Travel into Writing

Hey guys!

So, I figured, as I tag and hashtag #LifeStyleBlogger from time to time, that it is about TIME I actually write MORE about life style in China.

To be honest, I got plenty of nice places and things related to a great life style as a usual kind of guy (nothing fancy like those #Influencer –s you can follow on Instagram or Twitter). 

And for this article, I decided to talk to you about the seasons of tea. Wait… you don’t drink tea? Jeeez guys, time to start, I am 30 not 60, so tea isn’t just for grand-ma and boring cosy people who hate partying every Saturday until dawn! No, here, in China, tea is actually kind of a real life savior for your health, body and something amazing to enjoy when you know where to go.

Ok so maybe talking about only tea may be boring to you but actually, it goes further than drinking tea (meaning: nice places to go to). It is part of the Chinese tradition, their way of living and behaving, like #daily. It is, as in many other countries, a healthy historical way of life. And trust me when I say “tea IS important” when you come to China.

“ 你要喝茶？红色的还有路色的？也有黄色的。” Got it? Yes, Chinese traditional medicine and daily life is kinda close-related since Chinese culture affirms hot water is good for your body, health and spirit. When you add herbal plant to that hot water, it turns into a nice drink with different flavors (indeed) but also properties. Here is a non-exhaustive article about my tea experience (I live with 3 people, among them an expert in Chinese traditional lifestyle/medicine).

Just so you know, Chinese people don’t drink any tea anytime of the day. Each season has its own appropriate tea, due to the weather, the time and the place also. Some of you already know that all of them drink hot water while eating. This water has, for a long long time ago, been known as healthy liquid to help your body ingest and digest the aliments you swallow. Still, if you eat spicy on a hot day in summer, I bet cold water won’t help make it less hot in your esophagus! Instead, a nice (really) hot green tea with mint will help to decrease the acid in your stomach. A yellow hot cup of chamomile tea is good for the inflammations you may endure after tasting southerner Chinese meal (as they are extremely spicy). Beside 路色的 and 黄色的 (lüsede means green and huangsede means yellow) you also have other tea.

The great thing is, you can buy tea everywhere (duuuuh) but you have also a tones of nice shops with 100% natural herbs and tea. Those are obviously the best kind.

I went to the Art District, known as “七九八北京” which is the cultural district. I wwill post about that amazing place later on but let’s just say that between the art galleries and sculptures, you have hidden places that welcome you to sit down after a long walk and enjoy a fresh hot hydrating tea. There is a nice shop also (don’t ask me the names, I would wrote them down you wouldn’t be able to find them as the Chinese name isn’t even displayed) where you can also buy all the cups and tea pot you need to make it look like more traditional. I can assure you, you will find them just by walking in those streets, no need for a specific map.  Just let you be transported until you reach one of the tea places, as there are so many of them.

In that district, you can find people who will recommend you the appropriate tea to drink. As they told me, dark tea (红茶red tea) is preferred in autumn. As the weather turns to be a bit more windy and cooler, it is the appropriate mix of herbs and hot water to get in the morning (English breakfast tea?). The flavor can be different though: from red bays to dark Chinese herbs, you can pick your favorite yourself, knowing it will be the best kind anyway. Green tea, on the other hand, as mint or green lemon flavor, is a fresher and good kick in a hot morning in summer.

In winter, as you eat hot and sometimes more than usual, to help you digest all those gigantic plates, they suggest you to drink yellow tea, mainly ginger-flavored ones.

Personally, I drink a lot of ginger & lemon yellow tea, as the food is actually really good here and so you feel like your stomach isn’t enough to ingest all of it. In the morning though, I will prefer a strong coffee or a dark flavored tea to help my body wake up (beside my favorite drug: #Coffee!!!).

So here it is guys, a non-exhaustive article about #LifeStyle in China, the art of tea, and what you can consider if you like it hot. I will come back to this subject a bit later as I will give you specific places and shops. For the time being, I let you enjoy a tea while reading this post and commenting about it.

Down below, I give you a website if you are interested in going to the art district checking those mentioned places, but let me tell you I will also get back to that with more specifics.

See you soon guys!