【Macao Intangible Cultural Heritage】What should I do? Drink herbal tea first!
Herbal tea shops are one of the things that concretizes "Chinese tradition" in Macao's urban landscape. What kind of "tea" does herbal tea sell? What is the function? How many herbal tea shops are located in the streets of Macau?
Herbal tea, which uses Chinese herbal medicine as raw materials, has a long history in southern China. Herbal tea is usually brewed in large copper buckets and served in small bowls. Each type of herbal tea has different benefits, for example, some can detoxify, while others can treat coughs or relieve digestive problems. Depending on the recipe, herbal tea can have three to thirty flavors of raw materials, common ones include bitter melon, dandelion, hawthorn, carrot, chestnut, honey, etc.
In 1723, Lin Zhihan, a famous pharmacist in the Qing Dynasty, published research results on local temperature diseases, arguing that the medical theory behind herbal tea dates back to the Western Jin Dynasty (266-316). His eight-volume monograph, Four Diagnoses and Decisions, became a de facto TCM diagnostic guide and was widely used in other parts of the country.
Although it is no longer known when herbal tea shops first appeared in Macau, Loud Gong Herbal Tea, founded 200 years ago, is undoubtedly one of the first herbal tea shops and is still famous today. Over the next century, herbal tea shops blossomed all over Macau. By 1958, there were at least 28 herbal tea shops in Macau, many of which are still in business.
In addition to traditional herbal teas, many herbal tea shops in Macau are actively developing new products to suit the lifestyle and taste of modern people. Nowadays, herbal tea shops usually also sell health stews, juices, desserts, turtle paste, tea eggs and takeaway herbal teas. Some local merchants have even entered supermarkets and convenience stores, selling tea bags, packaged and bottled beverages for the convenience of customers.
Figure 1-4: Herbal tea shops on the streets of Macao
Source: "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Macao", published by the Macao Institute of International Studies
Further reading: Link to the website of "Macao's Intangible Cultural Heritage"
