第四章：老漢口特有的茶館文化

Chapter 4：The Unique Tea House Culture of Old Hankou

老漢口的茶館始于何年，尚無從查考。但在老漢口人的印象中，漢口茶館卻有著特殊的記憶。很多市民每天做完事，都會到茶館聊天、乘涼或者看戲、聽評書。茶館是市民聚會最方便且最適宜的地方。

There is no frame of reference for which year tea houses started cropping up in Old Hankou, but tea houses get many old-timers in Hankou waxing nostalgic. Tea houses are a part of these people’s daily routine. After work, many locals can be spotted in tea houses, chatting, enjoying the cool refreshing atmosphere, watching opera or listening to storytellers telling historical or traditional anecdotes. Tea houses are the most convenient and comfortable places to gather.

▲老漢口茶館生意興隆，茶客盈門 Customers filling the tea house in old Hankou

▲茶葉擔夫 Polebearers carrying tea

19世紀初，范鍇（清朝嘉道年間人士）在《漢口叢談》有載：“后湖之有茶肆，相傳自湖心亭始，近若涌金泉、第五家、翠薌、惠芳、習習亭、麗春軒之名為著，皆在下路雷祖殿、三元殿后。其余尚有數(shù)十處?！?/p>

另有資料顯示：到宣統(tǒng)元年（1909），漢口的茶館多達250家，占武漢三鎮(zhèn)茶館的60%。張之洞督鄂后，伴隨工商業(yè)的迅猛發(fā)展，漢口的人口日益增加，茶館生意更為興旺。1931年武漢大水后，百業(yè)蕭條，大批失業(yè)者涌入茶館，茶館生意格外興隆。1933年，茶館竟增至1373家。

這些茶樓中，較著名的有接駕嘴心怡茶樓，生成里口的味春茶館，民生路口的話雅茶樓，永安市場的漢天春茶樓，后花樓街的德意茶館，江漢路上的洞天居茶樓，以玩雀鳥著稱的臨城茶館等等。

漢口茶館以規(guī)模劃分，25張茶桌以上算是一等，15～25張茶桌的為二等，5～10張桌子的系三等，5桌以下的屬四等。

大茶館大都集中于鬧市區(qū)，其茶客多是工商圈內(nèi)人物；中小茶館則遍及街頭巷陌，茶客亦因地段而別；狹道小街上的茶館，茶客往往是各類手工業(yè)者；沿江沿河及鐵路邊的茶館，是水陸辦貨客商及碼頭裝卸工人的休閑之所；而設在公園與游覽地的茶館，則是游客休憩處。

從1861年漢口開埠到1949年中華人民共和國成立，將近百年的歲月，漢口城市經(jīng)歷了各種各樣的歷史變遷：張之洞治鄂的短暫繁榮、辛亥革命的戰(zhàn)火破壞與重建、淪陷區(qū)日本鐵蹄的蹂躪，不可預測的水災火災。

這里有各地商人、政客、幫會、警察、普通市民、碼頭工人、妓女、江湖藝人……不同層次、不同類別的人往往都愿意選擇茶館作為他們進行交易、宣傳思想、秘密政治、搜集信息、休閑娛樂、擋風避雨的地方。所以，近代漢口的茶館在歷史發(fā)展中，就形成了各種各樣的層次、種類，為滿足不同的人群需要；各種不同人群的自然選擇，也形成了不同茶館之間的特點和文化。

Early in the 19th century, Fan Kai, a man who lived during the period between the reign of Emperor Jia Qing and Dao Guang of the Qing Dynasty, recorded in The Collected Writings on Hankou,“Houhu District was said to have tea houses since the opening of Huxinting Tea House. The most recent popular ones, including Yongjinquan, Diwujia, Cuixiang, Huifang, Xixixuan and Lichunxuan, all sit roadside behind the Thunder God Temple and the Temple of the Gods of Heaven, Earth and Water. The remaining dozens are yet to be counted.”

Other information shows that tea houses in Hankou numbered as many as 250 by the year of 1909, beginning of Emperor Xuantong’s reign in the QingDynasty, accounting for 60% of the total tea houses at the three main boroughs of Wuhan. After Zhang Zhidong became governor of Hubei, the tea house business flourished right alongside the extraordinary development of commerce and industry in the area, meanwhile the population of Hankou increased. In 1931, unemployed workers flocked to tea houses en masse during an economic downturn that occurred in the wake of a terrible flood, yet the tea house business remained untouched by recession and was all the more prosperous. The number of tea houses increased to 1,373 by the year 1933.

The famous local tea houses included, Xinyi Tea House at Jie Jiazui, Weichun Tea House at Shengcheng Likou, Huaya Tea House at Minsheng Road, Hantianchun Tea House at Yong’an Market, Deyi Tea House at Houhualou Street, Dongtianju Tea House at Jianghan Road, and Lincheng Tea House, which was famous for its bird play.

Tea houses in Hankou were categorized by size: those with more than 25 tables are top tier, those with 15 to 25 tables are second tier, those with 5 to 10 tables are third tier, and those with fewer than five tables are forth ttiieerr..

Most of the big tea houses were clustered in the downtown area, and the majority of the patronss are members of the local business and industrial community. Medium and small tea houses were scatered here,there and everywhere, and those who frequent the smaller-scaallee joints were typically a diverse subset of the local craftsmen; the tea houses bordering the rivers, lakes and railroads were fun zones for local merchants and longshoremen, while tea houses in parkss or tourist sites were the rest stops for weary travelers.

Approximately 100 years have passed from 1861,the year when Hankou Port opened to world trade, and the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. During that time Hankou has gone through every conceivable historical transformation: from the short-lived renaissance of Zhang Zhidong era to the utter destruction brought on by Xinhai Revolution (in 1911) and the subsequent reconstruction to the devastation of the Japanese occupation, and to the unforeseeable floods and fires.

Tea houses here were frequented by business people, politicians, the underworld, policemen, urbanites, longshoremen, harlots, buskers; all types of people from every social stratum and walk of life made tea houses their preferred place for wheeling and dealing, conceiving promotional ideology, conducting hush-hush political deals, information gathering, recreation, or just simply taking shelter from the elements. Thus, the recent historical development has formed a Hankou tea house culture as unique and multifarious as the tea houses that serve it. The differing demands of different people naturally and gradually evolved the characteristics and culture of the tea house that matches his or her own particular style.

▲齡鶴茶館舊址 Linghe Tea House before it was demolished

民國漢口的茶館，分為“清水”和“渾水”兩種。清水茶館以賣茶為主，茶館里不打牌不唱戲?！皽喫桊^”既賣茶，又有唱戲、賣曲、打牌、賭博及其他娛樂活動。這些都形成了漢口茶館豐富的內(nèi)涵。它并非一個靜止的老房子，而是一種活生生的漢口人的生活和歷史。

生活在不同城市階層中的漢口人，對漢口的茶館有著他們固執(zhí)的愛好——

或許一位碼頭工人，做了一天的苦力，掙到一些微薄的工資，除去開銷已經(jīng)所剩無幾。夜幕降臨，繁星滿天，熱風吹拂，匆匆吃過晚飯后，他急忙忙趕到最近的一家簡陋的茶館。這里茶資便宜，而且晚間會有說書、小曲。雖然設備簡陋，但看著是那樣親切。不一會兒，小小的茶館就擠滿了各式各樣的茶客。他們是這個城市的底層人，穿著粗布衣服，品著廉價的茶水，全神貫注盯著前面臺上的演出，可能是說書，也可能是江湖藝人的小曲演唱，或是雜耍、皮影戲，精彩的演出不時會引起滿堂喝彩。

與此同時，在漢口的另外一些茶館中卻可能上演著另一種不同的生活。這里空間開闊、設施豪華、或有包間、上好的檀木桌椅，來這里喝茶的人出手闊綽，一擲千金。來這里喝茶，不僅僅是喝茶，講的還是排場，京劇、漢劇、楚劇名角輪番上場。也許在某一個茶館不為人注意的角落，一個秘密的政治計劃正在籌備，或茶館的陰暗處幾雙詭秘的眼睛正密切注視著茶館中人的一舉一動，以便得到有效的情報。

1938年武漢淪陷后，漢口茶館業(yè)只殘存有250家，從此一蹶不振，直到解放前，武漢三鎮(zhèn)一共只有茶館300余家。然而，直到如今，這些著名的不著名的茶館大多已不復存在。

當?shù)孛襟w《武漢晚報》曾刊登過一篇關于花樓街拆遷的文章。文章說：“花樓街103號，矗立著一棟暗紅色雕欄窗戶的老屋，這就是有著近百年歷史的廣益橋齡鶴茶館舊址。”

如今，齡鶴茶館舊址早已隨著花樓街改造而被拆除。老漢口的茶館僅剩下位于前進一路的鶴陽茶館還保留至今。

鶴陽茶館位于漢口民主一街與前進一路的西北轉角處，是移動兩層的磚混結構、紅瓦樓房，臨街二樓是現(xiàn)在已不多見的木結構陽臺。它的二樓直到上世紀六十年代仍在經(jīng)營茶館。據(jù)說，湖北的第一個全國象棋冠軍李義庭經(jīng)常在這家茶館下棋。

歷經(jīng)近百年的風風雨雨，老樓保存完好。據(jù)居住在這里的老漢口人介紹，這是一家“渾水”茶館。每天，附近的居民都能聽見樓上的鑼鼓聲，抬頭看得見化了妝的演員。那時候，時斷時續(xù)的楚戲的悲腔在夜晚的天空飄蕩……

During the Republican Era (1911-1949), tea houses in Hankou were divided into two types,“pure” and “fusion.” The “pure” tea houses focused solely on tea drinking with no card games or opera performances. “Fusion” tea houses were not only for tea drinking, but also for enjoying operas, music, cards and other entertainment activities. These different types of tea houses enriched and enlivened Hankou tea houses. The tea house was not simply an old building in a static location but was imbued with the life and history of Hankou people.

Old Hankou’s varying social classes hold tenaciously to their own particular ways of passing the time at tea houses.

Perhaps a dockhand has worked his fingers to the bone for the whole day, earned his meager wage, and after factoring out his expenses, would not have two bucks to rub together. Yet as the night falls, as the twinkling stars fill the sky, as the night winds begin to blow, after wolfing down his supper he would still prefer to scurry over to the nearest shabby little tea house to pass the night away.

The tea is cheap and there is entertainment like storytelling and music. Though the décor at this type of tea house is not much to speak of, the atmosphere is nonetheless warm and cozy.

By and by, this tiny tea house is overflowing with customers from every stratum of the lower classes. Though dressed in two-bit attire and imbibing on low-grade tea, they are nevertheless engrossed in the performances which are, perhaps a book being read with great panache, or the impassioned song and dance of a local busker, or perhaps a heartpounding show of acrobatic prowess, or perhaps an enchanting performance of shadow puppet theater. Whatever it is, it’s sure to bring the house down.

Meanwhile, at other tea houses, there is another kind of life altogether being lived out on the other side of Hankou. The upscale tea houses have luxurious facilities and décor, expensive tables with chairs made of ebony, and private rooms. The customers are high rollers and spend money like water. They come not only for the tea but also to flaunt their wealth and social status while Peking opera, Han opera and Chu opera play in turn. Perhaps there is a secret political plan being devised in an obscure corner of some tea houses, or a pair or two of prying eyes peeping at the patrons from a shadowy area of some other tea house, trying to steal some intelligence.

During the Japanese occupation of Wuhan since 1938, the number of remaining tea house in Hankou were on the decline and fell to 250, with only 300 tea houses existing in the three boroughs of Wuhan all the way up to the time of the liberation. And even now, most of these tea houses do not exist anymore, regardless of whether they were once famous or not.

The local Wuhan Evening News once published an article about the demolition of Hualou Street, which mentioned there was an old building with dark red caved window at 103 Hualou Street. It was the former site of Linghe Tea House at Guangyi Qiao with nearly a century of history behind it.

Now, Linghe Tea House has been demolished, and the only old tea house left in Hankou is Heyang Tea House at No.1 Qianjin Road.

Heyang Tea House is located at the northwest corner of the intersection of Minzhu No. 1 road and Qianjin No.1 road in Hankou. It is a two-story brick building with a red tile roof. The second floor had a wooden balcony that can be rarely seen nowadays. It had operated as a tea house until the 1960s. It’s said that Li Yiting, the first national chess champion in Hubei, often played chess there.

The old building is still well preserved after nearly a century. People who have lived in the neighborhood for many years say it used to be a“fusion” tea house. Every day, people living nearby could hear the sound of gongs and drums and catch sight of actors in full costume inside the building. At that time, the melancholy strains of Chu opera could be heard from time to time during the night.

▲鶴陽茶館 Heyang Tea House

俗話說，“下漢口，坐茶館”。在漢口，茶館生活已經(jīng)成為人們生活中不可或缺的一部分，或者說成為漢口城市市民生活的一種方式。當年的茶客中曾流行不少“口頭禪”，頗能反映昔年社會背景與民間風俗——

“不是光棍，不開茶館”。開茶館雖本小利大，但常有地痞流氓尋釁鬧事，故茶館老板必以青洪幫或軍警憲特頭目作后臺。

“行時的酒館，背時的茶館”。行時即生意好，背時則指生意差。生意好做的時候，都上酒館；不好做的時候，都泡茶館。

“上午皮包水，下午水包皮”。有的茶客喜歡兼營澡堂的茶館，尤其是隆冬，上午喝茶，下午泡澡堂。如此一天下來，既過了茶癮，又驅(qū)寒取暖，好不愜意。當然，能這樣悠閑的，多為有錢人家。

“前世打爺罵娘，今生落得跑堂，吃的是粗茶淡飯，睡的是八只腳的床”。茶館伙計通稱“茶房”或“跑堂”，工作不分白天黑夜，薪水微薄，伙食差，晚上無固定睡床，只好將兩張茶桌拼攏當床?？蓢@他們還迷信“前世有過，今生報應”。

茶館，無疑是一個“小社會”，它是老漢口的一個縮影。

As the saying goes, “When in Hankou, refresh yourself at a teahouse,” it is an indispensable part of Hankou residents’ lives. It’s a lifestyle choice for them. Back in the day, there were many popular“pet phrases” that spread among customers at tea houses, which quite appropriately reflect the social background and folk customs of the time.

“Do not run a tea house if you are not single.”Despite the fact that running a tea house was a low cost, high profit venture, many ruffians would come around looking for a fight, so the tea houses had to be backed by local triads or leaders of police or military.

“A tavern in bullish times, a tea house in bearish times.” Bullish times means business is good, bearish times means business is bad. While a busy tavern could satisfy people’s taste buds in times of prosperity, people would prefer staying at quiet tea houses to enjoy tea and tranquility in times of hardship. Therefore, tea houses were often popular in times of a down economy.

“In the morning skin surrounds water, in the afternoon water surrounds skin.” Essentially, this refers to drinking tea in the morning and taking a bath in the afternoon. This saying showed that some customers preferred a tea house equipped with a bathhouse, especially in cold winter. They could enjoy drinking tea in the morning and taking a bath in the afternoon. While it’s a fantastic way to relax, it’s only for the financially well endowed.

“Sinners in the previous life, would they become tea house servers in this life. Coarse and plain foods they eat in the day, eight-legged hard table bed they sleep on in the night.” Servers who work at tea houses were often called “cha fang” or “pao tang.” They work day and night with a little salary, eat simple foods and have no formal bed to sleep in. Instead, they would sleep on a “bed” of two tea tables moved together. What’s worse, superstitious as they were, they would always say, “What goes around, comes around,” and believe it to be their karma.

There is no doubt that the tea house is a “society in miniature,” and a microcosm of old Hankou.