From a Refuge to a Tea Place: the Tea Industry and the Emergence of Place at North Thai Borderland

本研究追蹤從臺灣到泰北的農業技術轉移的時空過程，特別注重在經營最為出色的村寨──美斯樂。透過行動者網絡理論及關係地理學的指引，我論證農業技術的轉移不單只是替代當地罌粟生產的國際計畫，或用以斡旋中南半島高地中泰國、異域孤軍、共產勢力等各個權力關係的政治手段，其更是將「異域孤軍」的難民村重組為「茶鄉」的重要元素，進而形塑了當地特殊的人-茶關係與地方感。本文緊隨臺灣農業專家與泰北茶農的各項農業與社會行動，回溯技術與茶在跨國農業計畫中的移動軌跡，進而描繪茶產業網絡中各式人與非人元素的樣貌，諸如茶品滋味、變動中的市場、泰北華人、製茶設備、在地意象與社區營造組織等。透過對茶產業網絡的理解，我指出茶鄉的形塑非建構於社會或其他如國家、市場等結構性力量，而是當地茶產業網絡穩定化後所展演的效果。網絡中的「茶」並非單純被製造的物品或被輸出的技術，而是持續受到茶產業網絡中每項人與非人行動者所改變的「事物」；而泰北美斯樂華人也在網絡之中轉換自身身分，從戰士成為農夫，從孤軍成為公民。據此，美斯樂作為一個享有盛名的茶鄉，它呈現了不僅是臺泰跨國農業計畫下可預測的成果，更是在種種偶發際遇中，所混雜的各項人與非人異質行動的集合，並萌發出與技術來源地有所不同的在地面貌。透過行動者網絡理論的異質觀點與追蹤實作與衝突事件的方法，我得以在決定論與社會建構論兩端之外，更「對稱」地理解美斯樂茶鄉的形成。據此，從異域到茶鄉的轉變過程就不再只是臺灣烏龍茶技術指導下的產物，或僅為國家間的地緣政治與農業外交考量下可被預期的結果，而是雜揉了許多個偶然的行動場景，在各項機遇中不斷穩定茶與美斯樂的連結，而具美斯樂地方意義的茶鄉正是浮現於交織緊密的行動者網絡之中。This paper traces the historical processes of agricultural transfer from Taiwan to north Thai border, especially on the most successful and rich village, Mae Salong. Based on actor-network theory and approach of relational geographies, I argue that agricultural transfer was not only a project which has erased opium production, counterpoised power geometry in highland of southeast Asia, but also a special element which has reconfigured the network of Yunnanese Chinese’ settlements. Moreover, the network reconfiguration has then reshaped the Nature-society relationship. Specially, I follow tea transfer trajectory — including Taiwan experts’ teaching, local farmers’ learning and innovation — to illustrate how the Taiwan oolong tea material and techniques have enacted all kinds of actants including taste of tea, shifting market, Yunnanese Chinese, tea making equipment, local image and community development organizations. Additionally, I argue that place is not an object to be constructed by social or other structures like nation state and market principles, but a performing effect from network stabilization. From the perspective of relationality, tea is not a fixed object to be operated and moved, it is a continually changing“thing” with every element and actant within network. I therefore argue that Mae Salong, as a famous and successful tea place, is more than a predictable outcome of the international agricultural project, but a string of actions assembled from heterogeneous and hybrid networks in contingent processes. By using heterogeneous perspective of Actor-Network Theory, tracing actions and conflicts, rather than by technology determinism and social constructivism, I could symmetrically realize how tea place making in Mae Salong: Rather than the ramifications of Taiwan oolong tea experts teaching or the predictable outcomes between power or international geopolitics and agricultural diplomat, the transformation process from a refugee camp to a tea place is hybrid of several contingent actions, which have been continuously stabilizing connection between tea industry and Mae Salong. Tea place, which performs local meaning, is emerging from a stabilized actor-network