China is the home of tea, and Macao is a gateway to the international market for Chinese tea. Macao has always enjoyed close ties with tea in the past, including the trading business of tea shops and the distinctive local operations of tea houses and cafes.
The diversification of Macao’s tea culture began in the 1920s. The article “Tea Leaves” published in the Chinese Repository, which was compiled and translated by the Qing official Lin Ze-xu, is an important and informative document on tea. The marriage of famous Chinese engineer Zhan Tian-you and the daughter of Macao tea merchant Tam Pak Chun also became a well-known story in town. Other examples of the diversity of the tea culture of Macao enriched with local characteristics include the emergence of Guangdong-style tea restaurants that integrated Chinese and Western culture, the herbal tea culture which has now been officially included on the list of China’s intangible cultural heritage, the home-made tea sets in a variety of colours, and the development of traditional tea lore and tea arts.
There is an old saying that the three treasures of Guangdong province were barbecued goose, lychee and herbal tea shops. According to history, Ge Hong of East Jin (317-720 AD) came to Lingnan and found that the area was filled with an unwholesome atmosphere. He left behind some herbs that were “warm” in nature, which later became the earliest herbal teas in Southern China. The names of some famous herbal tea shops such as the Herbal Tea Section of Hin Kee Bakery Shop, Dai Sang Gong Herbal Tea and Dai Heung Lee Herbal Tea are still familiar to Macao people today.
Organised by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, the “Fragrance of the century – an exhibition of Macao’s tea houses and herbal tea shops” showcases a collection of items related to herbal tea and tea brewing, which are regarded as the first batch of China’s intangible cultural heritage. A total of 108 exhibits reflecting local culture are displayed including the equipment, plaques and water tags from the old herbal tea shops, and also invaluable government documents. This exhibition is a continuation of “The Macao Tea Culture” with exhibits such as tea cans, tea brewing bowls, dim sum price lists and plaques.