Unveiling Dadaocheng's Tea Legacy: A Visit to Sin Hong Choon Tea Museum
- Bessy
- May 8
- 5 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
For those eager to experience the charm of vintage Taipei, Dadaocheng is an essential destination. As my personal favorite spot to soak in the vibrant atmosphere of old Taipei, Dadaocheng boasts a rich tapestry of stories. From its origins as a bustling Qing Dynasty trading port in Northern Taiwan, the area holds a unique historical significance. Join me as we explore the Sin Hong Choon Tea Museum, once a prominent tea factory and now a government-run museum, offering invaluable insights into this vital aspect of Taiwan's past. Discover the tea history you shouldn't miss!
Table of Contents
The Rise of the Tea Industry in Dadaocheng
Taiwan's reputation for high-quality tea is undeniable, but its journey to international recognition is a compelling story. Taiwan boasts a rich tea-producing heritage that began in the 18th century with immigrants bringing tea seeds from mainland China. However, it was Dadaocheng that became the pivotal hub for transforming locally grown tea into the globally recognized "Formosa Tea" around the 1860s. At this time, Li Chunsheng, a comprador merchant collaborated with foreign merchant, John Dodd. Together, they introduced tea seedlings from Fujian and cultivated them in the suburban mountains of Taipei. Dadaocheng served as the base for refining tea for export. Dadaocheng's role as a tea refining and export hub not only generated substantial job opportunities but, more significantly, empowered countless women by providing them with unprecedented opportunities for work and transforming their lives. The first batch of tea exported from Dadaocheng to New York was branded as 'Formosa Tea,' marking the beginning of Dadaocheng's tea trade journey.
Architecture as a Microcosm of the Tea Gold Era
The prosperous "Tea Gold" era of Dadaocheng is vividly reflected in its architectural styles. The Sin Hong Choon Tea House stands out as a rare and fully preserved shophouse in Taipei that blends Chinese and Western architectural elements. The building features a three-courtyard, three-bay, and three-story layout, a classic grand residence configuration among Dadaocheng's street houses. The building's depth allows it to stretch from the front street to the back alley, with strategically placed light-well courtyards ensuring ventilation and light throughout each section along its length.
Exploring the Layout of Sin Hong Choon Tea House: A Glimpse into its Grand Past
Once as one of the largest tea refinement factories during the peak of Dadaocheng’s tea industry, Sin Hong Choon Tea House boasts a distinctive three-story layout. The bustling ground floor was dedicated to commercial activities, while the second floor served as the vital tea sorting workspace. The private residential space occupied the third floor. Today, visitors can explore the historically rich first and second floors. Access to the third floor is exclusively through guided tours led by the knowledgeable staff at specific times. Having recently joined one of these insightful tours, I'm excited to share exclusive photos and detailed descriptions of each space's function during the tea house's prosperous heyday.
Ground Floor
The ground floor of the Sin Hong Choon Tea Museum provides an engaging introduction to the tea-making process through various exhibits, each detailed in both Mandarin and English. Here, you can find items like bamboo tea sorting trays, metal stencils, and vintage tea cans, etc. What truly stood out was their unique four-grade system for exported tea: Mei (Plum Sparrow), Lan (Orchid), Zhu (Bamboo), and Ju (Golden Chrysanthemum). These names, embodying positive attributes in our culture, demonstrate a thoughtful and culturally significant way of categorizing tea quality.
Continuing our exploration into the second courtyard of the Sin Hong Choon Tea Museum, we encounter a fascinating preservation of traditional tea-making processes. The preserved machinery offer a glimpse into the traditional tea processing craftsmanship: first, tea leaves and stems were separated in the "Stem Sorting Room" to remove impurities; then, in the "Winnowing Room," airflow was used to differentiate whole and broken leaves for grading; finally, the tea leaves were sent to the "Roasting Room," where they were spread on bamboo roasting baskets and placed over brick-built round pits with charcoal fire for roasting – a crucial step for developing the tea's flavor. Adjacent to the Roasting Room, we can glimpse the Master's Room, a space where the tea master could rest while meticulously overseeing the crucial roasting process and ensuring the highest tea quality.
Third Floor: The Wang Family Residence and Ancestral Hall (Guided Tour Exclusive)
The third floor offers a unique glimpse into the Wang family's private life. Accessible only through the guided tour, this level showcases the main bedroom, complete with a vintage bed and closet, and a dedicated tea tasting space featuring distinctive furniture, allows us to imagine the professionals who once convened to evaluate tea. The first courtyard on this level holds particular significance as the family hall, where the Wang family honored their ancestors and deities. Our guide explained that this sacred space is the only part of the building still in the Wang family's possession, with descendants frequently returning to pay their respects, a testament to their enduring reverence. Photography is respectfully prohibited in this area.
Unlocking the Details: Hexagonal Tiles, Bamboo Drainage, and the Entrance Couplet
The Significance of the Hexagonal 'Longevity Tiles'
Looking down at the floor of the main hall on the third floor, you'll see it's entirely composed of hexagonal tiles. Because the shape of these hexagonal tiles resembles a tortoise shell, they are referred to as 'longevity tiles,' symbolizing the tortoise's association with peace, well-being, and a long life. It is hoped that all who come and go will be safe, healthy, and live a long and prosperous life.
The Purpose of the Bamboo Drainage Pipes
In the open space of the first floor's second courtyard, we can observe that the original design for the drainage pipes utilized bamboo. Why bamboo? Because bamboo has many nodes, symbolizing its unyielding and indomitable spirit. These nodes rise layer upon layer, their uprightness further representing its unbending and resilient character. Furthermore, bamboo is straight on the outside but hollow within, symbolizing humility and the capacity to listen to others' opinions with an open mind. This design is also commonly seen in the windows of many temples in Taiwan!
Decoding the Entrance Couplet: A Promise of Premium Tea
Finally, as you're about to step out of the Sin Hong Choon Tea Museum, you'll surely notice the old-fashioned wooden door with a couplet inscribed on either side. One side reads '春採蒙山' (Chūncǎi Méngshān), meaning 'Spring harvest from Mount Meng,' and the other reads '芳尋顧渚' (Fāngxún Gùzhǔ), meaning 'Fragrant seeking at Guzhu.' Guzhu refers to Mount Guzhu, located in Zhejiang Province, famous for producing Guzhu Purple Sprout Tea. As early as the Tang Dynasty, it was praised as a renowned tea by the tea scholar Lu Yu. Mount Meng refers to Mount Meng in Sichuan Province, known for its Mengding Tea and considered to be the earliest place where tea was planted in China. This carefully chosen couplet proudly declares the tea house's commitment to offering the highest quality teas.
What an incredible journey through the history held within the walls of the Sin Hong Choon Tea Museum! If you're captivated by Dadaocheng's tea legacy and are now seeking the perfect tea house to experience its flavors firsthand, I'm here to help. Reach out for a personalized tour and let's explore the wonders of Dadaocheng's tea culture together.
Basic information of Sin Hong Choon Tea Museum
Address: No. 309, Minsheng Road, Datung District, Taipei City, Taiwan See Google Map
Opening Hours: Wed – Sun, 09.00 – 18.00
Admission: Free
Comments