蝴蝶效應︰由清代廣州三行轉運世界的茶葉貿易

The source of the tea trade is Fujian and Anhui, but a large quantity of tea was gathered in Guangzhou and exported to Europe and the Americas. Thus Guangdong, Anhui and Fujian merchants formed a chain of the tea trade. In 1757, Guangzhou became the sole port for foreign trade, which led to the most prosperous period of thirteen-hong. Chinese export tea had a complete system of production and circulation. Tea peasants baked, picked and packed the tea products and sold them to tea dealers, who processed the tea and sent them to the hong merchants, who sold them to foreign traders. The tea industry promoted the prosperity of tea plantations, tea culture and the Guangdong merchants group. Street markets appeared along the southern side of the Pearl River in Guangzhou. Tea exportation led to the emergence of a large amount of export-oriented enterprises in South China. But we need to say, the formation of this world-wide tea path is not a natural economic development, but specifically the result of the policy of one-port foreign trade.