台灣茶業界一向將台灣茶標榜為手工、遵循傳統工藝與饒富傳統風味的產品，而臺灣以做工繁複、強調師傅技術之「部分發酵茶」呈現於風味多元性與精緻化之特色，及1980年代以來以茶農家戶小製坊為主的生產規模，的確反映著業界的商業論述。不過若深究台灣從日據時代以來台灣茶產業的發展，我們也可看到顯著之現代化的痕跡，各式小型機械的使用、品種改良、配合現代科技的茶園種植管理方式及現代製茶原理的引用，都顯示台灣茶農家在農政單位長期輔導下普遍的科技化。兩者的交融，不只呈現著台灣茶產業的現狀，更展現著許多有趣的課題：(1)於現代科技全面的影響下，何謂工藝（craftsmanship）？何謂工匠的技術（skill）？(2)工匠的技術如何或是否於科技化中式微，或於新科技的引入中發展？(3)茶這個產業是否影響科技與工藝間的交融？換句話說，從「物性」（materiality）、技術、科技與現代性等人類學慣常討論的面向，我們如何檢視台灣的茶產業？筆者於台灣凍頂茶區製茶師傅的研究發現，現代科技與傳統技藝之間存在複雜的互動關係，凍頂的民族誌顯示，於新科技大量進入農戶的同時，茶農／製茶師傅也需要發展出新的感官能力與經驗，以駕馭這些科技，因而以身體技能為本的傳統工藝於現代科技逐漸受到重用之時，只可說是逐漸轉化，而未消失或被現代科技所取代。因而我們需要深入瞭解科技與傳統技藝如何於生產與消費之間複雜的互動過程中相互影響，且相互消長，而非單純地從「現代化造成傳統（技藝）式微」的觀點來瞭解這個複雜的過程。

Taiwan's tea industry has depicted Formosa tea as a product manufactured with traditional craftsmanship. Taiwan's partly fermented teas, made by delicate control of diverse degrees of fermentation to produce different tastes and teas in small workshops, do mirror this portrayal. However, if we examine the development of Taiwan's tea industry, we may find traces of modernization since the Japanese era; mechanization, adoptions of new tea breeds, modern tea farming technologies, and scientific knowledge all indicate a diverse modernization process of Taiwanese tea farming and production. The interaction between traditional craftsmanship and modernization not only reflects the current condition of Taiwan's tea Industry but also raises a few interesting issues that this article intends to discuss. They include: (1) What is craftsmanship and skill under the influence of modern technologies? (2) Does craftsmanship decline or transform within this modernization process? (3) Does tea, as an object and commodity, influence the interaction between technology and craftsmanship? I In other words, how should we examine Taiwan's tea industry from the perspectives of materiality, skill, technology and modernity? Based on my ethnographic research of Dongding's tea farmers, I find that there is a sophisticated relationship between modern technology and traditional craftsmanship. Dongding ethnography demonstrates that when new technologies are being employed, tea farmers also need to develop new sensory abilities and skills to master them. At a time when modern technologies increase their weight in tea production, traditional craftsmanship is not being replaced or lost. Rather farmers "transform" their body technique to make technologies work for their production scheme. Hence, we need to look into how technology and craftsmanship influence each other within the complex process of production and consumption, rather than stereotypically perceive the process from the perspective of "modernization replaces traditional craftsmanship."