17 Mar, 2019Tea has been a central part of China’s heritage for over 4,000 years. First attested to the legendary pioneer of Chinese agriculture, Shennong, tea preparation in China is an artistic ritual requiring the utmost etiquette, attention to detail, finesse, and hospitality. Nanjing is one of China’s tea capitals, with specialist tea markets brimming with hundreds of aromatic varieties, a signature tea leaf so difficult to prepare that only a handful of masters can produce it by hand, and a culture of tea-serving that is as intoxicating to observe as the tea is delicious to drink. Carefully brewed, meticulously prepared, and expertly served, here is why Nanjing’s traditional teahouses will leave you humming in delight for weeks to come: