1941-09-27 — Page 9

A

Second Section

Hongkong Telegraph.

Magazine Feature

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27., 1941,

Hongkong

i?

now export CHINA TEA

centre for

THE original home of China tea (and therefore of all ten) is the Bohea Hills, a range of small moun- tains northwest of Foochow, in Fuklen Province. Hence the name "bohen," by originally known in which ten was England when first introduced.

The cultivation and use of ten in more. There China seem to have been known for two thousand years or

are many legendary tales about how its qualities were originally discovered, but it seems that the prepared shrub was first employed as a medicine and stimulant and probably came into gen- eral use as a beverage us the result of periodic epidemics of cholera. Hot tea must have been early recognised as a safe drink.

Tea, or ch'a, is still the universal beverage in China, and, being cheap, can be drunk in unlimited quantities. Its stimulating qualities are also a great aid to conversation, and Chinese - of every station can chat for hours over

tiny cup of tea.

IT

was in the 15th Century, when the Honourable East India

Company was permitted to

trade in

China, that tea was exported to foreign lands. Ten became so popular in the West that it became one of sinple exports.

China's

With the entry of Americans into the China trade, the ending of the mo- nopoly charter of the East India Com- pany, and the opening of more treaty ports after the wars of the 19th Cen- tury, there was tremendous competition amongst foreign traders in their efforts to get their ten cargoes home in quicker time than their rivals. This was the era of the famous Clipper ships.

THE Chinese, though great tea drinkers and growers, have been poor tea salesmen. In 1935, China suddenly realised that, with other areas in the world given over to cultiva- tion of the shrub in the intervening years, hor one-time leading export had dwindled considerably, and only, oc- cupied seventh place on her export list.

The Government investigated, und not found that the tea producers were un-- organised, had little knowledge of for- eign market requirements, careful of quality and set their prices far too high to be able to compete with exporters in other countries.

were

€3-

As a result of these investigations, the Chinese Government in 1937 tablished the China National Tea Cor- porntion, with the co-operation of ten growers in six principal tea-producing provinces..

The new Corporation was to help in increasing and improving the tea - grown, operate factories for processing and packing tea with modern equip- ment, act as agent for export and transport and foster both the domestic and export. trade.

WHEN war came in that year, the export centre was removed. to Hongkong, where the Corporation has established factories for processing and packing. Representatives of tea buyers in many countries also came to Hongkong, and the trade was maintain-` ed, though not on as large a scale as formerly.

Since the European war with im- ports restricted in many countries and Jack of transport, the tea trade has also suffered, but it carries on, despite all disadvantages, from this Colony.

The pictures on this page illustrate some of the important steps in the pro- cessing and packing of tea in one of the China National Ten Corporation's factories in Hongkong,

ON THE_LEFT (lop to bot tom)--Tea leaves being treated trying: and cured in rotating chambers; sorting the ten after Dassing the tea through sieves to ret rid of dust and dirt, ON THE BIGIFT (top to, bol- -kgm) :—Wolghing the tea heforn. packing; packing tea for export; coolles conveying boxes from the godown to the ships.

PHOTOS BY WAN HOI MING