I just returned from an incredible tea trip to China where I visited the tea lands of Yunnan, Anhui and Zhejiang provinces. My trip began in Jingmai, Yunnan where we visited our good friends William and Yubai who have been making our Ancient Tree Gu Shu Puerh and Shengtai Natural gardens puerh since 2011. We’ve been supporting this lovely couple since their beginnings because they not only strive to make the best tea possible but are also very serious about practicing sustainable and natural farming methods. In fact Jingmai as a whole is taking ecology seriously in their bid to being declared a Unesco national heritage sight thanks to posessing the largest anicent tea tree garden on the planet. For 10 days I stayed with them helping make early spring puerh tea and a delightful twist of fate had me experiencing the traditional Dai Tribe’s Water Splash Festival and subsequent pilgrimage to the eldest tea tree on the mountain to pray to the Guardian of the Ancient Tea Spirit. By next week we hope to receive the 2017 early spring Jingmai Gu Shu Mao Cha Sheng Puerh we produced.
After Yunnan I went to Anhui to meet Zen Monk and tea teacher Wu De and the most marvelous group of chajin (tea people) I could possibly imagine who came from all around the globe for Global Tea Hut’s Annual Trip (I´ll be happy to share more details in person!). Our 10 day trip was filled with tea ceremonies, tea processing, tea trekking, tea knowledge and tea spirit that began on the famous (and incredibly stunning) Huang Shan or Yellow Mountain. From there we went to try our hand at picking and processing Huang Shan Mao Feng green tea and Qimen Hong Cha (more frequently referred to as Keemun Black Tea). By next week we hope to receive the 2017 early spring Huang Shan Mao Feng green tea made by our hosts. This tea is Rain Forest Alliance organic certified!
From there we visited famous pottery towns of Jingdezhen (Jiangxi province) and Yixing (Jiangsu province) to visit with skilled masters of porcelain and yixing purple sand teapots. Contact me if you’re interested in authentic 40 year aged clay yixing teapots (I brought a few beauties with me)
Our tea trip finished by exploring the tealands above and around West Lake, Hangzhou. Visiting Tiger Spring and the famous tea mountains and villages that produce the finest Long Jing Dragon Well green tea such as Shifeng, Wengjia, Meijawu and Long jing Village. By next week we hope to be stocking an incredible early spring Dragon Well green tea and a 9 Bends Red Plum Longjing red tea (black tea in the west).
Hope to be seeing you soon at the teahouse,
Antonio