Digital Humanities Mapping of Minbei Tea Culture: From Imperial Gardens to Global Trade Networks
Have you ever wondered how many numbers are hidden in a single cup of tea? I used to think tea was a purely sensory experience. Then I opened the local chronicles of Northern Fujian. Behind every leaf, I found ledgers. Imperial ledgers. Farmer ledgers. Trade ledgers. Every single entry, precise to the last digit. In the 6th year of the Dade era (1302 AD), the Yuan government built the Imperial Tea Garden at the Fourth Bend of Wuyi Mountain. 360 catties of tribute tea. Over 20 roasting houses. A workforce of nearly 500 pickers. This was a “capacity planning document” from seven centuries ago. ...