Chinese tea culture refers to the methods of preparation of tea, the equipment used to make tea and the occasions in which tea is consumed in China.
Folding the napkin in tea ceremonies is a traditional action and is done to keep away bad Qi energy in China as tea was regarded as one of the seven daily necessities, the others being firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar（柴,米,油,鹽,醬,醋,茶）. Tea culture in China differs from that of Europe, Britain or Japan in such things as preparation methods, tasting methods and the occasions for which it is consumed. Even now, in both casual and formal Chinese occasions, tea is consumed regularly. In addition to being a drink, Chinese tea is used in traditional Chinese medicine and in Chinese cuisine.
Plant (茶樹/茶樹, pinyin: cháshù). However prior to the 8th century BC, the tea was known collectively under the term 荼 (pinyin: tú) along with a great number of other bitter plants. The great similarity of the two characters are notable with the exception of an additional horizontal stroke in 荼. The character is made up of the 艸 (pinyin: cǎo) radical in its reduced form of 艸 and the word 余 which gives the phonetic cue. The plant later more distinctly indentified and was called 檟苦荼 (pinyin: jiǎkǔtú, literally 'evergreen shrub' of bitter 'bitter plant'), or in simplified forms 苦荼 (pinyin: kǔtú) or 荈 (pinyin: chuǎn).
The word 茗 (pinyin: míng), which was possibly derived from the Burmese word, was later used to indicate tea where its popularity spread and became more common in Ancient China. This word is still used in modern tea communities in Taiwan and China to denote tea. By the end of the 8th century BC, the character 荼, yu was finally simplified to 茶. Táng Lùyǔ (唐陸羽/唐陸羽), wrote in the his crowing work, The tea classic or Chájīng (茶經/茶經), on the origins of the character for tea as well as the numerous words used to denote tea. In the first chapter of Chájīng, The origins (卷上, 一之源) he wrote:
“ 其字：或從草，或從木，或草木并。 ”
“ qí zì : huò cóng cǎo, huò cóng mù, huò cǎo mù bìng. ”
which means: Its character: may come from herb/grass (茶 chá from 文字音義 Wénzì yīnyì in 736 AD), or from tree/wood (梌 tú from 本草經 Běncǎojīng, an ancient medical text), or the combination of the two (荼 tú from the 爾雅 ěryǎ, atreatise on lexicography from the Han dynasty)
“ 其名：一曰茶，二曰檟，三曰蔎，四曰茗，五曰荈。 ”
“ qí míng: yī yuē chá, èr yuē jiǎ, sān yuē shè, sì yuē míng, wǔ yuē chuǎn. ”
which means: Its names: first it is called 茶 chá, then 檟 jiǎ, thirdly 蔎 shè, fourthly 茗 míng, fifthly 荈 chuǎn. Where:
檟 jiǎ: according to the author Yang Xiong of Han dynasty, the term was used by Zhoūgōng (周公), the duke of Zhou dynasty to indicate the 苦荼 (kǔtú)
蔎 shè: the term by which natives of present day Sìchuān used to indicated 荼 (tú)
茶,蔎,茗,荈 chá, shè, míng and chuǎn: in legends, Guōh(huán)óngnóng (郭弘農), specified that first tea harvest is known as chá, followed by míng, then shè, and finally chuǎn
There are several special circumstances in which tea is prepared and consumed.
As a sign of respect: In Chinese society, the younger generation always shows its respect to the older generation by offering a cup of tea. Inviting and paying for their elders to go to restaurants for tea is a traditional activity on holidays. In the past, people of lower rank served tea to higher ranking people. Today, as Chinese society becomes more liberal, sometimes at home parents may pour a cup of tea for their children, or a boss may even pour tea for subordinates at restaurants. The lower ranking person should not expect the higher rank person to serve him or her tea in formal occasions, however.
For a family gathering: When sons and daughters leave home to work and get married, they may seldom visit their parents. As a result, parents may seldom meet their grandchildren. Going to restaurants and drinking tea, therefore, becomes an important activity for family gatherings. Every Sunday, Chinese restaurants are crowded, especially when people celebrate festivals. This phenomenon reflects Chinese family values.
To apologize: In Chinese culture, people make serious apologies to others by pouring them tea. That is a sign of regret and submission.
To express thanks to your elders on one's wedding day: In the traditional Chinese marriage ceremony, both the bride and groom kneel in front of their parents and serve them tea. That is a way to express their gratitude. In front of their parents, it is a practice for the married couple to say, Thanks for bringing us up. Now we are getting married. We owe it all to you. The parents will usually drink a small portion of the tea and then give them a red envelope, which symbolizes good luck.
To connect large families on wedding days: The tea ceremony during weddings also serves as a means for both parties in the wedding to meet with members of the other family. As Chinese families can be rather extended, it is entirely possible during a courtship to not have been introduced to someone. This was particularly true in older generations where the patriarch may have had more than one wife and not all family members were always on good terms. As such, during the tea ceremony, the couple would serve tea to all family members and call them by their official title. Drinking the tea symbolized acceptance into the family. Refusal to drink would symbolize opposition to the wedding and is quite unheard of since it would result in a loss of face. Older relations so introduced would give a red envelope to the matrimonial couple while the couple would be expected to give a red envelope to younger, unmarried relations.
To pass on the tradition: Kungfu cha is drunk in Chaoshan because it is part of the Chaoshan culture. They have a term for it and cannot be translated to another Chinese language. In Chaoshan hua [using Guangdong PinYin for Chaoshan hua], it is Ain7goin1 Bhung7Huê3 閑間文化[閑間文化]. It is when friends and family get together in a room to drink Kungfu cha and chat. During such occasions, tradition and culture are passed on to the younger generation.
After a person's cup is filled, that person may knock their bent index and middle fingers (or some similar variety of finger tapping) on the table to express gratitude to the person who served the tea. Although this custom is common in southern Chinese culture such as the Cantonese, it is generally not recognised nor practiced in other parts of China
This custom is said to have originated in the Qing Dynasty when Emperor Qian Long would travel in disguise through the empire. Servants were told not to reveal their master's identity. One day in a restaurant, the emperor, after pouring himself a cup of tea, filled a servant's cup as well. To that servant it was a huge honour to have the emperor pour him a cup of tea. Out of reflex he wanted to kneel and express his thanks. He could not kneel and kowtow to the emperor since that would reveal the emperor's identity so he bent his fingers on the table to express his gratitude and respect to the emperor.
作為開門七件事（柴米油鹽醬醋茶）之一，飲茶在古代中國是非常普遍的。中國的茶文化與歐美或日本的茶文化的分別很大。中華茶文化、源遠流長，博大精深，不但包含物質文化層面，還包含深厚的精神文明層次。唐代茶圣陸羽的茶經在歷史上吹響了中華茶文化的號角。從此茶的精神滲透了宮廷和社會，深入中國的詩詞、繪畫、書法、宗教、醫(yī)學。幾千年來中國不但積累了大量關于茶葉種植、生產的物質文化、更積累了豐富的有關茶的精神文化，這就是中國特有的茶文化，屬于文化學范疇。
中國茶文化的內容主要是茶在中國精神文化中的體現(xiàn)，這比“茶風俗”、“茶道”的范疇深廣的多，也是中國茶文化之所以與歐美或日本的茶文化的分別很大的原因。
中國茶文化的內容包括：
中國的茶書
中國各地區(qū)(包括少數民族)的茶俗
茶在中國文學藝術中的體現(xiàn)。
茶具藝術
名茶典故
不包括茶葉種植、科技等。
中國學者近年來在中國茶文化的研究上有不少成績，《中國茶文化叢書》1-8冊，二千余頁內容豐富，是近年可喜的成果。
自古以來，種茶、制茶、泡茶、品茶均被認為需要高度技藝。當代，由中國人開始，將有關的技藝稱為茶藝。同時，歷朝歷代也涌現(xiàn)出大量與茶有關的各種藝術作品。
茶之為物,產自崇高的山,吸收天地的靈氣,還必須配上清潔的流泉。所謂仁者愛山，智者愛水；古人的一杯茶包含中國文人、哲人深愛的天、地、山、水，仁、智。
茶詩 中國關于茶的文學作品汗牛充棟，僅古詩詞一項，總數在2000首以上.
現(xiàn)在能看到最早的關于茶的文學作品是杜育的《荈賦》。
唐代著名詩人白居易的2800部詩歌作品中，與茶有關的有60首。而他本人也是品茶行家，一天到晚茶不離口。
唐代詩人盧仝所作《走筆謝孟諫議寄新茶》膾炙人口，歷久不衰
“一碗喉吻潤，二碗破孤悶。三碗搜枯腸，惟有文字五千卷。四碗發(fā)輕汗，平生不平事，盡向毛孔散。五碗肌骨清，六碗通仙靈。 七碗吃不得也，唯覺兩腋習習清風生。”
北宋范仲淹作《斗茶歌》描繪了茶文化在當時的盛行。
北宋·蘇軾《汲江煎茶》描寫詩人在月明之夜親自用大瓢汲取活江水烹茶的情景：
“活水還須活水烹，自臨釣石汲深清；大瓢貯月歸春甕，小杓分江入夜瓶。
雪乳已翻煎處腳，松風忽作瀉時聲；枯腸未易禁三椀，臥聽山城長短更?！?br>
當一個人的茶杯倒?jié)M以后，他可以彎曲手指輕敲桌面來表達他對斟茶者的感謝。
這個習俗起源于清朝，大概三四百年前。那時，乾隆皇帝經常微服私訪，巡游各地，要求隨從不能揭示他皇上的身份。
有天在一家旅店，皇上為自己倒了杯茶之后，又給他的隨從斟了一杯。這對隨從來講可是極大的恩寵。出于條件反射，隨從馬上想磕頭謝恩。但是，這樣一來就會泄漏皇帝的身份，所以他就彎了彎手指表示對皇上的感謝與尊敬。
今天，這種敲打的致謝方式仍然存在于中國以及受中華文化影響的地區(qū)。