Grain rain is the 6th out of the 24 solar terms and it falls on April 20 this year, marking the end of spring.

Grain rain, just as its name implies, is a golden time for the growth of hundreds of grains.

There's an old custom in southern China that people drink tea on the day of Grain Rain.

The abundant rainfall makes the tea leaves taste fresh and rich in a variety of vitamins.

Making tea is a complicated process. An important tip for making tea is patience.

It's more than just drinking for pleasure. It's a way of connecting people. 

8 steps on how to brew the Chinese tea 

1. Prepare the Tea Set

A whole tea set includes a kettle, tea needle, tureen, tea pitcher, teacup, tea filter, tea tray, and tea accessories. 

2. Pour some hot water into the tea set

3. Pour the Tea Leaves 

Use a tea needle to fill the tureen with tea leaves. The weight of the tea leaves differs according to the size of the tureen. 

4. Warm the Tea Leaves

Also known as "Warm Brew". Generally, it is not for drinking.

Add a full bowl with hot water to let the tea leaves unfold.

5. Brew the Tea

Pour hot water into the tureen, then pour it into the tea pitcher.

6. Pour the Tea

Evenly distribute the tea in the tea pitcher. Serve the tea in teacups.

It feels so relaxing to appreciate the taste and smell of the tea.  

How did ancient Chinese poet express their feeling about the Grain Rain?

Here is the poem. 

Why not brew new tea with fresh fire? 
Do chant poems with wine in the prime of youth. 

且（Qie）将（Jiang）新（Xin）火（Huo）试（Shi）新（Xin）茶（Cha） 
诗（Shi）酒（Jiu）趁（Chen）年（Nian）华（Hua）—— 宋·苏轼 《望江南·超然台作》

This famous poem was written by Su Shi from the Northern Song Dynasty. He expressed a detached attitude towards life, and is also an expert in cursive script. 

Life is short, so why not settle and enjoy the life of springtime?

What else do you know about the Grain Rain, please leave your comments down below! 

Camera operator: Yang Yuebo

Video and Copy Editor: Qiu Yu

Chief Editor: Zhang Xiaohe

Foreign Editor: April