By Victor Chen, bostonese.com
Cambridge, Mass., Nov. 22, 2015, — Dr. Tea, founder of Mylovetea.com, was recently invited to speak at the Harvard Chinese Culture Workshop at Harvard Yenching Library by moderator Ms. Phong Chang. The topic of Dr. Tea`s lecture was Bohea Tea: The Bridge of World History. One of the most interesting facts from this lecture was that the Bohea Tea was the tea that historical Boston Tea Party Tea dumped into Boston Harbor and the tea was greatly favored by Presidents like Jefferson and Nixon. Dr. Team also listed other interesting facts that reveal the extraordinary role Bohea Tea has played in world history, including the American Revolution.
(middle)Ms. Phong Chang and Dr. Tea at the lecture(photos provided to bostonese.com).
Ms. Phong Chang has been one of the key organizers of Harvard Chinese Culture Workshop for many years. She is a famous writer known by Chinese people all over the world. She is the founding president, the incumbent president of Chinese Writers Association New England Chapter. She worked at Harvard Yenching Library for more than two decades and has published many books related to history of Chinese scholars and writers at Harvard University in China and Taiwan. The latest book: The Journey of Research at Harvard was just published by Chongqing Publishing House, in Chongqing China this year. The other two speakers were Harvard visiting scholars Dr. Zhifeng Hu and Dr. Yong Wan.
Dr. Xingcai Zhang has a Ph.D. in Nanomedicine and is widely known as Dr. Tea. With a total of five degrees, Dr. Zhang published many scientific papers on nano-materials and nano-medicine. Some of the papers were cited by Prof. Paula Hammond of MIT who was elected into the 2013 Class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His scientific paper Tea and Cancer Prevention, published on Journal of Cancer Research Updates, also helps him gain the reputation of “Dr. Tea”. Dr Zhang had been interviewed by many famous media including China Daily USA and many other influential media ever since the year 2014. He was invited to the Boston Tea Party 241 year Reenactment and was interviewed by the famous reporter Bill Marcus on the spot which was named as “Interview with the Very Famous Dr. Tea” by Bill.
At the beginning of his lecture, Dr. Tea recalled the name of Tea and its pronunciation in different countries all over the world and draws the conclusion that Tea is originated from China and “Tea” is from his hometown Fujianness dialect Te or Tea. According to Dr. Tea, Bohea Tea is the tea produced from the Bohea Mountain of Fujian, China. The famous Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus first defined Tea as Bohea Tea and later on categorizes tea as Bohea Tea and Green Tea. Bohea Tea is the tea brought by Princess Catherine of Portugal to England when she marries King Charles II in 1662. Catherine is later on widely known as the first British Tea Drinking Queen, who sparked the afternoon tea drinking tradition in Europe and around the world. American President Thomas Jefferson, British Premier Winston Churchill etc are all big fans of the Bohea Tea. Poets Byron said:” I feel my heart become so sympathetic, that I must have recourse to black Bohea”. Because of the polularity of the Bohea Tea, the huge market, profit and trading difference from Bohea Tea, it also initiated the war between Nederland and England, British and China etc and later on the American Revolution due to taxation on Tea (mostly Bohea Tea) without representation. It is also the tea that is the national gift from Chairman Mao to President Nixon when he visited China to start a new era of Sino-US relationship in 1972. President Xi Jinping also speaks highly of the tea at his visit to the Buckingham Palace recently.
Then Dr. Tea questioned why it is the Bohea Tea that is being widely favored rather than any other tea. Dr. Tea said it is not only because of its special taste, but also its fame and location that makes the Bohea Tea became such a big favor. Dr. Tea sourced the literatures, tea books, poems by past Chinese Emperors and Premiers etc and draws the conclusion that the Bohea Tea had been the Chinese Emperors` Tea for thousand years and had been highly appreciated by Kings, Premiers, Poets for ever since. Dr. Tea explained why Bohea Mountain becomes the World Cultural and Natural Heritage by UNESCO. Also Dr. Tea answered why it had been the Chinese Emperors` Tea for thousand years based on his enormous knowledge and also the citation from his published paper <
Dr. Tea said the Bohea Tea had played a great role in the world history and it will continuously contribute to the new world history. He talked about the old Silk Road and the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road，or “One Belt, one Road”，or “B&R” strategy of China. He also cited what President Xi Jinping`s comment on the contribution of the Chinese (Bohea) Tea to the world and the British afternoon tea tradition to the world culture as a peaceful drink.
Dr. Tea also introduced the future contribution Bohea Tea can bring to the world from cultural, scientific, economic and historical way etc. He especially emphasized the tea culture and life style of “Healthy, Harmony, Pure & Nature” initiated by My Love Tea and the scientific contribution Bohea Tea is making now and will be in the future.
Audiences were excited about Dr. Tea`s lecture. Although everyone especially those Chinese Scholars at Harvard knows something about tea, the lecture by My Love Tea
Dr. Tea still stirred huge interest among audiences and two poems were composed by the audience speaking highly of the lecture, the Bohea Tea and Dr. Tea.
Another interesting moment of this lecture was that Dr. Tea was in the “My Love Tea Costume” at Harvard University for the first time, although this is already his third invited lecture at Harvard. The novel costume is also named as “Nature Costume” or “Green Mountain, Blue Water Costume” by Dr. Tea. It is a traditional Han Costume being blue and green in color. The Han Costume is an intake of tradition and history, which had been there for thousands of years in Chinese history. The Blue and Green of the “Nature Costume” or “Green Mountain, Blue Water Costume” represents the novel culture of “Healthy, Harmony, Pure & Nature” created and led by My Love Tea Dr. Tea. Many audiences were attracted by the “My Love Tea Costume” and asked for photographs with Dr. Tea.
Dr. Tea(left) and writer Long Shu pose for a picture(provided to bostonese.com).
Bohea Tea, including Tea Pop, Lapsang Souchong etc, were presented and the The King of the Black Tea was served by Dr. Tea at the lecture. Audiences had a wonderful experience and speak highly of the tea and the lecture.