Editor's note: Chengdu's "Root-Seeking" plan is an urban initiative initiated by "Hello Tianfu", which is a strategy for Chengdu to build a world cultural city and maintain the cultural heritage of Bashu.
The first series of the RootFinding Project focuses on Sanhua Tea, and approaches Chengdu's cultural circle and old streets and alleys to "search for Sanhua".
□ Wen/Wang Daming
Three flowers bubble up, the dragon gate array swings up - a cup of covered bowl tea, a pack of cigarettes, a newspaper, Chengdu old tea customers will enjoy the pleasure of tea tasting. The "Sanhua Brand" jasmine tea series is made by the Chengdu Tea Factory in Yixinqiao Street in Dongmen, which has always been deeply imprinted in the hearts of the people and is a famous local product brand.
In 1951, several private workshops merged to form the state-owned Chengdu Tea Factory, which was formerly a Chinese girls' school during the Republic of China period. The young buds of tea that tea farmers receive from tea trees are roasted and kneaded by tea factories to become "vegetarian tea", and after adding jasmine flowers for processing, they are called "flower tea", of which mastering the heat is the key. Longquanyi District Honghe, Damian, Baihe and other 11 townships including Sansheng Township are well-known jasmine production base, planting history of more than 100 years, jasmine flowers with many layers, dense petals, fragrant as the characteristics, two-thirds of the production area harvest of jasmine flowers for Chengdu Tea Factory. In the past, flower farmers wore straw shoes and shoulders to pick baskets filled with jasmine flowers, crossed the Niushikou along The Chengyu Road, and formed a long line of "flower protection messengers", which was noticed by the public, and then the fish entered the tea factory, and the fragrance was unforgettable all the way. The tea leaves are shipped out of the factory in boxes and are handed over to the stores under the tea company for franchise. Earlier, the tea shop on Zhongnan Avenue, with an area of more than ten square meters, the salesman wore a lamb waist and sleeves, a chest wearer number plate, a paper bag of tea in free time, and after doing it, he sat on a bamboo chair and held a teacup with both hands to wait for customers, and it was easy to go to work. The glass bottles on the black lacquered cabinet are tightly covered, and the varieties of Yunnan Tuo Tea, Sichuan Black Tea, Pearl Orchid Tea, Chongqing Tuo Tea, Magnolia Flower Tea, Hangzhou Longjing, Gardenia Flower Tea, Sichuan Green Tea and so on are contained, but the largest number of the best sellers is the Jasmine Tea of Chengdu Tea Factory, which is divided into one, two or two according to different grades. The tea leaves are called "flower crumbs" in the shape of slag, and they are called "flower powder" in the form of powder. During the "Cultural Revolution" period, there was a shortage of goods, and citizens lined up in the morning to wait for the tea shop to open. All grades of tea are charged with commodity purchase number tickets, with half a Chengdu city purchase certificate, that is, the old Chengdu people are accustomed to the salary coupons, the existing paper bags can see the words "half a certificate", the special level of the first level is dedicated to VIPs, the second flower is for the solid family to buy, because the price is moderate, Chengdu people are unique to the third level of flower tea.
At that time, the No. 10 Drinking Tao Tea Hall in the southern section of Chunxi, the Yuechun Tea House on Hongji Road, the Daan Tea House at caojia Lane in the north gate, the Qingfeng Tea House at No. 144 Qingyang Zheng Street, the Chunlai Tea House at No. 1479 South Avenue, the Dongpo Tea House in the South Gate City Gate Cave, and so on, the blackboards of large and small tea houses inside and outside the city were written: All kinds of teas are supplied today, and the click rate of "Sanhua" dominates. Chengdu Tea Factory has always been responsible for the guarantee supply of tea for the city's tea houses and industrial and mining enterprises in summer heat protection and cooling tea, even if the tea is in short supply, it is necessary to ensure these units first.
The cup of fragrant sanhua tea is refreshing, refreshing, refreshing, refreshing. In the past, cultural life was poor, people did not have more forms of entertainment and relaxation, what to do after work and holidays? Most people choose to sit down in the tea shop and "eat three flowers". "Three flowers" one is to eliminate tiredness, the other is to rush the shell to kill time, the east and west are short, the old Chengdu folk dragon gate array, the city well, life, put up on the "can't stop the car".
In the past, the old tea guests sat on the special bamboo chairs of Chuanxi in the tea house, crossed erlang's legs, slowly sipped the three-flowered lid bowl of tea, while shook their heads with melodious and gentle opera singing, fingers tapping the tea table and rhythm, it was simply enjoying life. Therefore, the tea shops who listen to photo books, play money boards, and comment on books are called "book tea". Xiangshu master Zeng Bingkun, Sichuan Qingyin famous Li Yueqiu, Yangqin actor Li Decai, and Jia Shusan, a bamboo qin actor known as Jia Blind, all performed in the old tea shop. Old Chengdu tea guests love to listen to and watch local music and art, and most of the knowledgeable people are concentrated in tea shops, and the music performers are also willing to perform for them.
At the beginning of reform and opening up, Li Boqing, a folk artist who performed Sanda Commentaries, performed in tea houses before he became famous, mainly relying on selling tea money to share his life, which can be described as a grassroots star held out of bowl after bowl of Sanhua tea. When he performed at the Jinjiang Theater, the author who lived in the opposite courtyard dam often saw that the audience who purchased tickets to enter the Huaxing Zhengdu Street was "rolled" off, and the hot scenes were still vividly remembered.
Wang Dehou, an old worker in the leather shoe industry, did not smile and was addicted to smoking leaf tobacco and drinking Sanhua tea. He did a good job of handmade leather shoes, and after retirement, he helped people make leather shoes, and customers gave him a pound of three-flower tea leaves in return. As an old opera fan, he especially likes Sichuan opera, playing a drum at the Xiaotiansi Road Tea Shop outside the South Gate (which has disappeared when the old city was transformed), and there is also a bowl of sanhua tea around him.
In 2003, Chengdu Tea Factory moved to ecological Pujiang, and the white background and black signboard of the marble inscription of "Chengdu Tea Factory of Sichuan Province" hung by the former factory are still embedded in the brick pillars of the old factory site, but there is no longer the prosperous scene of the past. At present, the new factory attracts customers to buy tea, pick tea, experience and visit the tea garden factory, so as to connect with the market, expand the influence of the Sanhua brand, and drive the Sanhua tea to become stronger, better and bigger. If it can be combined with tea art performances, tea set production displays, tea furniture supporting production, tea Museum cultural relics display, health vacation and other one-stop shopping and play services, it will definitely make Chengdu's Sanhua tea culture glow with new brilliance.
Seventy years of corporate culture road is difficult and long, may the fragrance of sanhua tea drift forever!
□ Author Bio
Wang Daming, a famous collector in Chengdu, is the keynote speaker of the "Old Chengdu Story Collection" of Wuhou District Library. The collection of tens of thousands of pieces about the old Chengdu collection, covering old photos, department store advertisements, food, medicine, hardware, certificates, materials and literature and other categories, its collection is used by provincial and municipal television newspapers. Participated in the writing of more than ten kinds of old Chengdu books such as "Chengdu Time-honored Brand", "Picture Says Old Chengdu", "Picture Says Chengdu Sixty Years", "Into Old Chengdu" and so on. The special collection has participated in more than 30 national, provincial, municipal and county and community exhibitions.