Ⅱ.Pu’er Tea in Europe
Europe is one of the major export markets of Chinese tea.British, German and French people like to drink tea.London is a tea distribution centers in the world.Among other European countries, Poland imports much Pu’er tea.Although there is a growing interest in Pu’er tea in Europe, the main consumption in Europe is black tea.
(Ⅰ)France
France is the most stable country for sales of Pu’er tea in Europe.The sales of Pu’er tea has not declined for thirty years.In many Western European countries, the Tuo tea was sold as cosmetics in drug stores and department stores.It also becomes a handicraft in the home decoration.There is a saying in French that“if you want to have beautiful appearance, just drink Tuo tea”.The rise of Pu’er tea fever in France also originated from the 1970s, when an old French man named (Fred Kemple introduced Yunnan Tuo tea into France.As a general agent of Yunnan Tuo tea in Europe, Mr.Kemple made the greatest contribution to Pu’er tea: First, he introduced the“Tuo tea for sale”of Xiaguan Tea Factory into Europe.In 1976, he signed an agreement with Hong Kong Tiansheng Tea Company to sell Xiaguan Tuo tea in France; Secondly, he put forward the suggestion of doncut pharmacological tests of Pu’er tea in Yunnan and France at the same time.The results showed that Pu’er Tuo tea in Yunnan had a very prominent effect of lowering blood fat and losing weight.In the 21st century, French wine culture spread to China.Yunnan Pu’er tea industry began to explore manor model of Pu’er tea, in order to build a high-end brand of Pu’er tea like the famous French winery.This shows the important significance and far-reaching influence of French culture to the development of Pu’er tea industry.
（二）德国
1999年，一位德国科学家发布了云南普洱茶的特殊保健功效后，引起的轰动使得欧洲掀起了一阵云南普洱茶热。据茶人李德应撰文回忆：“1998—2001年，我从深圳回昆明，担任茶叶公司茶叶出口部经理，经历了普洱茶出口欧洲市场最辉煌的历史。普洱茶在德国销量超过千吨，一时间喝普洱茶不但成了时尚，而且成了必需品，大腹便便的欧洲人热衷上了普洱茶，他们不但喝、品，还宣传普洱茶。”20世纪90年代后期，欧盟将茶叶残留农药检测标准提高，受此影响，普洱茶在法国消费量骤减，同时普洱茶对欧洲的出口量也呈下降趋势。
（三）英国（西欧）
1684年英国东印度公司的茶叶贸易业务大增，其中包括购买优良普洱茶。17世纪末期，英国饮用茶叶开始由贵族向平民转化和推广，饮茶逐渐深入广大民众的日常生活。1897年，英国在云南思普洱市（原思茅地区）设立海关，并通过茶马古道这条四通八达的国际商道将普洱茶源源不断地运入英国，成为英国上流社会的时尚饮品，并慢慢地影响到平民的饮食生活。由于普洱茶具有降湿抗潮的功效和作用，对于当时的雾都伦敦确实是上佳饮品。
清雍正七年（1729年）普洱茶正式被列为贡茶后，清代历任皇帝都将普洱茶作为国礼赠送给各国驻中国外交使节。乾隆年间，清廷与英国交涉两国贸易问题时，送给英国的礼品中就有普洱贡茶的茶膏。乾隆皇帝三次回赠英国国王乔治三世的礼品中，均有普洱茶茶膏和普洱砖茶。
(Ⅱ)Germany
In 1999, a German scientist released the special health care efficacy of Yunnan Pu’er tea,caused a fever of Yunnan Pu’er tea in Europe.According to the author Li Deying, a tea follower,“From 1998 to 2001, I went back to Kunming from Shenzhen and served as manager of the tea export department of a tea company.I experienced the most glorious history of Pu’er tea exported to the European market.The sales volume of Pu’er tea in Germany exceeded 1,000 tons.At that time, drinking Pu’er tea became not only fashionable, but also necessary.Potbellied Europeans were keen on Pu’er tea.They not only drink, taste but also advertise Pu’er tea.”In the late 1990s,the European Union raised the detection standard of pesticide residues in tea.Under the influences of this standard, the consumption of Pu’er tea dropped sharply in France, and the export volume of Pu’er tea to Europe also showed a downward trend.
(III)Britain
In 1684, the tea trade volume of British East India Company increased greatly, including the purchase of superior-quality Pu’er tea.At the end of 17th century, drinking tea in Britain began to be transformed and popularized from aristocrats to civilians, and gradually penetrated into the daily life of the general public.In 1897, Britain set up a customs office in Pu’er City, Yunnan Province (formerly Simao area), and continuously transported Pu’er tea into Britain through the Ancient Tea-horse Road, an international commercial route extending in all directions.Then, Pu’er tea became a fashionable drink of the British upper class, and gradually affected the diet of the common people.Pu'er tea was really a good drink in England known as the city of fog at that time,because it had the effect of reducing humidity and resisting moisture.
After Pu’er tea was officially listed as tribute tea in the 7th year of Yongzheng Period of the Qing Dynasty (1729), successive emperors in the Qing Dynasty presented Pu’er tea as a national gift to diplomatic envoys of various countries in China.During the Qianlong Period, when the imperial court negotiated with Britain in terms of trade, the paste of Pu’er tea was offered to Britain as a gift.Among the gifts that the Emperor Qianlong gave back to the King George III of Britain three times, there were Pu’er tea paste and Pu’er brick tea.
普洱茶自清代列为“贡茶”并作为国礼赠送给各国驻中国外交使节，时隔近300年后再次成为赠送外国领导人的“国礼”。2008年1月10日，我国外交部礼宾司通过云南省外事办公室和西双版纳州政府、州外事办，指定由西双版纳同庆号茶业有限公司特制一套“国礼普洱茶”，作为温家宝总理赠送来访的英国首相戈登·布朗的“国礼茶”。