Liu Bao Tea continued to be exported overseas through the ancient tea boat route, permeating the lives of consumers in Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asian countries, influencing their daily habits. At the same time, overseas consumer markets also propelled the development of the Liu Bao tea industry through the ancient tea boat route, increasing the production of tea in its place of origin and promoting changes in production processes.
A single boat crossing vast oceans, the living and the dead uncertain. When countless Chinese workers embarked on ships bound for Southeast Asia with hope and uncertainty, they wouldn't have imagined that a route for exporting Liu Bao tea would be initiated because of them; nor could they have foreseen that the development, transformation, and impact of the Liu Bao tea industry would be so closely tied to this piece of history over the years.
In the past one hundred plus years, Liu Bao tea was continuously exported overseas via the ancient tea boat route's overseas extension, seeping into the lives of consumers in Hong Kong, Macau, and Southeast Asian countries, affecting their daily habits. Simultaneously, overseas consumer markets also pushed back through the ancient tea boat route, boosting the tea production at its place of origin and promoting changes in production methods. Through the mists of time, tangible trails and intangible paths of the heart intertwine, narrating stories of human emotions, societal customs, and tea affairs.
Herbal Shops Once Sold Liu Bao Tea
Malaysian tea merchant Lim Cheng Kiang started collecting aged Liu Bao tea in large quantities from 1997. Whenever he had free time, he would search in Ipoh, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and other places. Apart from tea shops, he would visit daily goods stores and Herbal medicine shops to look for Liu Bao tea. He said, “In Malaysia, Chinese people use Liu Bao tea for daily consumption, ancestral worship, health preservation, and some even use it medicinally. Therefore, many daily goods stores and herbal medicine shops sold Liu Bao tea.”
A Chinese pharmacy in Indonesia in the late 19th century
In the past, in Southeast Asia, Liu Bao tea was an essential beverage and basic health supplement for Chinese workers, a cultural concept deeply rooted in the consciousness of the local consumer base. As a result, many Chinese workers who left their original work areas often brought the habit of drinking Liu Bao tea to new environments, making it an indispensable part of their family life.
Mr. Wong Chun Hing, a teacher at Malacca's Pei Hwa High School, is only in his thirties, but he has been associated with Liu Bao tea for more than 20 years. In the 1930s, Mr. Wong's grandfather went to work in the tin mines of Selangor State, Malaysia, from Guangdong, China. At that time, the mines would prepare Liu Bao tea for the miners to drink to relieve heat and dampness. Later, although Mr. Wong's grandfather left the mining area, the habit of drinking Liu Bao tea was retained. “Grandfather believed that Liu Bao tea was both heat-relieving and cheap, so he would Brew a large pot every day for the family to drink together. That's why I've been drinking Liu Bao tea since I was young,” he said.
In fact, due to the recognition of Liu Bao tea's Health benefits, many Chinese people in Southeast Asia were ardent fans of the “good and not expensive” Liu Bao tea.
Bak Kut Teh is a popular food among Chinese people in Southeast Asia, consisting of pork ribs stewed with Herbs and served with tea. Walking around Malacca City, Malaysia, one can frequently see bustling Bak Kut Teh restaurants. “To replenish energy and maintain health, many workers in Malaysia enjoy consuming large amounts of meat and nourishing herbs,” introduced Wong Soon Hui, who runs a guesthouse in Malacca. Consuming large quantities of meat compelled locals to drink teas that aid digestion, making Liu Bao tea, which is inexpensive, very popular.
The characteristics of health benefits and affordability made Liu Bao tea widely used in Southeast Asia for drinking, health preservation, enjoyment, and even sacrificial offerings.
Bak Kut Teh is commonly found in restaurants in Malacca City, Malaysia
The Unique Marketing Methods of Liu Bao Tea
Due to the high demand, tea shops, daily goods stores, dried seafood shops, and herbal medicine shops all sold Liu Bao tea. Liu Bao tea could be purchased on almost every street corner, and given that most consumers had low incomes, “buying small amounts” became another feature of buying tea locally. Consumers often bought only one or two ounces of tea each time. With low tea prices and small purchase volumes by consumers, some shops in Malaysia did not weigh the tea but instead roughly estimated the weight and packed it into small bags. Mr. Wong Chun Hing said, “This way of doing business continued in Malacca until around 2000.”
Sales Relied on Exports in the Past
During World War II, the export volume of Liu Bao tea plummeted, and the tea production in Liubao Town, Cangwu County, Wuzhou City, also fell to a low point. According to the “Guangxi Agricultural Communications” compiled in 1945, “During the Anti-Japanese War, the export of Liu Bao tea decreased year by year, with an average annual tea production of about 1,500 piculs (75 tons).”
Although the past is like smoke, a large amount of historical data has captured the fact that before 2005, sales of Liu Bao tea overseas were the key factor determining its production volume.
Starting from the mid-19th century, the development of Hong Kong and Macau and the rise of the trend of Chinese workers going to Southeast Asia provided Liu Bao tea with an opportunity to be exported overseas through the ancient tea boat route. However, at that time, the total population of Hong Kong and Macau was still small, and the amount of tea carried by Chinese workers going to Southeast Asia was limited, so the quantity of Liu Bao tea exported was not significant, and its impact on tea production in Liubao Town was minor. According to “The Liubao Township Gazetteer,” in 1861, the output of tea in Liubao Town was not significantly higher compared to other mountain products.
Afterward, as Hong Kong and Macau developed and the tea trade to Southeast Asia grew, the output of Liu Bao tea steadily increased. According to “Guangxi Agricultural Communications” compiled in 1945, in the early 20th century, “When Liu Bao tea is harvested… the annual production is about 500,000 catties.” After the 1920s, the second wave of Chinese workers going to Southeast Asia further boosted the production of Liu Bao tea.
The former appearance of the streets of Singapore
Penang, Malaysia, still retains a strong Chinese lifestyle today
After the mid-1950s, with the explosive growth of the population in Hong Kong and Macau and the arrival of a new peak in tin mine development in Southeast Asia, the output of Liu Bao tea reached new heights. At this time, Liu Bao tea was primarily used for foreign trade exports to earn foreign exchange. In addition to Wuzhou increasing its production, tea factories producing Liu Bao tea were also set up in places such as Hengxian, Lingnan, Guilin, and other parts of Guangxi to meet export needs. According to statistical data cited in “Guangxi General Gazetteer – Supply and Marketing Cooperative Gazetteer,” in the 1960s and 1970s, Guangxi exported more than 1,000 tons of Liu Bao tea annually.
Exports were once the primary channel for selling Liu Bao tea, so the sustained increase in overseas consumption led to a thriving production of Liu Bao tea domestically. According to “Report Outline for the Provincial-wide Tea Cultivation and Processing Technology Exchange Conference” written by the Science