Abstract: Qing dynasty opened up a precedent of tea export trade in Chinese history, and Macau was the first tea export port. Studies on tea export trade in Qing dynasty were mostly focused on the “thirteen business” in Guangzhou, the business between Fujian (Quanzhou and Xiamen) and Southeast Asia. There are almost no data currently available about the Macau’s tea trade in Qing dynasty, so the course of prosperity and decline of Macau’s tea export trade in Qing dynasty were analyzed, the important position of Macau as the first tea export port in the history of tea trade development in China was indicated in the study. Furthermore, the historical and social reasons of the decline of Macau’s tea trade were also discussed.

Key words: Qing dynasty, macau, tea, trade, decline