The semiotic construction of cha chaan teng tea cafés in Hong Kong : A geosemiotic and historical perspective

The Hong Kong-style cha chaan teng (茶餐廳), or tea cafés, are a key feature of the local foodscape and they are internationally known and recognised. However, their semiotic aspects have received little scholarly attention. This paper combines a geosemiotic analysis of cha chaan tengs with a historical perspective on their development. The theoretical approach also draws on the concept of the semiotic register as an aspect of enregisterment, highlighting both the dynamic development of the cha chaan teng register and its currently visible differentiation. The latter is analysed through the tentative identification of different subcategories of cha chaan teng, two of which are illustrated by detailed geosemiotic analyses. The analysis shows how more recently established cha chaan tengs can consciously draw on certain aspects of the semiotic register to create a sense of the past in new spaces, as part of an overall semiotic strategy that indexes related values such as artisan production. The semiotic construction of cha chaan tengs reveals aspects of the complex relationship between economic and commercial factors, identity, and a sense of belonging.