茶具文物館介紹中國茶藝的發展及展出茶具珍藏（附圖）
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More than 100 pieces of refined tea ware from Tang dynasty (618-907) to the 20th century will be featured at the "History of Tea: The K S Lo Collection of the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware" exhibition at the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware from today (March 19) until November 17. Visitors will not only be able to appreciate the tea utensils made in different time periods for local use and export, but will also gain a comprehensive idea on the development of the art of tea drinking throughout Chinese history.
茶具文物館由即日（三月十九日）起至十一月十七日將舉行「茗趣源流：茶具文物館羅桂祥珍藏」，展出逾百件唐代至二十世紀的茶具珍藏，以及介紹茶藝在不同時期的演變。
The Tang dynasty was a powerful and prosperous period in Chinese history. Its economic affluence and the flowering of cultural life provided the essential conditions for the development of tea culture. The custom of tea drinking spread rapidly northward from the southern parts of China and even reached frontier regions. The imperial court of the Tang dynasty held all matters associated with tea drinking in high regard. In 770, the Office of Tribute Tea was established to take charge of the production of tribute tea for imperial household consumption. The most influential factor contributed to the establishment of Chinese tea culture during this period was the famous treatise, "Chajing" (Classic of Tea), composed by Lu Yu (active in 760-800) in the mid-eighth century.
唐代是中國歷史上的一個強盛時期，經濟和文化發展興旺，大大推動了品茗風氣。飲茶的風尚已經突破了南北界限，一直傳播至邊疆地區。唐代宮廷對茶事甚為重視，在公元七七○年設立貢茶院，主理皇室飲用的茶。至八世紀中期，陸羽（約活躍於七六○年至八○○年）著作了世上第一部以茶為主題的《茶經》，為中國茶文化奠定了重要的基礎。
Tea drinking in the Song dynasty (960-1279) was even more popular. Tea became a national drink and was enjoyed across all social strata. To prepare tea, a tea cake was reground into fine powder. The tea powder was placed in a tea bowl over which boiling water from an ewer was poured. The mixture was then stirred with a whisk. This way of preparing tea was known as the "whipped tea method".
宋代飲茶的風氣比前朝更為普及，自皇室貴族、文人雅士，以至於平民百姓均以飲茶為時尚。宋人飲用的團茶是由細茶末構成茶餅，在備茶時只須把團茶以碾磨還原成細茶末，投入茶盞中，再添注沸水，調勻成乳狀的茶湯。這就是宋人主流的飲茶方法，稱為「點茶法」。
Early in the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang (1368-1398), the first emperor of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), the manufacture of tribute tea cakes was prohibited and substituted by the use of loose leaf tea picked from young leaf buds. The practice of drinking tea made from young leaf buds and loose leaves had existed as early as in the Tang dynasty (618-907), but it was not until the Ming dynasty that it became popular. Although people no longer made tea with tea cakes in the early Ming dynasty , they still ground leaf buds into a fine powder, whether for the making of plain tea or cream tea as had been the practice in the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). Some tea drinkers retained the elements of tea preparation methods of the Tang and Song dynasties by crushing and grounding tea leaves into a fine powder. Water was poured into a bowl containing the powder and the mixture was stirred until it emulsified and a layer of froth formed on the surface.
明太祖朱元璋於洪武（一三六八年至一三九八年）初年下詔禁止製造上貢團茶，改以芽茶進貢。早在唐代，人們已有飲用芽茶和葉茶，但直至明代才逐漸成為主流。明代初年人們雖然不用團茶，但仍有沿襲元代酥油茶的方法，將茶芽碾磨成碎混以酥油煎飲。就是淨以嫩芽為茶，亦必經碾磨。此外，亦有人們混雜唐、宋兩代的備茶方法，把葉茶碾碎成末，再注入沸水，以點茶方法擊拂，使茶湯表面形成豐富的沫餑。
The method used to prepare tea during the Qing dynasty (1644-1911) followed the path laid in the Ming dynasty. Alongside teapots, covered tea bowls also came into fashion as a means of steeping loose tea leaves. Early in the Qing dynasty, some tea manufacturers in the Wuyi mountain region of Fujian province invented a kind of half-fermented tea. After allowing the plucked tea leaves to wither and ferment until the edges of the leaves turned red, they would then halt the fermentation process by pan-firing them. The tea made in this novel way was called "Oolong tea" or "Wuyi tea". This new category of tea offered a unique taste and its sophisticated production process was recorded in "Xu Chajing" (The Sequel to the Classic of Tea) complied by Lu Tingcan of the Qing period. Lu quoted the description of the production process of Wuyi tea from "Chashuo" (Discourse on Tea) written by his contemporary, Wang Caotang.
清代沿用明代的泡茶法，除了以茶壺浸泡散茶之外，亦流行用蓋沏茶。清代初年，福建武夷的製茶者成功創製出一種半發酵的青茶。製作方法是先讓採摘後的茶葉自然萎凋和發酵，待葉片邊緣變紅時才進行殺青，停止發酵的程序。這種創新的茶類，稱為「烏龍茶」又名「武夷茶」。這種工藝獨特、品味別緻的創新茶類，已記載於清代陸廷燦輯錄成書的《續茶經》內，當中引述同代人王草堂《茶說》對武夷茶製作工藝的描述。
The passion for tea is not confined to the Chinese, as tea is also a popular drink overseas. During the Tang period, tea was a main export to Korea and Japan, but small quantities of tea were also introduced to the countries of the Arabian Peninsula where it was re-exported to Europe for medicinal purposes. However, Japanese ceremonial tea traditions had diverged marked from those of prevailed in China since Ming dynasty. The exquisite quality of Chinese ceramics also won high acclaim in Europe. Indeed, they were greatly cherished by the imperial courts of both England and France. The export of Yixing tea ware started from the 17th century. In the late Ming period, Yixing tea ware, more commonly known as "Porcelain Rouge", was introduced to Europe together with tea exports. Yixing pottery was well received and extensively copied by many factories in Europe in the late 17th century. During the reign of Kangxi (1662-1722), the rapid growth of tea exports was accompanied by an increase in the demand for the production of commissioned Chinese tea ware. Until some time in the 18th century, oriental porcelain teacups were used alongside silver teapots and cream-jugs in European tea services, and on some occasions small Yixing teapots also appeared.
中國茶不單在本土備受重視，也深受各地人士歡迎。唐代年間，茶葉主要外銷至朝鮮和日本一帶，但亦有少量茶葉經由阿拉伯再傳入歐洲。然而，日本的茶道發展由明代開始已與中國大相徑庭。在歐洲，精美的中國瓷器享負盛名，英、法兩國皇室更視之如珍寶。宜興陶器的外銷，始於十七世紀。明代末年，這種被譽為「紅色瓷器」的紫砂製品，隨著茶貨外銷而流行於歐洲。到了十七世紀晚期，不少歐洲陶瓷作坊已開始仿製這種極受歡迎的紫砂器。清代康熙年間（一六六二年至一七二二年）隨外銷至歐洲的茶葉數量日益增加，訂製中國外銷瓷器亦需求甚殷。直至十八世紀，歐洲人仍然喜歡以東方瓷杯品茗，配以銀製茶壺及奶壺，有時也使用細小的外銷宜興茶壺。
The artifacts on display at the exhibition were selected from the K S Lo Collection of tea ware housed at the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware. These valuable artifacts document the discernible changes and development in the variety of forms and glazes applied to ewers and tea bowls of the Tang and Song dynasties. On display are also refined teapots of the Ming dynasty, an exquisite covered bowl of the Qing dynasty in addition to a variety of styles of tea ware destined for export. While appreciating this bountiful heritage of tea ware featuring various qualities, forms and decorations, visitors are invited to explore the history of Chinese tea culture that they embody. Education corners have been set up to create an enlightening and fascinating experience for the visitors.
是次展覽展出的陶瓷茶具選自茶具文物館羅桂祥珍藏。透過唐、宋兩代注子和茶在造型、釉色上的特點和變化、明代創製的茶壺、清代的蓋及各類外銷茶具等，使觀眾在欣賞歷代多姿多采的茶具造型和特色之餘，更可以細味中國茶藝文化的發展。此外，展覽廳內設有教育角，另有一系列講座，讓參觀者享受一個知識與樂趣兼備的茶文化展覽。
Located at 10 Cotton Tree Drive, Central, Hong Kong (inside Hong Kong Park), the Museum of Tea Ware is open from 10am to 5pm daily and is closed on Tuesdays. Admission is free.
茶具文物館位於香港中區紅棉路十號（香港公園內）。開放時間為每日上午十時至下午五時，逢星期二休館。免費入場。
For more information, please visit the Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware's website at http://hk.art.museum, or call 2869 0690 or 2869 6690.
有關展覽及活動詳情，可瀏覽茶具文物館網頁：http://hk.art.museum/，或致電二八六九 ○六九○或二八六九 六六九○查詢。
Ends/Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Issued at HKT 12:01
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Exhibition features Chinese tea culture and tea utensils (with photos)
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