Research Of Tributary Tea In Early Qing Dynasty

The system of tributary tea was an important part of tributary system, which had acted as a bond connecting central and local government. In a broad sense, tributes appeared in the Western Zhou Dynasty. The tributary system had taken shape in Tang Dynasty, and developed in Song and Yuan Dynasty. Tributary tea in Song and Yuan Dynasty was mainly produced in Fujian Province. In early Ming Dynasty, the ruler commanded to replace tea bread with tea shoot, which had promoted the production of green tea in Southern area at that time. The rulers of Ming Dynasty inherited Ming Dynasty’s system, and expanded the scope of producing area of tributary tea. The producing places in Qing Dynasty mainly are Anhui, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Yunnan, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and Shaanxi. Tributary tea, which is mainly produced in the famous mountains in Southern area, also had better creation methods and experienced a long history. Some of today’s well-known Chinese historical famous tea, such as Huang Shan Mao Feng tea, the West Lake Longjing tea, Biluochun tea and so on, which were also known by the world as a tributary tea in Qing Dyansty.Tributary tea in Qing Dynasty was collected from local government, officers and the gifts during emperors’ Southern tour, and was mainly collected from local government. Local officers bought tea leaves from peasants, and hired people to send the tea to the palace. Through the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue in feudal China, tributary tea was sent to tea library of the Imperial Household Department finally. The system of tributary from officers was casual in early Qing Dynasty, and had taken shape in the Yongzheng regin-period. Those tea collected during emperors’ Southern tour was given by local officers or merchants, whose quantity was therefore not fixed.The amount of tea consumption in Qing palace was pretty large and kept rising. Tea was mainly used in the daily life of royals. Royals in Qing Dynasty usually drank green tea, milk tea, scented tea and fruit tea, and they drank milk at most of time. Palace tea matters were in the charge of Royal tea house. Tea used by concubines and tzareviches was taken on a regular basis. Royals also made medicine with tea leaves.Tributary tea system in Qing Dynasty had made a profound impact on all sides of social life of that time, including the following several aspects. Firstly, it had promoted the tea production, mainly reflected in the expansion of production scale and the improvement of technologies of making tea.Secondly, the tributary tea also had impacts on the tea peasants’life, reflected in increasing production burden on peasants. Because tributary tea put forward higher requirements of production process, and local officers often bought tea leaves at a pretty low prices, which had badly damaged interests of peasants. What was more, peasants, at that time, blindly expand the planting of tea trees, so their lives were threatened during disaster years.Thirdly, tributary tea also had influences on local tea drinking habits and tastes, mainly manifested in the popularity of tea drinking habits among Banner people. Tributary was very popular in the market.Fourthly, tributary tea had indirectly promoted the manufacture of teapots and other related industries.Last but not least, tributary tea had strengthened the contact between the central government and the region south of the Yangtze River.As the rise of status of tea in the palace in Qing Dynasty, tea had becoming a kind of symbol connecting the relationship between the emperors and officers. People drank tea in different ceremonies hold in palace. The system of ceremonies had taken shape in Shunzhi regin-period, developed in Yongzheng and Qianlong regin-period, blending the culture of Han nationality into the life of royals.Tributary tea was also granted to officers, vassal states as awards, and sold in local markets. Tributary tea was even sold to minority areas and foreign countries.The system of tributary tea had brought great influences to social life and production. As the medium of cultural exchange, tributary tea promoted the development of Chinese tea culture. We are looking forward to more research results of Chinese tributary tea.