From "Chaai" by Takeshi Matsuyama (published by Fujinsha in 1995)
Enjoying the art of tea
Taiwanese cities are home to a wide variety of teahouses. Teahouses are similar to the Chinese tea ceremony, but they are places where people can simply brew and drink delicious tea in a rational manner. They are salons for tea lovers.
Some have a folk-style design with bamboo interiors, while others are reminiscent of Ming Dynasty mansions, and some even include tea houses that are modeled after the living quarters of Qing Dynasty emperors, such as the Sanxidang on the fourth floor of the Palace Museum (Editor's note: Sanxidang has closed and no longer exists).
Taipei is home to many atmospheric establishments, including the "Ke Zhong Zuo" teahouse frequented by Hou Hsiao-hsien, director of the film A City of Sadness. Jiufen, a former gold mining town that was used as a filming location for the film, also has a teahouse overlooking the sea, a beloved space where people can relax. People frequent their favorite teahouses as a place to sip tea and have conversations, and now also as a place for leisurely business conversations.
Tea houses are an oasis in the midst of the vibrant and hectic pace of Taiwan. And the tea in Taiwan is so delicious.
I wondered where the first tea house I went to was, and it was in Hualien. It was more than a decade ago (around the 1970s) when I went on an assignment for the Sunday Mainichi magazine with my friend, Kiyohiro Kiyokawa (the editor at the time who traveled to Taiwan with Matsuyama).
I've forgotten the name of the restaurant, but it was located in Hualien City and was a renovated old private house with several tables, and was quite a thriving business.
There are tea utensils prepared on the table, and when we sit down, a young lady who is well-versed in the art of making bubble tea will be there to make tea for us. First, we look at the menu that lists the teas they have on offer and decide which one we want to drink.
"It's quite expensive, about 5000 yen in Japanese yen," said Kiyoshi. It was certainly a considerable price, considering the cost of living in Taiwan, or even Japan, at the time, more than ten years ago.
"But with Bird Dragon Tea, you don't just drink one cup and then you're done. You can drink it five or six times, and with high-quality tea leaves, it can take almost 10 cups."
"If you like, you can replace the tea leaves with new ones and drink more. This fee is to ensure that you can fully enjoy this small tin of tea leaves. You can also take the remaining tea leaves home with you," the young lady said.
In other words, spending a certain amount of time relaxing and enjoying fine tea can be considered a kind of fee for using the time and space.
There are now an increasing number of tea houses where customers can prepare bubble tea to their own liking. This is likely due to the fact that tea-making techniques have become more widespread and that more people want to enjoy tea in a more personal way.
There are many memorable moments from this trip to Hualien, and I can still remember them vividly.
That year was a year of frequent earthquakes, especially in eastern Taiwan, and there were several earthquakes during my stay. Also, while I was watching a really strong evening shower from the terrace of the hotel where I was staying, lightning struck very close by, and all the hair on my body stood on end. I still remember the feeling of my hair and even the hair on my arms standing at right angles to my skin.
