Yes, Chinese tea does contain caffeine, although the amount varies depending on the type of tea and several other factors.
Type of tea:
White tea: Has the lowest caffeine content of all Chinese teas, with only about 15-25mg per 8oz cup. White Peony and Silver Needle are common white tea varieties.
Pu-erh tea: Caffeine content varies significantly depending on the type and age of Pu-erh. Young Sheng Pu-erh can have the highest amount, around 60-70mg per 8oz cup, while aged Shou Pu-erh has the least, around 15-25mg per 8oz cup.
Green tea: Generally has the least amount of caffeine among Chinese teas, with around 30-35 mg per 8oz cup. Popular green teas like Dragonwell and Longjing fall within this range.
Black tea: Contains slightly more caffeine than green tea, averaging around 47mg per 8oz cup. Examples include Keemun and Dianhong black teas.
Oolong tea: Falls between green and black tea in terms of caffeine content, ranging from 30-50mg per 8oz cup depending on the variety. Tieguanyin and Da Hong Pao are well-known oolong teas.
Here are some additional factors that can affect the caffeine content of Chinese tea:
Leaf processing: Teas that undergo more processing generally have higher caffeine levels. For example, black tea leaves are fully oxidized, while green tea leaves are not, resulting in black tea having slightly more caffeine.
Water temperature: Using hotter water will extract more caffeine from the tea leaves.
Steeping time: The longer you steep the tea, the more caffeine will be released.
Tip:
For healthy adults, the FDA has cited 400 milligrams a day—that's about four or five cups of coffee(about 8 or 10cups of tea) —as an amount not generally associated with dangerous, negative effects.
So Chinese tea is safe to drink everyday.