This chapter first reviews the history of tea in China, pointing out that China is the first country to drink tea. Initially, tea entered human society as a medicinal substance, and later in the Wei and Jin Dynasties (3–4 Century AD), it was imbued with cultural significance and became a symbol of thrift and righteousness. Tea culture matured in the Tang Dynasty. The earliest Europeans’ impression of tea came from missionaries and merchants traveling between Asia and Europe. They recognized and tasted tea within its original cultural context, then brought related knowledge back to Europe in text form. It can be said that their understanding of tea had the most fundamental impact on Europe. However, the massive transmission of tea to Europe was through commerce. The Dutch East India Company and the British East India Company played important roles at different times. By the eighteenth century, tea had become the largest commodity in Sino-British trade. Tea and teaware were widely welcomed in Britain.