Why do Chinese people prefer drinking hot water?

Speaking of China, one of the Chinese traditions that many Thai people find a culture shock is that Chinese restaurants always serve ‘hot water’. If you ask for ice, you may be looked at with a strange stare. As we all know, Chinese people prefer drinking hot water, have you ever wondered why they like to drink only hot water? This time, ACU PAY will take you to find out the answer to this question together.

The reason why Chinese people prefer drinking hot water

In ancient China, it was extremely cold in winter, and there was no heater like nowadays. In addition to cotton used as a soft blanket, drinking hot water increases warmth. It is an effective way to maintain warmth.

However, Chinese historical documents indicate that in ancient times, people who could eat hot water were mostly aristocrats or wealthy people, because firewood was expensive as well as ice storage. Therefore, hot and cold water was considered a waste of money. Commoners could only eat water from natural sources.

The people who first drank boiled water were born during the late Qing Dynasty which was when the Westerners came to China. At that time, China met the plague. Drinking water directly from natural sources was unclean, and often contained germs that could cause people to be sick. Boiling water was the easiest way to kill harmful bacteria to reduce sickness and epidemics.

Moreover, in the 1930s, China had a “New Life Movement” campaign that encouraged people to drink hot water for cleaner and more hygienic purposes. Drinking hot water was carried on until 1950 when China started a public health campaign “Drink boiled water” and became a government slogan that spread throughout China.

Since then, there has been a poster campaigning for “Drink Boiled Water” along with the message “Drink Boiled Water from an early age.” Therefore, it is a stratagem for children to turn to drinking hot water since entering kindergarten and to build a habit to pass on to the present day.

Drinking hot water help balance Yin and Yang

The main principle of Chinese medicine is the balance between Yin and Yang. The Chinese believe that unbalanced energy causes many illnesses. According to Chinese medicine, drinking cold water often hinders organs and causes them to not function effectively, but drinking hot water helps nourish the Yang in the body. Thus, this is the reason why Chinese people have such a habit of drinking warm water.

What is a proper warm water like?

The appropriate “warm water” to drink should be about 50 degrees or slightly lower. The appropriate temperature to drink is not to feel a burning sensation in the mouth and you should drink 8 glasses of water a day to stay healthy. You can choose to drink between warm water, room temperature, and cold water, or only warm water after waking up in the morning, drink a warm drink every 1-2 hours during meals or on work days, and drink it before going to bed.