Hong Kong tea culture
The tea-drinking habits of Hong Kong residents derive from Chinese tea culture, primarily the Cantonese traditions such as yum cha. After more than 150 years of British rule, however, they have changed somewhat to become unique in the world. This uniqueness is not only in terms of the tea itself, but also in terms of the underlying social and cultural values. The history of teahouses in Hong Kong The first teahouse in Hong Kong was established at the end of the 19th century. At that time people bought tea leaves from tea houses so that they could serve tea to visiting guests. Tea would be brewed at the beginning of the day and would be served as guests arrived during the day. At night, the remaining tea would be poured away. They did this whether or not visitors actually arrived. This gave rise to the idiom "Tea is for pouring away." In contemporary society, Hong Kong people buy tea at teahouses not only for serving their guests, but also for themselves. The packaging of tea leaves in Hong Kong Tea-house staff used to store tea leaves in a large, foil container, then weigh them and pack them with papers and