According to Lu Yu, the writer of the book Tea Classics in the Tang Dynasty (618 --- 907), Chinese tea enjoyed a more than 4000 years history.
Tea was used as offerings in the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC --- 711 BC), vegetables in the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC), and medicine in the Warring States Period (476 BC - 221 BC). Later in the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD), it became a main commodity. During 300 years between the Three Kingdoms Period (220 - 280) and the Northern and Southern Dynasties (386 --- 589), especially the latter, Buddhism was popular and Buddhists applied tea to relieve sleep in za-zen, so tea trees spread along valleys around temples. That is why people say tea and Buddhism accompanied each other in their development. Till the Tang Dynasty tea became popular in ordinary people. In the Ming Dynasty (1368 --- 1644), tea trade began to play an important role in the government economy, the 'Tea and Horse Bureau' was set up to supervise the tea trade.
In the 6th century, a Buddhist monk introduced tea to Japan and in the 16th century to Europe by a Portuguese missionary. And tea became an international drink.
Now in China, tea family not only consists of traditional tea, but also tea beverage, tea food, tea medicine and other tea products.
Any suggestion, please 
Reply3/16/2010 10:24:00 AMs
omg i love tea specially grape tea