heat, for example by steaming or dry-panning the tea leaves through a technique known as "shāqīng" (殺青) In 17th century China numerous advances were made in tea production. In the southern part of China, tea leaves were sun dried and then half fermented, producing Oolong or "black dragon tea." However, this method was not common in the rest of China. Tea was used for medical purposes, and salt was often added to alter its bitter taste. Tea in the Qing Dynasty in Relation to the Opium War Trade between China and Britain was dealt in favor of the Chinese. Tea, silk and porcelain remained desirable and high in demand for the British, but the Chinese did not find British goods as desirable and would only accept silver in payment for their goods, thus creating an imbalance. In order to reverse this situation, the British began smuggling opium into China, where they only accepted payments in silver as well. This created an endless cycle as Chinese citizens became addicted to opium, and the silver earned from opium sales would be used in turn by the British to pay for more Chinese goods as mentioned earlier, such as tea. It eventually led to the Opium wars, where Britain was victorious, and had allowed them to gain trading rights within China's borders as well as other concessions made by the Chinese. Tea in mythology Lu Yu wrote in the Classic of Tea or Cha Jing (茶经), "Tea as a beverage originated with Shennong." The medicine book entitled Shennong Ben Cao Jing (神农本草经) stated that "Shennong tasted hundreds of herbs, he encountered seventy two poisons daily and used tea as an antidote" In Chinese legend, Shennong died in Tea Hill (Chaling County), Hunan. Origins of the tea plant in China In 760 CE, Lu Yu already noted: Tea is a grand tree from the South, tall from one, two, and up to several dozen Chi. Some with circumference up two meters (6.6 feet). A. Wilson in his exploration of the south east area of China discovered tea bushes up to ten feet tall in mountains in Sichuan In 1939, botanists discovered a 7.5 meter (24.6 feet) wild tea tree in Wuchuang county of Guizhou province. In 1940, on the Old Eagle mountain of Wuchuang county, a 6.6 meter (21.7 feet) tall wild tea tree was discovered. In 1957, a 12-meter (39.4 feet) wild tea