About 500 years ago, tea was introduced to Europe, regarded as a rare Oriental medicine and luxury — hailed as “green gold.” The second episode of Traces of China II explores how an ancient leaf from the East quietly changed the world.
The journey takes you to Tregothnan Estate, Britain’s oldest tea garden, to experience the art of hand-picking tea. At Cambridge, historian Alan Macfarlane reveals that without Chinese tea, there might have been no Industrial Revolution — nor a British Empire.
The episode also uncovers the story of Robert Fortune and the Wardian case, which transformed global trade, and traces tea’s evolution — from London’s luxurious afternoon teas to the worldwide craze for bubble tea — all returning to the pure, authentic essence of Chinese tea. #Tracesofchina #tea #chineseculture #bubbletea
