,Qiandao Yinzhen,Tianmu Qingding,etc. These famous teas have built a solid foundation for Hangzhou's tea culture.

Hangzhou's tea culture is closely related to Buddhism,and the temple tea etiquette is a unique part of Hangzhou's tea culture etiquette,the most famous of which is the Jingshan Tea Ceremony. Originated in the middle years of the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-AD 907),Jingshan Tea Ceremony enjoyed popularity in the Song Dynasty (AD 960-AD 1279). It is a ceremonious tea etiquette for the distinguished guests hosted by the Wanshou Buddhist Temple of Jing Mountain,Yuhang District,Hangzhou City. Unique and traditional as it is,the Jingshan Tea Ceremony inherits the ancient Chinese tea custom,as well as an outstanding representative of Chinese tea culture.

Today,with the new recognitionof green tea production techniques (West Lake Longjing) and Jingshan Tea Ceremony,Hangzhou has 7 sub-items of 5 representative works of UNESCO intangible cultural heritage. It is believed that the characteristics of tea culture in Hangzhou will be more prominent in the future. This city with a long history and splendid civilization will be more beautiful,more vigorous and energetic.