Ⅰ.Pu’er Tea in Hong Kong
Although Pu’er tea originated in Yunnan, the tasting and collection of Pu’er tea were carried forward in the southeast coastal areas such as Guangdong Province, especially in Hong Kong.Pu’er tea is not only a daily drink of Hong Kong residents, but also exported to Southeast Asia,Europe and America in large quantities through Hong Kong, making Hong Kong a promotion and distribution center of Pu’er tea.
据史料记载，“达盛茶号”位于文咸东第号即水车馆对门，亲自选办两湖、福建武夷各种岩茶、义顺六安、云南普洱、古劳包种、藏旧清远各款名茶及洋装贡品礼茶、藏旧茶砖发售。追溯近现代普洱的发展历程，中国香港作为中转站在其中所起到的作用毋庸置疑。
而香港早在清末民初以来，便是普洱茶外销南洋和转口欧洲的商业集散地，素有“茶港”之称。当时香港每年进口各种茶叶2万至3万吨，本地消费8千至9千吨，其中普洱茶在港年销量约4千至5千吨。再加上内地茶叶苛捐杂税的逼迫，普洱茶曾经一度出现了产量骤减和外销势头减弱的情况，这时大量在广州滞销的普洱茶廉价销往香港，更增加了普洱茶在香港的存量。
在中国香港茶肆中，曾有一联云：“普洱铁观音松祷烹雪醒诗梦；龙井碧螺春竹院弥香荡浊尘。”在此联中，普洱茶位居第一。可见，普洱茶在香港地区的长期入驻使它早已拥有了自己的地位。而普洱茶得以在香港普遍流行，茶楼起了很大的推广作用。茶商组织和营业状况在中国香港地区开展以后，茶叶方面除了对外贸易方面地位愈显重要，本地茶市也逐渐形成了一定的规模。中国香港之茶商组织，大抵有“商行”“商号”“茶号”“茶栈”“茶行”“茶庄”“茶叶店”等名目；又有“茶楼”“茶室”等消费场所。茶楼的不断兴起为普洱茶的推广起了很好的引导作用。
中国香港地区的普洱茶文化是在茶楼文化中发展出来的，在茶文化的动态发展中，普洱茶逐渐成为中国香港茶文化的象征。还有“叹早茶”等都是许多香港当地人的生活习惯，在香港独有“一盅两件”，即一边品茗一边享用早餐。中国香港当地人喜好大饮大食，而普洱茶最能消滞去积，故在茶楼这饮食之地便倍受欢迎。除了提供饮食外，香港有许多茶楼在晚上都会有唱曲供茶客娱乐，如云香茶室、浮云茶室、添男茶居、清华阁等。唱者有所谓粤曲唱脚，而唱的曲目多为粤曲、南音，茶客可以边听边谈话，到说的口干时，便喝一口茶。由于普洱茶耐浸泡，冲了多次也不会有苦涩味，在这些场合就最适合不过了。这种听曲谈话之娱乐直到20世纪80年代初才在中国香港渐微。
According to Hong Kong Chinese Mail,“Dasheng Tea”, located at No.5 Wenxian East Street, (opposite the Shui Che Kwun), has selected various famous teas, western-style tribute gift teas and stored old tea bricks from Hubei, Hunan, Wuyi of Fujian, Lu’an of Yishun, Pu’er of Yunnan, Gulao tea, aged Qingyuan Tea.Looking back at the development of Pu’er tea in modern and contemporary times, the transit station role of Hong Kong is beyond doubt.
As early as the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, Hong Kong was a commercial distribution center of Pu’er tea exported to Southeast Asia and re-exported to Europe, and was known as the“tea port”.At that time, Hong Kong imported 20,000-30,000 tons of various teas each year, and consumed 8,000-9,000 tons locally, of which 4,000-5,000 tons of Pu’er tea was sold annually in Hong Kong.Coupled with the imposition of exorbitant taxes on tea in the Mainland China, Pu’er tea once experienced a sharp drop in output and export.At this time, large amounts of Pu’er tea which was unsalable in Guangzhou were sold to Hong Kong cheaply, which further increased the stock of Pu’er tea in Hong Kong.
In tea shops of Hong Kong, there was a couplet saying:“Pu’er tea and Tie Guanyin cooked with snow by Song Tao wakes up poetry dreams; Longjing and Biluochun exude fragrance in courtyard of bamboo wash away the dust.”In this couple, Pu’er tea ranks the first.It can be seen that the long term presence of Pu’er tea in Hong Kong makes it own its position.The wide population of Pu’er tea in Hong Kong was greatly promoted by the tea houses.After the development of tea merchant organization and business in Hong Kong, except that the position of tea has become more and more important in foreign trading, the local tea market has gradually formed a certain scale.Tea merchant organizations in Hong Kong generally have such names as“firm”“trade name”“tea shop”“tea hotel”“tea chamber”and“tea store”.There are also“tea house”“tea room”and other consumer places.The continuous rise of tea houses has played a very good guiding role in promotion of Pu’er tea.
The Pu’er tea culture of Hong Kong is developed from the tea house culture.With the dynamic development of tea culture, Pu’er tea has gradually become the symbol of Hong Kong tea culture.There is also“enjoyment of morning tea”, which is the living habit of many locals.In Hong Kong, there is a unique custom of“one cup of tea and two snacks”, that is, enjoying breakfast and tea together.In Hong Kong, the locals like to eat and drink a lot, while Pu’er tea is the best way to eliminate stagnation, so it is very popular in tea houses.Apart from catering, there are many tea houses in Hong Kong that provide singing entertainment to tea guests at night, such as Yunxiang Tea House, Fuyun Tea House, Tiannan Tea House, Qinghua Pavilion, etc.The singers usually sing songs in Cantonese and Southern Fujian Dialect.Tea drinkers can talk while listening, and when they are thirsty, they may take a sip of tea.Because Pu’er tea is brewing-resistant, it won’t have bitter taste after being brewed for many times, so it is most suitable for these occasions.This kind of entertainment of appreciating music while talking didn’t fade away in Hong Kong until the early 1980s.