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Free tea in summer heat
By Xu Wenwen |
July 29, 2010, Thursday
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FREE tea in the summer heat is a tradition in Hangzhou, and many warm-hearted citizens pass out refreshing herbal teas to keep residents from passing out in the sun.
At bustling Huancheng Road N., an elderly couple ladles cold tea from a bucket and pours it into paper cups. Sweat streams from the old man's grizzled hair and down his back bowed with age. When passersby stop, the couple pass on a cup of cold tea, saying, "It's free."
This is the sixth year that 77-year-old Tong Tianyou and his 69-year-old wife Zhang A'liu have distributed free tea in the city.
They use their own recipe: green tea, black tea and the local specialty, chrysanthemum tea.
Each day they use more than 1 kilogram of tea leaves and 90 boilers (each 6 liters) of water.
They open their booth in July and August, the hottest months, and they have become an institution.
Their only aim is to quench thirst and to help.
Tong says he was inspired by an incident in the summer of 2005 when he saw a migrant worker go to a grocery store and ask for a bottle of tea drink. But it was 3 yuan (44 US cents), too much for him, so he walked out.
Tong caught up with the thirsty guy and bought him the drink. From that moment on, he determined to provide free tea in the summer to thirsty people.
That summer, Tong and his wife purchased a tricycle cart, some big stainless buckets, tea leaves and paper cups. They bought a huge umbrella for shade and set up their booth.
Every morning around 5am, Tong and his wife get up and start preparing tea. They arrive at their spot at 8am, after three or four hours' work, they grab a bite at a nearby canteen. Then they work until 5pm, when they return Though they toil more than 12 hours a day in extremely hot weather, humid and rainy weather, they say their efforts are worthwhile.
"I'm happy if they are happy," Zhang says simply.
Over the years, volunteers have joined them.
Two volunteers from Chaoming Community, both more than 60 years old, insisted on taking charge of boiling the water to refill the tea buckets. They've been helping out since the couple started.
College student volunteers help on weekends. Some residents hand out pills to help prevent heat stroke.
"We do a good deed and then people follow with more good deeds, which we did not expect," says Tong. "To thank them, we'll do even better."
Now the government and enterprises are helping.
Since last year the city government put up a long blue tent to shelter the shabby tea booth and added two benches. A bank gives the couple 2,000 yuan every summer to cover tea expenses. A transport company provides paper cups.
Recipes for melon, mint and tangerine teas
Watermelon peel tea: Wash melon peels, cut into small pieces. Boil for half an hour. Add sugar to taste. It helps relieve summer heat; kids like it.
Mint tea: Add 6-gram mint and 6-gram anise (licorice) to 1-kilogram water. Boil for five minutes. Add sugar to taste.
Dried tangerine (orange peel) tea: Add boiling water to 10-gram peel (mug-size). Add sugar to taste. It helps prevent heatstroke, strengthens spleen and reduces phlegm. Recommended for seniors.
Other tea booths
In addition to the famous tea couple's booth, there are other places offering free herbal tea around the city.
Hui Chun Tang, a famous traditional Chinese pharmacy on Hefang Street, offers free tea all year around but brews different teas according to the season and weather. Summer tea is made with lotus leaves and herbs that clear heat (yang energy).
Hu Qing Yu Tang, a well-known TCM pharmacy on Hefang Street, uses its secret formula to make free herbal tea.
Near the Tianshui Bridge bus stop at Zhongshan Road N., a citizens' tea booth offers free green tea from 9am to 3pm.
At Muchanglong Community, 75-year-old Zhou A'zhen has offered free herbal tea for seven years to residents and passersby at her residence gate. She uses green tea, honeysuckle and self-heal (prunella).
"Female Hero Volunteer Tea Booth" at Tiancheng Community is eight years old. Elderly ladies in the community offer jasmine tea, rock tea and herb teas.
At bustling Huancheng Road N., an elderly couple ladles cold tea from a bucket and pours it into paper cups. Sweat streams from the old man's grizzled hair and down his back bowed with age. When passersby stop, the couple pass on a cup of cold tea, saying, "It's free."
This is the sixth year that 77-year-old Tong Tianyou and his 69-year-old wife Zhang A'liu have distributed free tea in the city.
They use their own recipe: green tea, black tea and the local specialty, chrysanthemum tea.
Each day they use more than 1 kilogram of tea leaves and 90 boilers (each 6 liters) of water.
They open their booth in July and August, the hottest months, and they have become an institution.
Their only aim is to quench thirst and to help.
Tong says he was inspired by an incident in the summer of 2005 when he saw a migrant worker go to a grocery store and ask for a bottle of tea drink. But it was 3 yuan (44 US cents), too much for him, so he walked out.
Tong caught up with the thirsty guy and bought him the drink. From that moment on, he determined to provide free tea in the summer to thirsty people.
That summer, Tong and his wife purchased a tricycle cart, some big stainless buckets, tea leaves and paper cups. They bought a huge umbrella for shade and set up their booth.
Every morning around 5am, Tong and his wife get up and start preparing tea. They arrive at their spot at 8am, after three or four hours' work, they grab a bite at a nearby canteen. Then they work until 5pm, when they return Though they toil more than 12 hours a day in extremely hot weather, humid and rainy weather, they say their efforts are worthwhile.
"I'm happy if they are happy," Zhang says simply.
Over the years, volunteers have joined them.
Two volunteers from Chaoming Community, both more than 60 years old, insisted on taking charge of boiling the water to refill the tea buckets. They've been helping out since the couple started.
College student volunteers help on weekends. Some residents hand out pills to help prevent heat stroke.
"We do a good deed and then people follow with more good deeds, which we did not expect," says Tong. "To thank them, we'll do even better."
Now the government and enterprises are helping.
Since last year the city government put up a long blue tent to shelter the shabby tea booth and added two benches. A bank gives the couple 2,000 yuan every summer to cover tea expenses. A transport company provides paper cups.
Recipes for melon, mint and tangerine teas
Watermelon peel tea: Wash melon peels, cut into small pieces. Boil for half an hour. Add sugar to taste. It helps relieve summer heat; kids like it.
Mint tea: Add 6-gram mint and 6-gram anise (licorice) to 1-kilogram water. Boil for five minutes. Add sugar to taste.
Dried tangerine (orange peel) tea: Add boiling water to 10-gram peel (mug-size). Add sugar to taste. It helps prevent heatstroke, strengthens spleen and reduces phlegm. Recommended for seniors.
Other tea booths
In addition to the famous tea couple's booth, there are other places offering free herbal tea around the city.
Hui Chun Tang, a famous traditional Chinese pharmacy on Hefang Street, offers free tea all year around but brews different teas according to the season and weather. Summer tea is made with lotus leaves and herbs that clear heat (yang energy).
Hu Qing Yu Tang, a well-known TCM pharmacy on Hefang Street, uses its secret formula to make free herbal tea.
Near the Tianshui Bridge bus stop at Zhongshan Road N., a citizens' tea booth offers free green tea from 9am to 3pm.
At Muchanglong Community, 75-year-old Zhou A'zhen has offered free herbal tea for seven years to residents and passersby at her residence gate. She uses green tea, honeysuckle and self-heal (prunella).
"Female Hero Volunteer Tea Booth" at Tiancheng Community is eight years old. Elderly ladies in the community offer jasmine tea, rock tea and herb teas.
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