for all the tea in China

Driving through London town today, I caught a tantalising glimpse of the celebrations for the Chinese New Year, the year of the tiger.  Today was the culmination of the fifteen days of celebration to mark the new year, and the streets of Soho and Chinatown were filled with colour. It reminded me of the vintage stylised illustrations used in  Chinese packaging from the early 20th Century.
  Here are some vividly bright examples... 

 

 

 

 Tea has had just as much if not more importance in the culture and history of China than in ours.

This quote seems to capture what we all mean when, in troubled times, we say 'I'll put the kettle on'!

“Tea induces lightness of spirit, clarity of mind and freedom from all sense of constriction, 

whether mental of physical; and it promotes such serenity that mundane cares fall away 

 so that whatever is strident of exacerbating in daily life can be put out of mind for a while.” 

The Emperor Song Hui Zong

So if you're partial to jasmine or oolong, 

here's wishing you a delicately flavoured and purifying new year!

pictures from here,here and here