Shanghai International Tea Culture Festival

Tea lovers and tea producers make their way to Shanghai for this annual festival which lasts one whole week. China is renowned for tea thought to be excellent not just to satisfy one’s thirst but as a cure for a number of diseases. Shennongshi an ancient chief about 5000 years ago, went about collecting leaves and plants of various varieties as he was very interested in medicine. It is rumored that during one such search he was poisoned a number of times and was saved by the tea leaves he had gathered which worked as an antidote. Since then tea has earned an important place in China’s culture