中国古代明前茶的符号性消费考略

明前茶是绿茶中最受追捧的一类，在人们的消费行为当中，起作用的不仅是明前茶的质量．更主要的是从汉晋至明清，历朝历代逐渐附着在明前茶上的各种符号。这些符号包括保健、神异、风雅、养廉、敬神、尊上、奢华等。直至明朝，朱元璋罢贡团茶，茶叶生产工艺与饮茶方法都发生了根本性的变化，江浙一带开始推崇风味更好一些的雨前茶。由此，明前茶的地位有所下降，茶叶消费观开始变得更多元。

Reflection on the Symbolic Consumption of Mingqian Tea in Ancient China

Minqian tea is the most popular green tea. Consumers＇ purchasing behavior is affected not only by the quality of Mingqian tea, but also all the symbols assoeiated with Mingqian tea from the Han and Jin Dynas- ties to the Ming and Qing Dynasties. These symbols indicate healthy, mysterious, elegant, honest, pious, re- spectful and luxurious. Until Zhu Yanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming dynasty, banned the tribute tea “dragon tea cakes”, the production technology of tea leaves and ways of tea drinking had been changed funda- mentally. Since then people in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces have tended to drink Yuqian tea which has a better flavor and Minqian tea became less popular. Hence the concept of tea consumption is more diversified.