Ⅲ.Pu’er Tea in Taiwan
It is known to all that Pu’er tea is popular in Yunnan, Guangdong and other provinces.In recent years, Pu’er tea drinks have gradually increased in Taiwan Province and overseas areas.As Cantonese migrated to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan Province, Pu’er tea also spread to these areas.The locals of Guangdong live in Taiwan were recorded clearly in about 1870.When investigating the spread history of Pu’er tea in Taiwan Province, a family named Cai who lives in Taipei made it clear that when he was young, his family made a big pot of tea every day, and the tea used at that time was Pu’er tea.Because the influences of his grandfather, his whole family drank Pu’er tea.In memory,the taste and color of Pu’er tea he drank were similar to that of Pu’er tea now, which proved that Pu’er tea at time and present is the same one.The family members of Caiare the fourth generation of those who emigrated to Taiwan, originally from Jieyang County, Guangdong Province.According to his grandfather, they used to drink this tea, so they still followed these tea drinking habits in Taiwan Province.Why do they drink“Pu’er tea”? Apart from the influence of habits, there are also economic conditions and frugal factors.Pu’er is brewing-resistant.A pot of tea can be drunk for a whole day.It still tastes delicious after several times of adding water and brewing again and again.
过去，能用正统茶叶天天泡一壶的人家是不多的，一般仅在有客人来或举办喜庆宴会时，才较慎重地泡一壶茶，日常生活中，每天泡茶，且味浓有色，可表示该户人家较富有。而一般家庭往往用茶梗或抓些许茶叶泡一壶，这样泡一二次就无味了，仍舍不得倒掉或换茶叶。普洱茶耐泡，味重色浓，早上泡一壶，喝到下午还有滋味，符合当时节俭的要求，这也是有人选择普洱茶的理由之一。
1895年，中国台湾、香港地区的来往愈趋密切，香港人普遍饮用普洱茶，在港、台较密切的交往过程中，以茶叶为礼物馈赠亲友是件很平常的事，台湾地区人民赴香港地区，到茶楼饮茶也是平常事，普洱茶也就在台湾地区人民的脑海里留下了较深刻的印象。
由于种种因素，台湾地区并不生产普洱茶，虽有饮用普洱茶的群体，但普洱茶并不普遍，仅止于有朋自香港地区来，带来少量的茶。
1949年，从广东、广西、贵州、四川和泰、缅边界等地进入的军民大增，带来了更多饮用普洱茶的习惯，增加了饮用普洱茶的人口，普洱茶的市场需求出现，但因当时政治因素，在两岸对峙、关系紧张的情况下，无人敢公开使用大陆地区的东西，任何牵涉到大陆关系的东西，一律视为“匪货”。少量市场存在的普洱茶，是间接从香港带进来的，都称作“港茶”，市面上也不敢明显地公开贩售。“港茶”是没有包装纸的，港、台地区商人用一种玻璃纸包起来，算是较文明一点了。
1970年以后，台湾地区经济有明显的起飞现象，饮茶人口急速增加。同时期，又因兴起了开设“港式饮茶”的茶楼之风，首先在台北市开设的“龙凤茶楼”，生意鼎盛，接着“春风得意楼”“红宝石茶楼”等相继成立，饮茶风气逐渐渗透到台湾中、南部。这些茶楼，虽然与香港以饮茶为主、用餐为辅的茶楼有所不同，但即是茶楼，又仿香港，因此普洱茶在茶楼的分量和比例也占得很重，有些开始喝不习惯普洱茶的，就点普洱茶加菊花的“菊普”。另外，客人也有一种心理，上了港式茶楼，若不点普洱茶，好像不太像上茶楼，在这些心理因素下，普洱茶的市场需求随之增加，过去从香港带来的普洱茶怕惹上政治麻烦，总是把来自云南等地的包装和商标撕去，茶行不敢公开贩卖，以舶来品的身份同工艺品等百货在委托行内贩卖。
In the past, there were not many people who could make a pot of tea with orthodox tea every day.Generally, they would make a pot of tea carefully only when guests came or held a festive banquet.If family can make tea with thick soup and beautiful color in daily life, the family must be rich.Ordinary families usually make a pot of tea with tea stalks or few tea leaves, the tea is tasteless after one or two times of brewing.Even through, they are still reluctant to dump or change it.Pu’er tea is brewing-resistant.It has strong taste and dark color.A pot of tea made in the morning is still proper even in the afternoon, which meets the requirements of thrift at that time.This is one of the reasons why some people choose Pu’er tea.
In 1895, the communication between Taiwan and Hong Kong became closer and closer.Since people in Hong Kong generally drank Pu’er tea, it was common to give tea as gifts to relatives and friends in close communication between Hong Kong and Taiwan people.It was also common for Taiwan people to go to Hong Kong and enjoy tea in tea houses.As a result, Taiwan people were deeply impressed by Pu’er tea.
Due to various factors, Pu’er tea is not produced in Taiwan.Although there are people who drink Pu’er tea, Pu’er tea is not common, only when their friends come from Hong Kong and bring a small amount of tea.
In 1949, soldiers and civilians from Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, borders of Thailand, Myanmar and other places move to Taiwan which makes popnlation booming.which brought more habits of drinking Pu’er tea and increased the number of people who drank Pu’er tea.The market demand for Pu’er tea emerged.However, because of the political factors at that time, no one dared to publicly use things in mainland China under the situation of cross-strait confrontation and tense relations.Anything related to mainland China was regarded as“bandit product”.There was a small amount of Pu’er tea in the market.It was brought in indirectly from Hong Kong, and is called“Hong Kong Tea”.No one was afraid to sell it publicly in the market.“Hong Kong tea”was provided with wrapping paper.Merchants of Hong Kong and Taiwan wrapped it with cellophane, which is a bit more civilized.
After 1970, the economy of Taiwan took off obviously, and the number of tea drinkers increased rapidly.At the same time, due to the rise of“Hong Kong-style tea houses”in Taiwan,the first“Longfeng (Dragon and Phoenix)Tea House”opened in Taipei was prosperous, followed by the establishment of“Chunfengdeyi Tea House”and“Ruby Tea House”.It was even popular in the middle and south of Taiwan.Although these tea houses were different from those in Hong Kong where tea drinking is the mainstay and dining is the supplement, they were tea houses learnt from Hong Kong.Therefore, Pu’er tea accounted for a large proportion in the tea houses.Some people who were not used to drinking Pu’er tea order“Jupu”which is mixed with Pu’er tea and chrysanthemum.In addition, guests also have a kind of psychology that if they don’t order Pu’er tea, it doesn’t seem like going to a tea house.Under this psychological factor, the market demand for Pu’er tea further increased.In the past, to avoid political trouble, the package and logo of Pu’er tea brought to Hong Kong from Yunnan and other places of mainland China were tore off.The tea chambers dared not sell it publicly, so they sold it with as imported goods with handcraft in consignment stores.
因此，买普洱茶要到基隆等靠近码头的地方及台北市中山北路晴光市场等专卖舶来品的委托行才能买到，这种无法光明磊落公开贩卖的茶叶，货源时有时无，经常接续不上，于是台湾地区茶业界就动了脑筋，自己做茶，首先是具有较悠久历史的“王有记茶行”在台北制作普洱茶，由于制作工艺不错，品质不差，各茶楼纷纷向其订购。当地普洱茶，虽然主要是散茶，但是还打出名气来。随后，几家茶行也跟进。在1971年到1981年的10年间，是台湾地区“港式茶楼”的鼎盛时期，普洱茶也更为社会大众所知悉。但是，普洱茶制作者为求近利，采取速成的湿仓法，虽然满足了市场的需要，但所制成的茶叶与地道普洱茶相比，终究略有逊色。
1981年以后，台湾地区年轻知识分子关心并对普洱茶文化进行传播。《普洱茶在台湾》一文中提到；“有学术界的范增平先生、邓时海教授、茶艺界的蔡荣章先生、汤龄娜小姐、周渝、倪子扬、方捷栋、何健、陈怀远、吴芳洲先生，台湾故宫博物院的陈擎光小姐，新闻界的池宗宪、曾至贤先生，医界的苏正尧医师等，都喜爱普洱茶。”在各方面人士的影响下，普洱茶在台湾地区的发展迈向各阶层且势头良好。随着台湾地区茶文化迈向更高层次的蓬勃发展阶段，现代茶艺馆如雨后春笋般兴起，品茗活动的开展，茶叶知识的增进，消费者的品味要求提高，使得鼎盛的港式茶楼开始走下坡路，一些非正牌的仿冒名茶产品，也受到排斥。强调纯正口味的呼声愈来愈高，台湾地区生产的普洱茶也退出了茶业市场，从此消失在人们的视野里。取而代之的是从云南辗转来台的地道普洱茶，包装和商标也完整留存着，云南下关茶厂的沱茶、中国茶叶进出口公司云南省茶业分公司出口的七子饼茶，普洱茶砖、罐装普洱散茶，渐渐可以在市面上公开售卖。货源一到，往往整批整批被人买下，尤其是紧压制成的普洱茶砖、沱茶、七子饼，价格节节升高，更有珍藏者将它视如艺术品而购买下来，普洱茶受到的重视逐步攀升。
1987年底，台湾地区宣布开放赴大陆探亲政策，两岸关系缓和，普洱茶开始大量进入台湾市场，公开在市场上售卖，引起茶界的重视，价格也因此下降。此时，普洱茶走向大众化，消费者对普洱茶的接受度也大大增加。
1991年以后，普洱茶的市场扩大，需求量大增，1991年与1992年相比，销售量增长了一倍多。据悉，台北一家专卖普洱茶的茶行，每月平均营业额在50万台币左右，其中售出的茶产品，每月平均数是：沱茶500个，七子饼茶250片，普洱茶砖150块，普洱散茶1台斤=0.6公斤左右。而售出价格（以人民币计算）：普洱散茶900元/600克，七子饼茶900元/片，茶砖250元/块，沱茶250元/个。另一主要以卖普洱茶为主的中盘茶行，每月营业额在台币300万左右，七子饼的贩售每月平均在1500片左右。
Therefore, Pu’er tea can be bought from places near the wharf, such as Keelung, and the consignment stores that specialize in imported products, such as Qingguang Market at Zhongshan North Road, Taipei.This tea can’t be sold publicly, sometimes has no supply, and often can’t be supplied continuously.So Taiwan’s tea industry wants to make its own tea.First of all, Wangyouji Tea Chamber Company, which has a long history, made Pu’er tea in Taipei.Because of its good technology and quality, all tea houses have ordered Pu’er tea from it.Although Taiwan Province Pu’er tea is mainly loose tea, still became famous.Subsequently, several tea shops followed it.During the 10 years from 1971 to 1981, the“Hong Kong-style tea house”reached its peak in Taiwan, and Pu’er tea was more known to the public.However, for the sake of quick profit, Pu’er tea makers adopted the quick wet storage method to meet the market demand, but the tea made in this way is slightly inferior to the authentic Pu’er tea after all.
After 1981, young intellectuals in Taiwan were concerned about the development of tea culture.Some of them advertised Pu’er tea.For example, Mr.Fan Zengping and Professor Deng Shihai in the academic circle, Mr.Cai Rongzhang, Miss Tang Lingna, Mr.Zhou Yu, Mr.Mr.Ni Ziyang, Mr.Fang Jiedong, Mr.He Jian, Mr.Chen Huaiyuan and Mr.Wu Fangzhou in the tea circle, Miss Chen Qingguang of the National Palace Museum in Taiwan, Mr.Chi Zongxian and Mr.Zeng Zhixian in the press circle, and Dr.Su Zhengyao in the medical circle all loved Pu’er tea.Under the influence of people from all walks of life, Pu’er tea in Taiwan was developing with good momentum at all levels.With the tea culture of Taiwan moving towards a higher level of vigorous development, modern tea houses were springing up like mushrooms.The carrying out of tea tasting activities, the improvement of tea knowledge, and the stepping up of consumers’requirement on taste made the prosperous Hong Kong-style tea houses begin to decline.Some non-genuine counterfeit famous tea products were also being rejected.The voice of emphasizing pure taste got louder and louder, and Pu’er tea produced in Taiwan also withdrawn from the tea market and disappeared.Instead,the authentic Pu’er tea with intact packaging and trademark from Yunnan was transferred to Taiwan.Tuo tea from Xiaguan Tea Factory in Yunnan, Chi Tse cake tea exported by Yunnan Tea Industry Branch of China Tea Import and Export Corporation, Pu’er brick tea and canned Pu’er loose tea was gradually publicly sold in the market.When the tea arrived, people often bought it in batches, especially the tightly pressed Pu’er brick tea, Tuo tea and Chi Tse tea.Their prices rose steadily and there were collectors who bought it as works of art.Pu’er tea got more and more attention.
At the end of 1987, the Taiwan announced the policy of opening up and allowed people to visit relatives in the mainland China, the cross-strait relation was eased.Pu’er tea began to enter the Taiwan market in large quantities, and it was publicly sold in the market, which attracted the attention of the tea circle, and the price dropped accordingly.The Pu’er tea was popularized.The acceptance degree of consumers to Pu’er tea greatly increased.
1993年，邓时海先生以学者的身份去了思茅（现普洱市）参加第一届国际普洱茶学术研讨会，并且以“越陈越香”为主题发表了一篇论文，成为台湾地区茶人对普洱茶参与研究的开端。
1994年，台湾茶联会长吕礼臻受邀带了众多专业茶人远赴云南地区考察，并且执意要求上山考察易武镇，只因为有许多号级茶的内票上都写着“易武正山”四个字。这一票茶人在易武镇考察之余，在易武镇政府的协助下，以台湾地区众茶人的想象力合伙生产了一批名为“真醇雅”的茶饼。
至1997年，香港四大家族陆羽茶楼、金山酒楼、双喜茶楼、龙凤茶楼大量抛售普洱老茶，开启了陈年普洱进入台湾地区，使原本堆积在茶仓中的“同庆号”“福元昌”“宋聘号”“红印”等老普洱茶纷纷出笼，涌入当时“钱淹脚目”的台湾。陈放了数十年的老茶，迷人的丰姿熟韵与甘醇更受消费者欢迎。
1999年是台湾地区普洱茶兴盛始启，时任台湾大学食品研究所所长、卫生署参事的孙露西教授于1993年开始研究普洱茶，证实了1986年法国的研究报告，普洱茶能降低三酸甘油脂与胆固醇，其效果比西药安妥明还快且无副作用，1999年媒体公布此份研究报告，台湾普洱茶市场瞬间兴起。
台湾首次出现网络集中讨论普洱茶，是昵称名为“安仔”的网友在2000年左右所创建的“艺术笔记网站”，内容涵盖多样的艺术领域，“茶颠话茶”为所有茶类综合论坛，并非普洱茶专页，但2001—2003年间成为首要的普洱茶讨论区。2001年，因个人与其他茶友进入讨论普洱茶，普洱茶逐渐成为主导茶类。
After 1991, the market of Pu’er tea expanded and the demand increased greatly.Compared with 1992, the sales volume in 1991 increased by more than one time.It was reported that the average monthly turnover of a tea chamber specializing in Pu’er tea in Taipei was about NTD 500,000, among which the average monthly sales of tea products are: 500 nos of Tuo tea, 250 nos of Chi Tse cake tea, 150 nos of Pu’er brick tea, and about 200 Taiwan catty of Pu’er loose tea.Selling price(calculated in RMB): Pu’er loose tea 900/600 g, Chi Tse cake tea 900/piece, brick tea 250/piece, Tuo tea 250/piece.The Zhongpan tea chamber which mainly sold Pu’er tea, has a monthly turnover of about NTD 3 million, and an average monthly sales of Chi Tse cake tea of about 1,500 pieces.
In 1993, Mr.Deng Shihai went to Simao (now Pu’er City)as a scholar to attend the first international symposium on Pu’er tea, and published a paper with the theme of“The more aged the tea, the more fragrant it is”, which became the beginning of Taiwan people’s participation in the research of Pu’er tea.
In 1994, Lyu Lizhen, President of Taiwan Tea Union, was invited to take a group of professional tea followers to Yunnan for an survey, and insisted on going up the mountain to investigate Yiwu Town, just because the tea specification sheets of may tea shops has the words of“Yiwu Main Mountain”.After visiting Yiwu Town, this group of tea followers, with the assistance of Yiwu Town Government, produced a batch of tea cakes named“Zhen Chun Ya”in partnership with the imagination of all tea people in Taiwan Province.
By 1997, four big families in Hong Kong, Luyu Tea House, Jinshan Tea House, Shuangxi Tea House and Longfeng Tea House, sold a lot of aged Pu’er tea, started the entering of aged Pu’er tea to Taiwan.Old Pu’er tea brands, such as“Tongqing”“Fuyuanchang”“Songpin”and“Hongyin”,which had been stocked in warehouses, came out one after another and poured into Taiwan at that time.The tea, aged for decades, was more popular with consumers because of its mature and mellow charm as well as sweetness.
In 1999, Pu’er tea began to flourish in Taiwan.Professor Sun Luxi, then director of the Food Research Institute of Taiwan University and counselor of the Department of Health, began to study Pu’er tea in 1993, and confirmed the French research report in 1986, that Pu’er tea could reduce triglyceride and cholesterol, and its effect was faster than that of western medicine Antoine, with no side effects.In 1999, this research report was published through media and the Pu’er tea market in Taiwan rose instantly.
Online discussion of Pu’er tea first appeared in Taiwan Province can be traced back to a Network of Art Notes created by a network user nick named“An Zi”around 2000.It covered various art fields.Chatting on Tea is a comprehensive forum for all teas, rather than specially for Pu’er tea, but it became the primary Pu’er tea discussion area from 2001 to 2003.In 2001, Pu’er tea gradually became the dominant tea because he and other tea followers entered the website to discuss Pu’er tea.