The Healing Power of Tea: A Comprehensive Guide to Chinese Teas and Their Medicinal Benefits

Pu'er tea is produced in the Pu'er area of Yunnan Province. It has a bitter and astringent taste, a fragrant aroma, and can help relieve alcohol intoxication and greasy food. It is a good product for clearing the stomach, promoting saliva production, aiding digestion, and resolving phlegm. Among them, the green variety has the best effect. In the "Compendium of Materia Medica Supplement" by Wang Tuxiong in the Qing Dynasty, it is mentioned that Wuyi tea, produced in Chong'an, Fujian, has a black color and sour taste, and has the best effect in aiding digestion and relieving gastric discomfort. All teas have a cold nature, but Wuyi tea is warm and does not harm the stomach. It is suitable for people who avoid drinking tea for a long time.

Gu Zhuzi Sun's "Compendium of Materia Medica Supplement" states that Gu Zhuzi Sun is produced in Changxing, Zhejiang, and has a sweet taste, fragrant aroma, and mild nature. It can clear the lungs, eliminate phlegm, and relieve bloating.

Yuqian tea is produced in Hangzhou and has a cold and mild nature. It is used to treat wind-cold with no sweating, three yin malaria, unilateral headache, wind-phlegm epilepsy, belching, abdominal distension, various types of dysentery, long-term dysentery, epilepsy, and yangmei disease.

Song Luo tea is produced in Xiuning, Anhui. The "Compendium of Materia Medica Supplement" states that Song Luo tea can treat constipation after illness, stubborn sores that do not heal, epilepsy, edema, bloating, wind-induced headaches, yellow diseases, and all types of hot wind. It can also help dissolve stagnation, remove greasy food, clear heat, and relieve phlegm.

Snow tea is produced in Yongshan County, Yunnan. It has a white color, sweet taste, and strong warmth. It can dispel cold diseases and is known for its effectiveness in treating stomach pain and dysentery.

Yunzhi tea is produced in Mengyin County, Shandong, and has a cold nature. The "Compendium of Materia Medica Supplement" states that it can treat stomach heat-related diseases and has the ability to dissolve stagnation.

Bao Hong tea is produced in Yiliang, Yunnan. After being stored for two years, the aged tea can be brewed to clear heat and relieve fever.

Shuishalian tea is produced in Taiwan and has a green color, similar to Song Luo tea. The "Compendium of Materia Medica Supplement" states that it has an extremely cold nature and is most effective in treating heat-related symptoms, including smallpox.

Hongmao tea is produced in Taiwan. The "Compendium of Materia Medica Supplement" states that it can treat bloating and abdominal swelling, as well as feelings of depression and discomfort.

Meiyan white tea is produced in Yongtai County, Fujian. According to the "Yongtai County Annals," there is a tea plantation in Meiyan, where the leaves are pure white and turn slightly yellow when dried. When brewed, the tea is clear and refreshing. It can treat bloating, rashes, and fever in children.

Lechang white hair tea is produced in Lechang, Guangdong. According to Fan Rui'ang's "Observations in Central Guangdong," Lechang has white hair tea, with tea leaves covered in white hair and a slightly bitter taste. It aids digestion and eliminates heat.

Yunwu tea cakes are produced in Yunfu County, Guangdong. According to the 1935 "Manuscript of Guangdong Chronicles," when brewed, the tea has a bright red color like blood and a refreshing taste. It is effective in relieving heat, quenching thirst, and promoting saliva production. It is considered a precious product for fighting against the miasma in the mountains.

Fushan Yunwu tea and sweet tea are produced in Fushan, Guangdong. According to the 1842 "New Chronicles of Fushan," Yunwu tea can eliminate greasiness and relieve annoyance. Sweet tea is another type that can relieve heat-related symptoms and dissolve stagnation, showing remarkable effects.

Qingyuan tea is produced in Qingyuan County, Guangdong. According to the 1935 "Qingyuan County Chronicles," it grows in a rocky valley and has a cool nature. It is remarkably effective in treating severe heat and hemoptysis.

Kudeng tea is produced in Longzhou, Rongxian, and Guiping counties in Guangxi. According to the 1949 "Manuscript of Guangxi Chronicles," Kudeng tea is dried from tender buds before Qingming Festival. It has a bitter taste that turns sweet after a short while. It has a cool nature and can relieve intense heat and heat-related diseases. Holding a tea leaf in the mouth can produce saliva and have the effect of eliminating phlegm and strengthening the stomach. When brewed into a strong tea, it is remarkably effective in treating dysentery.

Rongmei tea is produced in Dangyang, Hubei. In the Tang Dynasty, the famous poet Li Bai wrote a five-character poem called "In Response to Monk Zhongfu's Gift of Yuzhu Cactus Tea." In the preface to the poem, he exaggeratedly praised the special magical effects of Yuzhu Cactus Tea: "There are tea plants everywhere, with branches and leaves like green jade. Only the true master Yuquan often picks and drinks it. At the age of over 80, his complexion is like peach blossoms. This tea is different from others in its clear fragrance and smoothness. It can rejuvenate the withered and prolong life."

When it comes to longevity through tea, Qian Xibai's "New Book of the South" records a story of a monk who lived a long life through drinking tea. It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, in the third year of the Dazhong period, there was a wise monk in the eastern capital who was over 130 years old but still in good health and full of energy. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang asked him about the secret to his longevity, thinking that it must be some kind of miraculous medicine. The monk replied, "I am humble and don't know anything about medicine. I only have a fondness for tea. Wherever I go, I always seek tea. I can drink hundreds of bowls and never tire of it." Emperor Xuanzong then granted him 50 jin of tea and allowed him to reside in the Baoshou Temple. In fact, there are many Buddhist holy sites and famous temples south of the Yangtze River in China, where tea trees are grown, and the monks harvest and prepare their own tea. They drink tea while reciting Buddhist mantras, cultivating their bodies and minds. There are many elderly monks who attribute their long lives to their long-term tea drinking habits.

In the Tang Dynasty, the "Compendium of Materia Medica Supplement" had already made a comprehensive evaluation: "Various medicines are used to treat various diseases, and tea is a medicine for all diseases." In the book "Notes on Tea and Health" by Rongxi Zen Master in Japan, it is mentioned, "Tea is an elixir for health and a secret to longevity. If it grows on a mountain, the place becomes spiritual. If people drink it, their lives become longer."

China and Japan have shown this to be true in ancient times, and it is also true in modern times in other countries. Extensive social surveys have confirmed that almost all long-lived people are tea lovers.

Britain is a typical country where tea drinking is quite common. Living in a city like London, which is heavily polluted, there are still many centenarians. A survey was conducted on 665 people over 100 years old, and it was found that almost all of them were tea enthusiasts, with an average annual consumption of 4-5 kilograms of tea per person. Modern scientific research has revealed that tea leaves are rich in various anti-aging substances, including a large amount of catechins and tea polyphenols, as well as abundant vitamin E and vitamin C. Therefore, scientists unanimously believe that tea is an extremely effective beverage for delaying aging. No wonder Mr. Fukushima Keiichi of the Shizuoka Tea Conference in Japan said, "Tea is an elixir for immortality."