國際茶日：以茶為媒 以茶會友
The International Tea Day underscores tea's friend-making intermediary role
茶是世界三大飲品之一，是世界上僅次於水的消耗最多的飲料。茶具有一定的消炎、抗氧化和減肥作用，飲茶可有益於健康；喝茶還能讓人靜心、靜神，有助於陶冶情操、去除雜念。正因如此，“茶學”包含了茶科學和茶文化學兩個組成部分。
As one of the three major drinks in the world, tea is also the most consumed drink after water on earth. With certain anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and weight-losing effects, drinking tea is good for health. Drinking tea can also make people meditate and calm, which helps cultivate one's personality and stay away from distractions. For this reason, the study on tea includes two fields: tea science and tea culture.
有證據表明，早在5000年前，中國人就已開始飲茶。西元780年，唐朝人陸羽寫成《茶經》，這是中國也是世界第一本茶書，影響全世界，陸羽因此被世人稱為“茶聖”“茶神”。《茶經》的內容豐實，是一部茶葉百科全書，它涉及生物學、栽培學、分類學、生態學、藥理學等等。《茶經》還記載了唐朝以前的神話、寓言、歷史、詩賦、傳記、地理等，是中國古文化的寶庫。
There is evidence that tea was drunk in China as early as 5,000 years ago. In 780, Lu Yu of the Tang Dynasty wrote the Classic of Tea, which was the first tea book in China and the world. It influenced the world and Lu Yu was called the “Sage of tea” and “God of tea”. The Classic of Tea is an encyclopedia of tea, covering biology, cultivation, taxonomy, ecology, pharmacology and so on. It also records myths, fables, history, poems, biographies and geography before the Tang Dynasty, making it a treasure house of ancient Chinese culture.
茶道起源於中國，是品賞茶的美感儀式。最早最完善的茶道流程正是陸羽所創的煎茶茶道。通過沏茶、賞茶、聞茶、飲茶，增進友誼，美心修德，學習禮法。
Tea ceremony, which originated in China, is an aesthetic ceremony to enjoy tea. The earliest and most comprehensive tea ceremony process was the tea-brewing ceremony created by Lu Yu. By making tea,appreciating tea, smelling tea and drinking tea, people can enhance friendship, cultivate morality and acquire etiquette.
每年的5月21日，是聯合國確定的“國際茶日”，意在讚美“茶”對經濟、社會和文化的價值。今年國際茶日的中國區主場活動地點選在了廣東潮州。潮汕地區位於沿海，潮州工夫茶藝也是一種有別於中原茶道的茶葉沖泡技藝，始自宋代，至清代中期已蔚然成風，甚至流傳到東南亞各地，且至今代代相傳，被視為中國古代茶道的活化石。
May 21 is the International Tea Day designated by the United Nations, which is intended to pay tribute to the economic, social and cultural value of tea. Chaozhou City in south China's Guangdong Province was chosen as the main venue of this year's celebration in China. Developed in the coastal area of Chaoshan, Chaozhou Gongfu tea art is a tea brewing skill set different from that in central China. It started from Song Dynasty and became popular during the middle of Qing Dynasty, and even could be found in Southeast Asia. Chaozhou Gongfu tea art has been passed down from generation to generation, and is regarded as a living fossil of ancient Chinese tea ceremony.
潮州工夫茶以烏龍茶為主要茶品，選用本地鳳凰山生長的“鳳凰單叢茶”，且有獨特的“二十一道沖泡技法”。整個“二十一式”不過10分鐘，但每一步都有學問。比如泡茶的時候，要用高衝的方式，讓沸水直入壺底，可以減少澀味；倒茶的時候，則要低斟出湯，防止飛濺和氣泡，含香藏韻。工夫茶湯獨具“天然花香、特殊叢韻”，被譽為“茶中香水”。
Chaozhou Gongfu tea takes oolong tea as its main choice, and uses the local Phoenix single bush grown in Phoenix Mountains. The tea art has a unique set of 21 brewing techniques. The whole set of tea art lasts only 10 minutes, but every step is sophisticated. For example, when making tea, let boiling water go straight to the bottom of the pot in a high-flush way, which can reduce the tea's astringency. When pouring tea, pour out the soup low to prevent splashes and bubbles, so that the tea’s fragrance can be retained. Gongfu tea is unique in its natural floral fragrance and special bush flavor, gaining a reputation of “perfume in tea”.
在千年的跨文化交流中，中華茶文化已成為一種世界共通的語言，承載了中國人崇尚的與世界相處之道。“以茶為媒、以茶會友”，茶和茶文化由中國走向世界。
In the cross-cultural communication spanning thousands of years, Chinese tea culture has become a common language in the world, carrying the philosophy of getting along with the world advocated by Chinese people. As a matchmaker to make friends, tea and tea culture have gone from China to the world.
