| In modern times, Yangloudong(YLD) tea area centered on YLD in Puqi, the tea processing and distributing centre, including Hubei Xian'an, Chibi, Tongshan, Tongcheng, Chongyang, Jiayu and Hunan Linxiang. The tea produced in these areas was called YLD tea, shorted for "Dong-tea". "Chuan" brand-green brick tea was the most representative, which was the characteristic product of Hubei provincial Zhaoliqiao tea factory Co., Ltd. The "Dong-tea" had a long history and profound cultural foundation. Especially when it developed to Modern History of China, the "Dong-tea" was once glorious and occupied an important place in modern Hankow tea market, and it produced a great affect to the local economy, society and culture. Thus, it would be significant to excavate the local cultural resources effectively and develop local economy obviously through analyzing modern YLD tea economy and culture comprehensively and systematically.The thesis was based on vast majority of historical references and in-field investigation of YLD tea production and sales areas and compared with theories and results in Tea Science, Economic history, and Culturology. It was designated to analyze the rise and fall of YLD tea industry, the evolution of production form of modern tea-making industry, the circulation mechanism, trade features of tea trade and the tea cultural connotation, focusing on YLD tea area and following.1 Clarify the history of YLD tea industry.YLD tea industry began from Han, Wei and Jin dynasties and developed in the Tang, Song and early Qing Dynasties. Until late Qing and early Republic of China, it reached the peak, and then declined, revival after liberation. The appearance was showed by historical records, legends and stories and unearthed historical relics. The prosperity can be seen from tea production, the development of tribute tea, the rise of tea trade, the expansion of exportation and the change of tea policy. The falling was showed in the glide of tea garden areas and export volume, the fading of the tea business and the decline of tea price. The revival was demonstrated from the increasing governmental inputs and the rebound of tea output. On the basis of analysis of reasons, it perceived that the development of Dong-tea area and the formation of the tea processing and distributing center ware due to its superior natural and social environment and the competitive products. The fall should be resulted from backward production technology, unequal economic treatment and chaotic social situation.2 Analyze the development and effects of modern YLD tea economy.2.1 Analyze the evolution of production form of modern YLD tea-making industry.Under stimulation of modern capitalist world market, the production form evolved from tea-making handicraft industry of family to tea-making handicraft industry of workshop and then tea-making industry of machine. The main engine of the process was steep rise in the volume of modern tea trade. Along with the increasing demand of tea market, handicraft industry of family, which characterized with simple production tools, limited production scale and simple cooperation, can not satisfied with the needs of market. Thus, tea-making handicraft of workshop industry with a large scale, labor-intensive and specialized division of labor was born and developed rapidly. It was emphasized by wage-labor, income distribution system and power management. Followed with expansion of market and fierce competition, the production form shifted from tea-making handicraft industry of workshop to tea-making industry of machine. Three kinds of industrial forms had coexisted at the same time and had demonstrated a gradual course of evolution from elementary form to advanced form.2.2 Analyze the circulation mechanism of modern YLD tea trade.After involved in modern capitalist world market system, YLD tea economy was an export-oriented style with borderland market and world market. The modern circulation mechanism formed during the developing process. It included diversified subjects consist of tea farmers, tea dealers, tea houses, tea shops and tea foreign firms, pluralistic markets including elementary market in producing area, middle transport market and end-consumer market, and multistage routes. The pluralistic market pattern, perfect market system and free market subjects had offered powerful motive force for modern development of YLD tea economy.2.3 Analyze the trade features of modern Hankow tea market raised by "Dong-tea".Modern Hankow tea market taken YLD tea area as the economic hinterland. Through analyzing the trade data of Hankow Port during 1868-1928, it indicated that the volume of tea exported to Russia, the largest customer, accounted for 54.1% of the totals, in which brick tea accounted for 83.0% and the raw material of brick tea came from YLD tea area.During the trade, modern Hankow tea market formed the following characteristics. It had a prominent position in tea export trade of China. The proportion that Hankow tea export volume accounted for the totals had been a ascend trend during 1866 to 1925 and the annual average proportion was 46.0% with the highest rate up to 97.2%. The export structure was led by indirect export, and the proportion that indirect export value accounted for the totals had been a ascend trend during 1866 to1919, but direct export and re-export accounting for 28.4% and 20.2%. Export market presented a diversified structure mainly dominated by Great Britain and Russia, and the volume of tea directly exported to both of them accounted for 92.9% and 100.0% of the totals from1874 to 1919. Exported tea presented a diversified structure dominated by black tea and brick tea. and the export volume of both of them accounted for 83.1%-100% of the totals during 1866 to 1926. The main effected factors of the special trade features were as follows. First, export-oriented economy was affected by the world economic situation. Second, Hankow was a inland city and amount of its river transportation was limited, so it should depend on other big commercial ports. Third, it was affected by the close economic interaction between Hankow and YLD tea area.2.4 Analyze the economic and social effects in YLD tea area caused by tea production and marketing.It believed that the fast development of tea trade speeded the evolution of production form and produced a significant effect. It promoted modernization and urbanization of cities like YLD, showed in increasing population size and political status and improving of urban functions. It facilitated the social division of labor and specialization among industries such as finance, transportation and so on. It accelerated the emerging and evolvement of modern tea commercial and technological organizations such as trade association, commerce chamber and demonstration farm. These as a whole changed the local residents'ideological concepts and social general mood dramatically. The consciousness of participating in the economic and political affairs and atmosphere of respecting and promoting science enhanced.3 Analyze the composition of YLD tea culture.It proposed that the "Dong-tea" culture was divided into 3 levels including the culture of tangible material, culture of behavior pattern and spiritual culture.The culture of tangible material was formed in the process of production, distribution and application, included product types, unique tea quality and tea with special effects. The products of "Dong-tea" was varied which included dark tea, black tea, green tea and so on, in which the brick tea evolved from "Maohe tea" was a leading product. The unique raw material and process technology led to the unique quality and trait of"Dong-tea" which gave rise to the cultural phenomenon of taking tea as medicine and currency.The culture of behavior pattern was a folkway or custom established by usage in the production and consumption. It revealed that the drinking habit varied from adding flowers in tea to adding grains in tea and from adding flavoring to adding milk in marketing areas. And folk-customs, like tea for wedding, tea for funeral and tea for sacrifice, blended with the faiths of loyal, soul and tree worship. It also included customs with tea as carriers in festivals in order to showing the happiness and jubilation.The spiritual culture was represented by many types of literature and arts such as stories, legends, poems and songs to reflect the opinions and value pursuit of people in YLD tea area. It formed the thought of taking "Dong-tea" as deity or something belonging to the fairies, the embodiment of justice and hardworking, and the sustenance of spirit and feeling with different symbolic meanings which reflected people's pursuit of truth, virtue and beauty. |
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