By Changhong Zhang, bostonese.com
Feb. 1, 2016, — With the Chinese New Year is just around the corner, “Dr. Tea,” Xingcai Zhang, the founder of Mylovetea.com, recalled his participation in the the 242nd Anniversary & Annual Boston Tea Party (BTP) Reenactment presented by Old South Meeting House and the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum. Dr. Tea wishes readers of bostonese.com a healthy and happy Year of Monkey.
Dr. Tea (2nd from right) joins the reenactment (provided to bostonese.com).
Dr. Tea was once again invited to the Reenactment last December, and tossed cans of Bohea Tea he brought from his hometown into Boston Harbor. “I was really honored to participate in the reenactment of a pivotal moment in the history of American liberty, in which Bohea Tea had played a symbolic role,” said Dr. Tea.
The Boston Tea Party in 1773 was central to the American Revolution and regarded as catalyst of the independence of America. The reenactment is both for the American history and Bohea Tea. In 1773, 342 chests of tea shipped by the East India Company from China were dumped into Boston Harbor by “Sons of Liberty,” most were Bohea Tea from the Wuyi (Bohea) Mountain, Fujian, China—hometown of Dr. Tea. In the eighteenth century, the term “Bohea” was extended to refer to all tea varieties around the world.
Among the other 100 volunteer reenactors dressed up in traditional costumes, Dr. Tea showed up in a brand new “Mylovetea” costume at the historical event. Following the theme of nature, Dr. Tea designed the costume by image of green mountains and crystal clear waters. It is blue and green in color in the style of the traditional Han Costume. The costume has drawn attentions and warm hugs from reenactors, staff members and thousands of audiences, to their lovely old friend Dr. Tea. The color blue and green represents the philosophy of Dr. Tea for his company MyLoveTea—Healthy, Harmony, Pure & Nature. As this reenactment is reenactment like no other to Americans, Dr. Tea, reenacts with his hometown Bohea Tea like no other.
As one of the “Sons of Liberty” in the reenactment debate, Dr. Tea said: “I found in the French and Indian War and we did not need the help of the British soldiers to win it. Why should we pay for troops we never asked for?” Long-lasting applause was heard in and outside the House.
After a parade through the streets in downtown Boston, Dr. Tea tossed his own Bohea Tea in to the Harbor—the symbolic destruction of tea. A continuous shout “Dr. Tea, dumps the tea” from the audience reverberated over the Harbor. The teas he dumped are Lapsang Souchong, the father of black tea in the world, and Tea Pop, the best kind of Bohea (Rock) Tea.
波士顿倾茶事件中的中国元素
【本报记者李强波士顿报导】1773年12月16日发生在波士顿海港的波士顿茶叶党倾茶事件成为美国独立战争的导火线，而波士顿地区也成为独立战争的发源地。每年12月份，波士顿会举行场面宏大倾茶事件周年庆典活动。越来越多的华人也参加到这个活动中，原来这个美国历史事件里有中国元素。
上图：张兴才博士（右二）同倾茶事件庆典活动的演员们合影。
连续两年应邀参加波士顿倾茶事件周年庆典活动的张兴才先生29日接受了记者的采访。他告诉记者当年的倾茶事件中“自由之子们”倾倒了英国东印度公司以福建武夷茶为主的340箱中国茶叶，在历史上武夷茶等同于茶，是世界茶的代表，也是中国的代表。“自由之子们”倾茶是因为英国政府对进口的茶叶收取波士顿人高额的税赋，但波士顿作为英国殖民地，居民没有选举权。
张兴才博士因为对茶叶的研究和喜欢而被人称为茶博士。他表示很荣幸在哈佛中国文化工作坊的第三场讲座《武夷茶——世界历史的桥梁》，讲诉了丹山碧水武夷茶的千年贡茶史和影响整个世界历史进程的桥梁作用，得到媒体和听众们的广泛好评，
他表示今年再次出席倾茶事件242周年庆典活动很是开心，见到许多老朋友、工作人员和表演者们。大家穿上传统盛装，热情地招呼拥抱。
“今年我也参演了自由之子们角色，参与辩论，获得了热烈的掌声。最令我感动的是当我带着来自武夷山的红茶鼻祖正山小种与武夷岩茶大红袍，站在正对着波士顿茶党与传播博物馆的波士顿港湾准备倾茶的时候，身后突然传来整片美国人整齐的声音一遍遍喊着：Dr. Tea, Dump the Tea! 内心极为温暖感动，与大家合影欢呼，在欢呼声中倾倒武夷茶，再现并创造历史，对于一个来自中国的茶人来说，是很大的一种鼓舞和温暖，“张兴才说。
张兴才表示他来自福建茶乡，在美国获得博士学位，并发表过《茶于癌症预防》的科学论文，创办了网站：mylovetea.com。他希望带着一份爱与痴心，能够重演武夷茶的历史辉煌，同时开创茶的历史和文化科技的新纪元。他期待着以武夷茶为代表的茶的「自然、健康、纯美、和谐」的文化能够造福人类，发挥更大的作用，为在美国传播茶文化这一中华文化的瑰宝尽一份力。