從技到藝：潮州工夫茶的現代性

From Skill to Art: The Modernity of Chaozhou Gongfucha

在過去的二三十年間，潮州工夫茶從中國眾多的地方性飲茶實踐 中脫穎而出，逐漸由東南沿海向內地傳播，並在此過程中與臺灣、福 建的飲茶習俗結合而形成了當代工夫茶藝。在 21 世紀席捲全球的「非 物質文化遺產」保護浪潮下，無論是潮州地方政府的宣傳推廣活動， 還是各大城市的專業茶藝師培訓課程，乃至在國家級的紀錄片敘事 中，潮州工夫茶都經常被表述為中國「傳統」茶文化的代表。然而， 本文通過追溯鳳凰單叢的起源與畬族始祖傳說之間的關係，以及對當 地茶行業菁英、茶葉師，以及一般民眾的田野訪談材料進行分析，揭 示了潮州工夫茶藝從一種地方性實踐一躍而成為全國性的「傳統」乃 是經歷了一系列「調適」與「改造」的「社會過程」。首先，在潮州地區，經過地方菁英的「寫文化」推動，工夫茶在歷史上與畬族的密切聯繫逐漸被淡化，取而代之的是將其與儒家精神結合，從而建立其作為中華茶藝正統的正當性。其次，新興的中產階級對精緻化生活的追求，促使工夫茶從強調泡出好滋味的實用性技巧向更強調視覺美感的觀賞性「茶藝」轉變。再次，潮州工夫茶從「技」到「藝」的轉變也逐漸導致從業者的分層和性別分工：以非物質文化遺產傳承人為代表的男性「大師」們，活躍於政府主辦的儀式活動，負責制定「傳統」標準；而在商業性經營場所，更多的是年輕的女性茶藝師機械化地執行大師們規範的「程序」，向外來者展演所謂的「傳統」。從「潮州工夫茶」到「潮州工夫茶藝」，表面上的一字之差實則生動地展現了這一源自東南一隅的地方性飲茶實踐在新的社會環境中要獲得生命力而不得不經歷的一系列現代化歷程。

In the past 2 or 3 decades, Chaozhou Gongfucha has stood out among various regional tea-drinking practices in China, gradually spreading from the southeast coast to the interior, and in this process combining with the tea-drinking customs of Taiwan and Fujian to form a contemporary ''Kongfu Tea Art.'' In the context of the 21st century global movement to safeguard intangible cultural heritage, Chaozhou Gongfucha is often represented in the promotion activities of Chaozhou local government, in the professional tea art training courses in major cities, and even in the visual narrative portrayed by national documentaries, as a symbol of China's ''traditional'' tea culture. However, by tracing the origins of Fenghuang-dancong (phoenix single bush) and the connection with the myth of the She people''s founding ancestor, and analyzing data collected from field interviews with prominent people in the local tea industry, tea masters, and the general public, this article reveals that, while evolving from a local practice into a national tradition, Chaozhou Gongfucha has gone through a ''social process'' which included a series of ''adjustments'' and ''reforms''. Firstly, in the Chaozhou area, the close connection between Gongfucha and the She people, promoted by the local elite''s ''writing culture'', has gradually been diluted, and in its stead a new connection linking Confucianism and Gongfucha has been progressively built up to establish its ''legitimacy'' as the ''orthodox'' representative of Chinese tea art. Secondly, the pursuit of a ''refined'' life-style by the affluent urban classes has prompted a shift of Gongfucha from an emphasis on practical brewing skills to a focus on visual aesthetics. Thirdly, this transformation of Chaozhou Gongfucha from ''skill'' to ''art'' has resulted in a change in the practitioners'' hierarchies and gender roles. Male ''masters'', represented by intangible cultural heritage carriers active in government-sponsored ceremonies, are responsible for formulating ''traditional'' standards; while in commercial settings, younger female tea artists mechanically perform the ''procedure'' normalized by male masters, to demonstrate the so-called tradition to outsiders. The passage from ''Chaozhou Kongfucha'' to ''Chaozhou Kongfu Tea Art''-that literally amounts to just a couple words difference-vividly demonstrates that, to gain vitality in a new social environment, the local tea-drinking practice from southeast China had to go through a series of changes in the modernization processes.