The historical position of Jiujiang Tea Market in the Sino-Russian Wanli Tea Ceremony

On March 23, 2013, President Xi Jinping revisited the “Wanli Tea Ceremony” during a speech at the Moscow Institute of International Relations. He said: "After the 'Wanli Tea Ceremony' in the 17th century, the Sino-Russian oil and gas pipeline has become the new 'century artery' of China Unicom." This has led to the eager attention of cities along the tea ceremony. As we all know, Jiujiang is not only one of the three major tea markets in Chinese history, but also a node city of “Wanli Tea Ceremony”. As one of the Wanli Tea Ceremony, Jiujiang Tea Market played an irreplaceable role in the Sino-Russian Wanli Tea Ceremony.

Tea merchants gather in Jizhong Town

Jiujiang is a famous tea producing area and an important planting area in history. "Lushan Yunwu Tea", Shuishui's "Shuangjing", "Ninghong", Raozhou's "Green", "Floating Red", and Zhangzhou's "Red" are all praised as the best in tea. This is not unrelated to Jiujiang's unique natural and geographical conditions.

Jiujiang, located in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, has a mild climate, abundant rainfall, overlapping hills, soil fertility and other soil and climatic conditions are very suitable for planting tea, thus becoming the best source of tea in the south of the Yangtze River.

For the origin of tea, the cultivation of tea trees has its own version. In history, no one can tell the relationship between "the habit of planting tea" and "the good taste of tea."

It is said that as early as in the Jin Dynasty, Jiujiang people had "the habit of planting tea" and "the good taste of tea." The three friends often talk about poetry and poetry, and talk about it through the night. Even Jiangzhou Sima Baijuyi also used the "medicine tea garden as an industry" in the Qishan Caotang Hall, and engaged in activities such as forest tea and other medicines. Gradually, the merchants quickly found business opportunities for development from this large tea forest. The Jiujiang tea market began to take shape, and Xiangyang tea “has been going through the world several times today”.

From the end of the Qing Dynasty to the early years of the Republic of China, during the 50 years before and after, it was the heyday of Jiujiang tea. At this time, due to the sharp increase in demand for tea abroad, Jiangxi has developed into a base for the production of tea in the country. Especially after the second Opium War, Jiujiang was forced to become a trading port. Foreigners used the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake to transport tea and set up factories in Jiujiang to make tea. Domestic tea merchants have also come to Jiujiang to open tea shops, tea terraces and tea farms. According to the 1932 edition of the Jiujiang Guide, there are 5 tea shops in Dazhong Road, and 11 in Rongyang Lane, Dazhong Road. During each tea-making period, it is divided into tea-producing areas and purchasing and transporting, and the annual export is about 100,000 boxes.

Tea ceremony hub port

"The mouth of the Three Rivers is the rush of the four." Since ancient times, Jiujiang has been a large city in Tongdu, and the traffic is very convenient. It has long been a distribution center for tea production and sales in China.

During the Tang Dynasty, there was a street in the north of Jiangzhou that was two miles long. It was a tea gathering place and the first tea market. The floating beams and the Tuen Mun of the tea producing areas are all dependent on the water transport and transported to Jiangzhou San. Bai Juyi wrote in the poem "Minhang", "Businessmen pay close attention to the money, buy the tea in the previous month," "Go to the river mouth to keep the ship, around the boat, the moon and the river cold" and so on.

During the tea-picking season, the tea merchants left their wives on the passenger boats on the waterside of the city and went to the tea producing areas to buy tea. It is also because the tea merchants need to stay in the mouth of the river, so every night, there will be a lively scene of "Shuimen to the late tea business, the city of Tongqiao." During the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, Jiujiang played a more prominent role as a transit terminal for tea trade. In the Yuan Dynasty, "Marco Polo's Travels" once recorded the Jiujiang Tea Market: Jiujiang is a beautiful city. The ship seen on the tea market pier is not prosperous.

For more than a thousand years, Jiujiang Tea Market has brought together the famous teas of the five major water-based tea producing areas such as Xiuhe and Minjiang Rivers. Through the Poyang Lake, Tongjiang Dahai has opened a tea-coded waterway belonging to Jiujiang.

On the land, “Wanli Tea Ceremony” was transferred from Wuyi Mountain in Fujian Province to Hekou Town, Lead Mountain County, Jiangxi Province. It was transferred to Xinjiang Erenhot by Xinjiang River, Poyang Lake and Jiujiang River, and finally arrived in Chaktu City, Russia, with a total length of 13,000 kilometers. According to records, in 1886, there were 70 Russian cars carrying tea from Hankou - Jiujiang - Heilongjiang - Vladivostok. Later, it opened up the Jiujiang-Hankou-Mediterranean "Wanli Tea Ceremony" for the Sino-Russian tea trade that the Mediterranean arrived in Chadsa.

The Yangtze River and Poyang Lake were also important components of the “Wanli Tea Ceremony” at that time.

In 1861, Jiujiang was opened and listed as a foreign trade port. As the northern gate of Jiangxi, Jiujiang is the only open town. At the same time, the consumption of tea in Europe, especially in Russia, has grown dramatically, further promoting the rapid development of tea distribution. The tea in the Poyang Lake tea-producing area and the Fujian Wuyishan tea are all needed to be completed by the Jiujiang River through the Poyang Lake water system, the Lancang River water system, the Xiuhe River, the Xinjiang River and other water systems, and are exported to Russia and Europe.

In 1863, the output of Jiujiang Tea City was 198,000 tons. By 1872, it exceeded 200,000 tons. By 1915, it exceeded 300,000 tons, reaching 329,000 dan. The output of Jiujiang tea was more than 200,000 ounces per year for more than 50 years, most of which were Exported to Russia and Europe, especially the Ninghong of Jiujiang Xiushui is more popular. It has a prominent position in Russia. The output of Yangzhuang black tea is more than 200,000 boxes, and the trade volume is about 10 million yuan. In 1886, it exported 307,000 tons, accounting for more than 12% of the total tea exports in the country.

Tea processing base

Tan Xiaofeng, consultant of Wanli Teaway Research Association and honorary president of Jiujiang Tea Circulation Association, told reporters that Jiujiang Tea Market is not only an important tea distribution center on the ancient tea ceremony, but also an important production and processing base of the modern tea industry. Since the second half of the eighteenth century, tea has played an important role in the Sino-Russian trade. In 1820, Chaktu lost 100,000 pute of Russian tea, accounting for 88% of China's exports of Russian tea. After the 1930s, it increased to more than 300,000 pute, accounting for more than 92% of Russia's exports. During this period, the number of teas exported to Russia in the Jiujiang area was second only to the two lakes, and it played an important role in the export of Russian tea.

With the popularity of Sino-Russian tea trade, Russian businessmen realized the importance of the Jiujiang tea area. In 1870, Russian merchants in Hankou purchased white tea and brick tea from Jiujiang. When the Russian businessmen arrived here, they found that the water and land transportation is very convenient, and the tea is of good quality and low price. It is a very profitable tea market. In 1874, Russian businessmen established the Suichang Brick Tea Factory in Jiujiang to produce brick tea. In 1875, due to good efficiency, Russian businessmen opened a second brick tea factory in Xinjiang. In 1881, Jiujiang appeared the third shunfeng plant in Russia. Among them, there are more than 700 workers in the two factories, with an annual output of 31,000 tons. According to the statistics of the customs at that time, a total of 86,000 dans were exported from 1872 to 1882, and all the brick tea was exported to Russia. From 1882 to 1891, the cumulative export of Russian brick tea was 259,000, which was three times that of the previous decade.

Jiujiang's Russian tea factory produces a small brick tea at the same time as the ordinary brick tea. This brick tea is made from high-quality tea powder. It is lighter in weight and smaller in size than ordinary brick tea. It is not only easy to carry but also tastes. Very good, known as a "traveler" by foreigners, considered by the residents of the border areas and the army of the battlefield to be the best and most easily cited tea. The small Beijing brick tea made by Russian businessmen in Jiujiang not only supplies Russia, but also exports to Western European countries such as Germany and France. After 1900, Jiujiang continued to develop with the help of Russian businessmen and powerful positions, growing to 100,000 dan per year, second only to Hankou Tea Market, ranking second in the country.

“The Jiujiang tea market has been declining late than Fuzhou. An important reason is that the tea merchants on the Wanli tea ceremony have maintained a considerable amount of purchases.” Tan Xiaofeng said that for a long time, Russia used local raw materials in Jiujiang to produce the finest brick tea. The price is low and it is very competitive in the market. The first factory in Jiujiang's modern history was the tea brick factory. The first foreign trade enterprise was also a brick tea enterprise.

Tea City Renaissance Road

On September 10, 2013, at the 2nd “Wanli Tea Ceremony” and the Urban Development Summit of the Mongolian Government, the city and 31 cities of China, Mongolia and Russia jointly initiated the application of “Wanli Tea Ceremony” as “intangible cultural heritage”. The initiative, signed the "Agreement on Urban Tourism Cooperation along the Wanli Tea Ceremony."

In October 2014, “China-Russia Wanli Tea Road City Mayor Summit Forum”, “Wanli Tea Ceremony”, the mayor and representative of the cities along the Chinese and Russian cities signed the “Wuhan Consensus on the Application of World Cultural Heritage in China and Russia”.

In order to dig deeper into the rich connotations of trade, culture, tourism and so on contained in the “Wanli Tea Ceremony”, inherit the tea ceremony civilization, organize Jiujiang tea culture experts, historical scholars, cultural tourism and cultural industry research experts, etc. on “Wanli Tea Ceremony” and urban development, economy and trade. The development and tourism cooperation, regional economic and cultural cooperation, industrial development and urban development, northward development and land bridge economy and other issues to conduct in-depth discussions and exchanges, the City Enterprise Association initiated the establishment of the "Jijiang City Wanli Tea Road Research Association."

On October 16, 2014, the inaugural meeting of the Jiujiang Tea Ceremony Research Association and the first member representative meeting were held in Tianlong Suxiang.

The research institute mainly uses non-state-owned assets, voluntarily organizes, and engages in non-profit social service activities. It aims to awaken the Jiujiang people's historical memory of the Wanli Tea Ceremony, revitalize Jiujiang's business position in the Wanli Tea Ceremony, and expand Jiujiang's “Wanli Tea Ceremony”. "The visibility and influence."

According to reports, Jiujiang established the Wanli Tea Ceremony Research Association and advocated the road of tea market revival, which is in line with China's “One Belt, One Road” strategy. Regaining the historical value of “Wanli Tea Ceremony” will help guide Jiujiang to connect with the “Belt and Road” and promote Jiujiang tea culture on the world stage. It can also enhance the city image of Jiujiang and increase the popularity of the city.

Noun interpretation

“Wanli Tea Ceremony”, the “Sino-Russian Tea Road” across the Eurasian continent, is another international business road after the Silk Road, and also a road for the integration of Chinese and Western cultures. It has been in the historical ups and downs for nearly 200 years. It has made positive contributions to promoting Sino-Russian economic and trade relations and the development of the tea industry, tea processing industry and transportation industry in China.

Although its development time is more than a thousand years later than the Silk Road, its economic significance and huge commodity load are unmatched by the Silk Road. Because of this, the “Wanli Tea Ceremony” of the 17th century was hailed as the “century artery” of China-Russia trade and friendship between China and Russia. The Russians called it "the great Sino-Russian tea road."

It departs from Wuyi Mountain in Fujian Province, passes through Jiangxi Jiujiang, Hubei Wuhan and other places, stretching over thousands of miles to Russia's Chaktu. This once prosperous culture and commerce has faded out of the historical stage in the early 20th century, but it is an important communication line and convergence point between China's original text and European civilization.