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,盐,酱,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 (茶树/茶树, 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 艹 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 (唐陆羽/唐陆羽), wrote in the his crowing work, The tea classic or Chájīng (茶经/茶经), 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：或从草，或从木，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 文字音义 Wénzì yīnyì in 736 AD), or from tree/wood (梌 tú from 本草经 Běncǎojīng, an ancient medical text), or the combination of the two (荼 tú from the 尔雅 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, Guōhóngnóng (郭弘农), 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 闲间文化[闲间文化]. 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.
作为开门七件事（柴米油盐酱醋茶）之一，饮茶在古代中国是非常普遍的。中国的茶文化与欧美或日本的茶文化的分别很大。中华茶文化、源远流长，博大精深，不但包含物质文化层面，还包含深厚的精神文明层次。唐代茶圣陆羽的茶经在历史上吹响了中华茶文化的号角。从此茶的精神渗透了宫廷和社会，深入中国的诗词、绘画、书法、宗教、医学。几千年来中国不但积累了大量关于茶叶种植、生产的物质文化、更积累了丰富的有关茶的精神文化，这就是中国特有的茶文化，属于文化学范畴。
中国茶文化的内容主要是茶在中国精神文化中的体现，这比“茶风俗”、“茶道”的范畴深广的多，也是中国茶文化之所以与欧美或日本的茶文化的分别很大的原因。
中国茶文化的内容包括：
中国的茶书
中国各地区(包括少数民族)的茶俗
茶在中国文学艺术中的体现。
茶具艺术
名茶典故
不包括茶叶种植、科技等。
中国学者近年来在中国茶文化的研究上有不少成绩，《中国茶文化丛书》1-8册，二千余页内容丰富，是近年可喜的成果。
自古以来，种茶、制茶、泡茶、品茶均被认为需要高度技艺。当代，由中国人开始，将有关的技艺称为茶艺。同时，历朝历代也涌现出大量与茶有关的各种艺术作品。
茶之为物,产自崇高的山,吸收天地的灵气,还必须配上清洁的流泉。所谓仁者爱山，智者爱水；古人的一杯茶包含中国文人、哲人深爱的天、地、山、水，仁、智。
茶诗 中国关于茶的文学作品汗牛充栋，仅古诗词一项，总数在2000首以上.
现在能看到最早的关于茶的文学作品是杜育的《荈赋》。
唐代著名诗人白居易的2800部诗歌作品中，与茶有关的有60首。而他本人也是品茶行家，一天到晚茶不离口。
唐代诗人卢仝所作《走笔谢孟谏议寄新茶》脍炙人口，历久不衰
“一碗喉吻润，二碗破孤闷。三碗搜枯肠，惟有文字五千卷。四碗发轻汗，平生不平事，尽向毛孔散。五碗肌骨清，六碗通仙灵。 七碗吃不得也，唯觉两腋习习清风生。”
北宋范仲淹作《斗茶歌》描绘了茶文化在当时的盛行。
北宋·苏轼《汲江煎茶》描写诗人在月明之夜亲自用大瓢汲取活江水烹茶的情景：
“活水还须活水烹，自临钓石汲深清；大瓢贮月归春瓮，小杓分江入夜瓶。
雪乳已翻煎处脚，松风忽作泻时声；枯肠未易禁三椀，卧听山城长短更。”
当一个人的茶杯倒满以后，他可以弯曲手指轻敲桌面来表达他对斟茶者的感谢。
这个习俗起源于清朝，大概三四百年前。那时，乾隆皇帝经常微服私访，巡游各地，要求随从不能揭示他皇上的身份。
有天在一家旅店，皇上为自己倒了杯茶之后，又给他的随从斟了一杯。这对随从来讲可是极大的恩宠。出于条件反射，随从马上想磕头谢恩。但是，这样一来就会泄漏皇帝的身份，所以他就弯了弯手指表示对皇上的感谢与尊敬。
今天，这种敲打的致谢方式仍然存在于中国以及受中华文化影响的地区。