Friday, November 28, 2008

Help me Yan Di!

The use of tea has been traced back to about 5,000 years ago to the ancient time of a legendary ruler Yan Di, the holy farmer. The Chinese people often call themselves descendants of Yan Di. Yan Di, who was thought of as the god of farming, invented many farm tools and taught people how to grow crops. Archaeological excavating and historical records prove it is a fact rather than legend that the holy farmer founded methods of agricultural production. According to Chinese legend, the holy farmer was also the god of medicine. In order to save the common people from pain, he would select various wild plants as medicine. He would taste the wild plants himself first to learn their effect on the human body. Legend has it that one day he was found poisoned seventy-two times while tasting herbs on a mountain. Later he found a plant and brewed the leaves in a pottery tripod and then he drank the liquid. As a result, the toxins in his body disappeared. The plant was tea. Ever since then the Chinese people have treated tea as a precious medicine.

So I'm hoping I can light a candle for this god so he will help me with my exam next week. Or maybe I should just drink lots and lots of tea.

No comments: