HISTORY & CULTURE
CHINESE HERBAL TEA |
Drinking herbal tea is a traditional habit in Chinese Lingnan region, included Hong Kong, Macau and Guangzhou area, started since the 19th century. (Ceng, 2006) People in Lingnan in the past used to gather herbs in the mountains and boil herbal tea for healthcare so as to cope with the humid and hot weather in Lingnan.
The development of Chinese herbal tea culture has been correlated to history of Hong Kong. Mr. Cheng Po Hung, the Honorary Adviser of Hong Kong Museum of History, stated that Chinese herbal teas had already existed since the time that Hong Kong was opened for trade. (Liang, 2007) From the 19th century to the late 20th century, Hong Kong people valued Chinese medicine. It was common that people would try to prevent illness by drinking herbal tea before seeking medical advices. In the past, colonial government did not permit local Chinese go to Western medical doctors while local Chinese did not trust Western medicine. People started to seek for Western medical advice after the establishment of Tung Wah Hospital in 1872. Chinese herbal tea had been the main reliance of healthcare among Hong Kong people in former days. Application of Chinese herbal tea also connected with the history of Hong Kong migrant workers (coolie) going to the “Gold Mountain” as miners (referring to part of North America). At that moment, several months were needed for shipping from Hong Kong to the U.S.A. Migrant workers were easy to get sick on boat because of the long arduous travel. Pharmaceutical reserve had become important since there were no comprehensive medical facilities on the boats. Corresponding proportion of Chinese herbs, for boiling a kind of Chinese herbal tea called “24-flavors tea”, were required to be reserved on those trafficking boats, according to the government gazette in 1869 to 1870. This indicates the recognition of the significant efficacy of Chinese herbal tea from the government. Migrant workers would prepare “24-flavors tea” by themselves when working in the “Gold Mountain”. Referring to the interview of Mr. Li Ning Hon (Huang & Zhou & Hu, 2006), who is the superintendent of Hong Kong Chinese Medical Research Institute, he said that miners would get cold easily and drinking herbal tea had become the only way of healthcare for those migrant workers. Drinking Chinese herbal teas can be considered as a kind of habits and customs in the old days of Hong Kong. |
Chinese Herbal Tea Shops |
Other than boiling Chinese herbal teas by people themselves, they can also get these herbal teas from Chinese herbal tea shops. The occurrence of herbal tea shops dates back to 1870. (Liang, 2007) Large copper pots with several bowls of herbal teas with covers could be found in the shopfront. Seats were available for customers in behind. These unique settings had become the symbol of Chinese herbal teas.
Many herbal tea shops in Hong Kong are family business but there are still several chain stores. The development of herbal tea shops is often begun with founder created curative formulas. Descendants will follow the basic ingredients, materials’ proportion and cooking method to manufacture their own herbal teas. The family business will then pass from one generation to another while the formula is always kept in secret because herbal tea shops are often operating in a small scale. Therefore, each herbal tea shop owns its unique formulas of herbal teas differentiating from the others. Herbal tea shops are thought to be as kind of community space and place of amusements for local common people in the old Hong Kong. Other than selling herbal teas, Chinese herbs and snacks like split peas pudding were sold. In the 1950-60s, television was not widespread among the people but it was common in Chinese herbal tea shops. Customers can enjoy watching television programs by only paying the price for herbal teas costing only 1-2 cents at that time. Besides, some shops also place jukebox with Western pop music which youngsters were interested in. (Hu & Kwan & Chui, 2014) Due to the affordable low price of herbal teas, herbal tea shops had become popular gathering place for teenagers. However, in 1970s, the development of herbal tea industry tended to decline along with the economic development and popularization of Western medicine. Many herbal tea shops in these days start to sell other things like herbal drinks (e.g. sugar cane juice甘蔗水, kudzu juice野葛菜水, etc.), desserts, turtle jelly, boiled eggs in tea, etc. in order to maintain operations. Some herbal tea enterprises also have introduced packaging type of herbal tea and powder which were sold in supermarkets and convenience stores, so as to develop a broader market. |