Do not forget our roots

It is important to know your roots as a Chinese. Certain cultures and traditions should be carried on, so that our next generation will have a better future.

Have you ever wonder more and more of the younger generations are more self-centered and do not really take care the feelings of others. You can change this behaviour if you start to cultivate some Chinese arts into their lifes. With this little effort, your kids will grow up to be a nice nice adult.

Today, let me share with you one of our great ancestors, Shénnóng 神农. Shénnóng was an Emperor of China 5,000 years ago. He was also known as the Emperor of the Five Grains, 五谷先帝.

Shénnóng is said to have helped people transition from a diet of meat, clams, and wild fruits, to one based on grains and vegetables, and for developing herbal medicine. He is recognized for tasting hundreds of herbs-on one day, more than 70 herbs that had medicinal value-selecting those that were suitable as remedies, and describing their properties. As a result of his efforts, numerous herbs became routinely used for health care, and the knowledge was handed down by oral tradition for centuries. When these herbs were described in a formal manner, the book was named after Shénnóng, known today as the Shénnóng běncǎo jīng 神农本草经.

Shénnóng is most commonly credited with the discovery of tea. According to the Chinese legend, one day when water was being boiled for the emporer, dry leaves fell off a camellia sinensis plant into the pot. Shénnóng, being a curious man in the medicinal uses of plants, decided to taste the brew. Apparently, he found the infusion very refreshing and had a delightful flavor. He declared that tea gives vigor to the body. That was when tea was invented, but it was considered as a medicinal beverage rather then a daily refreshment. It was around 300 A.D. when, tea became a daily drink. The use of tea for medicinal purposes continued for centuries, and tea was believed to treat a wide number of conditions, including poisoning.

Thanks to Shénnóng and many generations of herb doctors that followed him, as well as the input from modern research, we do not have to fear trying out the herbs, experiencing highly toxic ones, as Shénnóng did. The steps of tasting each herb and experiencing its effects are important, especially when there are so many species of herbs.

Start Drinking Tea correctly

My professor told me a lot of fruits have a lot of chemicals now. See my little grape covered by layer of white things. Although they said this is ok, but I don't feel safe taking it daily. The only way to detox myself is to drink some tea daily. Tea Tasting can be very fun and cool. Start now :D