This document provides a summary of a travel journal detailing a tea-focused trip through Shanghai and parts of China from April 18-23. Some key details: - The travelers meet in Shanghai and visit tea shops in the city, sampling oolongs and pu'erh teas. They explore areas like the French Concession and tea markets. - They take a train to Suzhou and sample more oolongs before taking a high-speed train to Hangzhou, the origin of Dragonwell tea. They visit tea plantations and sample rare Dragonwell teas made by a tea master. - In Hangzhou they visit tea farms and sample different grades of Dragonwell, as well as black and white Dragon

1. An Adventure of the leaf
April 18
Shanghai
I touched down at Shanghai Pudong airport in the afternoon and Jeff and I had agreed to
meet in the arrival hall. I was there a bit earlier and killed some time by fighting off
countless offers for driver services to the city.
Soon after, I saw Jeff’s lean silhouette towering over a sea of people in the distance.
Casually striding with the swagger of a seasoned traveler, he immediately took over
negotiations for our travel arrangements in fluent Mandarin.
We began the hour-long journey into Chinas most populous city of 24 million people.
Arriving at the hotel, we both were in need of some genuine leafs and I offered my freshly
harvested First Flush of Margaret’s Hope SFTGFOP 2015.
Jeff countered with His ‘Go To”. Bang Ma - a young and pungent “Sheng Pu Erh”.
We settled on the Darjeeling and made our way into town.
The first order of business was Tanzifang.
Known as the French Concession, this area was originally occupied by foreign traders and
businesses during Shanghai’s glamour days of the 20th and 30th. One can clearly see the
European influence of the narrow alley ways . The area is bustling with life and little
artisan shops and restaurants.
We decided on a variety of Asian taste teasers and washed it down with a couple of
bottles of wine. Back to the hotel in the hope of getting through the jetlag in a swift and
painless manner.

2. April 19
We got up early, eager to explore all the treasures this multi-faced city has to offer.
Jeff noticed a typical “hole in the wall” noodle joint the night before and it was decided
that this would be better than a hotel breakfast,
We entered and were stared at with a mix of fear and disbelieve which Jeff immediately
dissolved by ordering two bowls of divine noodles with vegetable and egg in pork broth.
Sufficiently nourished, we set out and wandered to the Shanghai Tea Market
on Zhohgshan Xi rd.
It was still early and the shops just opened. We decided to sit down at Ms. Li Wan Jie’s
shop to enjoy a session of teas.
Starting with the lightest of all - a Tai Ping Ho Kwai, I knew this was going to be a good
start to our journey.
Tai Ping Ho Kwai is a famous and expensive tea and I never quite understood the appeal
of it. The leaf is spectacular, silky, flat and 3 “ in length. Visually, this tea is stunning and it
has been served at Chinese State dinners with President Nixon where it was celebrated as
one of the pinnacles of Chinese tea culture. Personally, I was never a fan of its light
nuances.
We moved on to a more exiting choice. The dark Rock Oolongs of Wuyishan, one of
the areas we would visit in a few days.
The first was a Jin Xuen dark Oolong and it represents one of the lighter styles of the
region which produced some of the most coveted teas in China and with that the
world.
Smokey, sweet, complex and with a subtle bite, this tea was close to my heart and I
had to buy some.
Next was Ru Guei. A more popular and darker Oolong which is a close cousin to the
famous Da Hong Pao (Big red rope). This is definitely a deeper and more pungent
flavour which will wake up your taste buds.
Jeff stocked up on the Ru Guei and we moved on to the famous Da Hong Pao.
Delivering a fist full of proud and typical Rock Oolong, noted with deep smoke and
balanced astringency – It was clear why this tea is coveted by so many.

3. We decided to examine this tea more at its source later and moved on to the bird
and insect market around the corner.
We were greeted by the overwhelming noise of a million massive crickets and a
stench which can be endured for a few minutes at best. Never the less, this is a stop
that should be experienced when in Shanghai.
Cages with all kinds of creatures from turtles and snakes to squirrels, fish and many
birds are on offer but it’s the insects that startled me the most.
Thousands of little cages house grasshoppers and crickets. Some of which are
absolutely massive and creepy. We examine the merchandise and Jeff declines my
offer to film him eating a bowl of worms which are about to be roasted alive and
ground into flower. He is clearly in need of some protein and I would have easily
offered a few Renminbi for his nourishment.
We move on to fill our lungs with some fresh air and stroll through the nearby Dong
Tai antique market and made our way up to Nanjing rd.
The westernized shopping mile is lined with dozens of peddlers; trying to sell us
anything form fake watches to prostitutes, massages (probably prostitutes as well)
and remote controlled drones. We move through swiftly and head to the bund to
take in the skyline of Pudong.
Being the freaks of nature we are, we oblige and get our picture taken with several
Chinese girls. This process shall continue for the duration of our trip and I catch
people walking in front of us, pretending to take a selfie but taking a picture of me. I
am not sure if I should feel offended or flattered. I decide for the later and smile.
We are ready to leave the noise and bustle behind for a few minutes and re charge in
the sanctuary of the bar at the Peninsular with a cold beer.
Back to the hotel for some much needed tea and relaxation.
Night is falling over the gigantic city and we are ready for a different angle.
We head across the river to Pudong. This new economic zone stand in sharp
contrast to the older Shanghai. Here, scale is enormous and the distances between
buildings are huge. We find a rooftop patio at the IFC shopping center and get a good
view through the foggy mist, hiding the top of Pudong’s tallest structures.

4. We end the day in style with drinks at the bar on the 46th floor of the Shangri La
hotel and reflect on the day while enjoying the view.
April 20
Today will be our last day in the Metropolis together and we start the day with Jeff’s
Bang Ma. It goes down with a divine bite which awakens my taste buds and gets my
blood going.
We head back into the French Concession, where we find a little place that serves
Jiao Ze – a bowl of broth with glistening pork and ginger filled dumplings. I realize
that I must have Asian blood in me because I could eat this for breakfast every day.
We stroll through an area of old mansions and I feel like we are in Barcelona. I
would just have to deduct the scooters with construction supplies and roadside
stalls and I could convince myself.
Pursuing all good things in life, we decide to cross to the dark side and rest for an
espresso in a small café tucked away at the mouth of an alleyway. My curiosity and
thirst for genuine life and the photography there off pulls me into and alley in the
“Model district”.
It is here where the juxtaposition of life in this city really sets in. Doorway after
doorway, we gain a glimpse into tiny kitchens with makeshift plumbing and dark
and dingy living quarters. I wonder what it would be like to life here and walk
around the corner past the Bentleys and Prada shops. People on the street don’t
look like they live here, are they happy? What prospects do they have? This country
is at a remarkable point in history, trying to find its place. China is racing into the
future with a break-neck speed and a scale I could not have imagined before.
It is the best of times, at least for some.
We continue wandering through the busting side streets, which are more fun for us
as it reflects the real life with its shops and noodle makers, street vendors and
restaurants.
We grab a sweet freshly squeezed orange juice of a cart in the middle of an
intersection and find ourselves in front of an elaborate temple a few minutes later.

5. We step through the gates and enter an aura of peace and beauty away from the
noise of the streets.
The temple tea house captures our attention and we have been without our coveted
brew for a few hours by now.
The tea shop is beautiful and we drool over the countless vessels and accessories.
Both Jeff and I decide to stock up on some not so needed serving vessels.
Our host offers us a tea tasting which we gladly accept.
The setting is exquisite and we are able to pick our teas. I am interested in a Jin
Cheng Oolong with a dusty, rock like appearance. It is sweet and floral and offers a
good base for what is to come.
Jeff goes all in and chooses a Zhi Tien Ming Cha. A “bitter rope” which I had before
and am not a proponent of. It has the appearance of a thin, tightly twisted stick of
liquorice and our host uses only one stick. The first infusion is pale and light but the
bitterness increases with the subsequent brews and we get a tongue lashing with
lingering bitterness. Jeff’s masochistic tendencies come through and he purchases
some.
Next comes a Err Chun Cha.
A intensely sweet and herbaceous Oolong. I am quite enjoying the return to pleasure
and decide to stock up.
By now, we are friends with the ladies in the shop, largely to Jeff’s fluent Mandarin
and my dashing looks (lets believe that for a second) and we get a private tour
through the monastery.
There is a tea pot museum with some treasures from bygone Dynasties. We cross a
school, courtyards and gardens and are on our way to a close by noodle house for a
generous helping of dumplings. We continue our journey through miles of alleys,
parks and squares and I notice a rotating restaurant atop of the Radisson hotel.
An hour on the 56th floor gives us a rotation over the city. Jeff is on Gin and lime and
I nurse two massive glasses of chardonnay.

6. Dinner in the French Concession. The place is magic at night and we stroll through
shops where I regret not having a larger suitcase.
April 21
Souzhou and Hangzhou
We decide to have breakfast at the hotel and partake into the logistical nightmare
that is train travel in China. This system is designed to drive foreigners to the edge
of insanity as it is not possible to pre purchase tickets unless a passport is present
and even for Jeff, it is hard and requires several stops at different ticket counters.
After that, one has to wait until the train arrives. Only then are we allowed onto the
platforms.
We eventually make it and hurdle towards Suzhou at 275 km per hour. We arrive in
30 minutes and fight off some guy trying to sell us the “vulnerable tourist special”.
Eventually, we find storage for our luggage and take a subway into the old part of
town.
Suzhou is an old trading hub on the mouth of the Yangtze, just upstream from
Shanghai and the main streets are lined with shops. It has a beautiful old world feel
and we take it all in. A tea shop awakens our curiosity and we drop in for a tasting of
oolong. The family of the owner are artisans from Yixing and over a hundred clay
pots are on offer. The quality is clearly superb but we decide not to part with close
to $ 250 for a miniature pot and move on to an authentic noodle house for lunch.
For about $ 4, we don’t only eat but also witness a feud where the owner accuses a
customer for not paying her $1 bowl of soup and the customer is clearly offended.
Soon, other customers side with here and the spectacle continues for about 20
minutes.
After exploring the back alleys where we witness the sale and beheading of a pigeon,
we move on and take the bullet train to Hangzhou where we have 2 contacts lined
up. The train exceeds speeds of 310 km. and gets us to Hangzhou in just over 2
hours. This is the town where one of Chinas most celebrated teas originates – Lung
Ching or “Dragonwell.

7. Hangzhou hits me like a ton of brick.
I was clearly not ready for this. I expected a town of a couple of million people – not
many cities in China seem smaller that that, Suzhou was 10.5 million.
Instead, I am arriving in a hyper modern metropolis of 22 million people. The city
covers a landmass of 34.000 sq. km.
By comparison; the GTA , including Halton, Peel and Durham covers 7200 sq. km.
Again, the scale of everything is huge but Hangzhou is stunning. The area we are
driving through was clearly conceived in a short amount of time like everything
here. It seems that China is building towards a scale that might be needed in 50
years or more. The rural highways are massive and lined with flowers and trees but
there are 3 cars driving on them. Hangzhou is a busy city but the new parts are
green and it seems more human than Shanghai. We drive for over an hour and a half
to get to the hotel. It seems the city doesn’t end and we see the mountains in the
back. That’s where the tea and with that our primarily interest lies.
April 22
Ling is a local tea business owner in her 30th and picks us up at the hotel in the
morning. Her friend is driving us for the day and the first order of business is tea.
We head outside the city into the mountains. Our first stop is a small tea plantation
in the town of Zung da ling.
We are greeted by the matriarch who leads us up into the tea fields. There are a few
pickers at work and we are looking at 300 year old tea bushes. The vigor of the old
plants deliver a divine complexity which we are about to savour.
We cross the street and are greeted by a small man with a slight hunch. He is about
4’-10’ and weights maybe 80 lb. The remainder of his teeth protrude as he offers a
big smile and a handshake. We ask Ling what his name is and we are told that
people just call him “Master”.
We have stumbled upon a god of true, rare and divine tea. His small hands have
been kneading the leaves into a wok for over 50 years. It is here in a small shed
where one of the most copied teas is made. All he can produce is several kilos of tea
a day in tiny batches and these true gems will fetch over $ 600 per kilo at the local
markets
We quench our thirst with glass after glass of his elixir and witness the process from
withering to the final roasting. We are told that a superior Lung Ching needs to be
roasted 3 times as the last roasting will settle the final flavor. When asked how one
knows when the teas have been roasted enough, our tea master simply replies:
“ Your hands will know”. I fear that this art will be forgotten with more people
heading to the cities to partake in the race for modernity and prosperity. Our tea
maker leads a good life and clearly has no interest in anything else.

8. Lisa is introduced to us. Her family owns of the major local tea farms and is a
distributor of tea.
We drive to her office and meet her mother. Both women have sharp business minds
but Lisa, also a physician with interests in herbal remedies doesn’t miss a beat.
We go for lunch at a beautiful restaurant overlooking gardens and ponds.
We feast on a variety of delicious local dishes and drink more exquisite Lung Ching.
Afterwards we take a drive into the tea hills and end up at the office for a couple of
hours of sampling. Ling takes charge on the tea table and we taste several different
grades of sweet Lung Ching. These fine teas are delicate and sweet. I always was
attracted to the scent of Lung Ching. It has a fragrance, rich with umami and these
teas were the best Lung Ching’s I have ever tried. We tasted a Hong Cha from the
region, which I found rather unusual, as Hangzhou has never been known for black
teas.
The blacks are smooth, sweet and remind me of the chocolate laced, chewy Yunnan
black teas I often enjoy for breakfast at home. These teas are lighter but produce
great flavor and depth for infusion after infusion.
We move on to a white Lung Ching which subtle sweet notes are beautiful but we
have fallen in love with the traditional style as well as the beautiful black teas. We
purchase a bunch and move on to the scenic West lake area for a stroll and dinner.
West lake is stunning and well preserved, surrounded with gardens and we won’t
let the Starbucks on the corner and the several thousand other visitors ruin our
experience. Ling takes us to a popular hotspot where we wait for a table until Jeff is
ready to eat the wait staff and just in time, we are seated. Ling had the foresight to
order in advance and the chilled chicken feet arrive almost immediately. Jeff and I
exchange a quick smirk and dig in. The food that follows is wonderful and more than
made up for the opener. Back to the waterfront for the nightly symphony of
fountains which appear in a spectacular light. We return back to the hotel and are
grateful for such wonderful hospitality. This is a busy time of year, yet Ling devoted
her entire day to us.

9. April 23
Sharon, one of my local contacts picks us up at the hotel after breakfast and we head
to the new part of Hangzhou. Her office on the 33rd floor offers a nice view of the
city. We look at several samples and I make arrangements to have a selection
shipped back to my office. I will purchase a variety later but there is not enough time
today to cross examine all teas so this is more business then pleasure.
We find out that China is making Matcha again and I am intrigued. China invented
the stone ground, shade grown green tea during the Song Dynasty and Japanese
Monks took it back home where it became intrinsically connected with all things
Japanese. Japanese tea culture owes its origin to the discovery of this treasure.
We indulge in a quick tasting of a variety of organic Matcha’s and I am pleasantly
surprised. The top grades are sweet with undertones of spinach and green peas.
I am taking some samples to compare to my top Japanese Matchas back at the office.
Our hosts are thrilled that we turned down the offer for pizza and we are taken to a
beautiful lunch at a local restaurant.
We need to connect to a train to take us into the rural Wuyishan area and our hosts
guarantee us that we have plenty of time.
That turns out not to be the case and we miss our train. Francesca, who has taken us
to the train station, which is larger then most airports I have ever seen begins to
trouble shoot. After an hour or more of coming up with different connection choices,
we finally find one we can live with. Instead of a 10 hour overnight train, we find a
high speed connection to Shang Rao. From there it will be more difficult.
Jeff is on the phone with Cindy (our host In Wuyishan). She doesn’t recommend a
taxi for the remaining 150km drive because of possible mugging.
We decide that this is still the best option and Jeff negotiates with some drivers. We
e-mail pictures of the license plate to Cindy and Jeff lets the driver know that we are
not to be messed with.
The driver turns out to be a very nice guy and we enjoy a good conversation on the
drive. Its almost midnight when we arrive and Cindy checks us into a hotel for the
night.
April 24
Wuyishan
What takes place over the next two days triggers a deep respect for a style of tea,
which I knew was one of the most challenging to make. Both of us were profoundly
impressed by the level of craftsmanship and attention to detail in the Wuyi Rock
Oolongs.
We start the day at the factory where not much is happening because the rain of the
previous day left the plants to wet for the leaves to be picked. We take a tour of the
equipment and go to the staff room for a few hours to taste some Ru Guei and Da
Hong Pao. These teas are stunning and offer a rich and deep complexity. I am
wondering if the West is ready for teas like this and I don’t believe we are there yet.

10. Cindy explains that the teas undergo 8-9 hours of heated oxidization over bamboo
coal fire and are roasted up to 7 times to achieve the distinct flavor. 30 – 40 thimbles
later, we are heading across the compound for lunch. We scare the chickens away
and pass a curious dog, guarding the house on our way and enter the courtyard.
Everyone grabs a bowl and some chopsticks and we congregate around the
communal table. The family and workers are congregated around two tables. Dishes
of greens, bamboo shoots, pork belly, stewed winter melon and other local treasures
arrive. Our hosts are gleaming with pride and we fill up ensuring to try everything
several times.
Cindy’s aunt enquires if we eat spicy food. Jeff immediately offers the vital
information that I love spicy food and this is accepted as somewhat of a challenge
for Cindy’s aunt. I am “ON” for a spice challenge for dinner.
We head back to the tea table and savour some Mao Cha – the base tea. This green
Oolong has an intense floral fragrance that reminds of some of the finest Ti Kwan
Yin’s and I love it. I must have some of it. We explore 6 or 7 subsequent infusions
and if it wasn’t clear that magic happens here, then it is now. The styles are very
different and it highlights the art involved in making some of the darker Oolongs.
Cindy takes us up to the gardens in the Wuyi mountains. We walk though pristine
scenery out of travel magazines with mountain streams so clear that you can drink
the water straight from the creeks. Cindy explains the importance of the red soil,
which is high in minerals and allows optimal drainage while maintaining perfect
moisture levels. We cross over stone bridges and watch men coming down the
mountain paths, carrying sacks of freshly picked leaves. Cindy knows a small
monastery nestled amongst the gardens where we stop and bring out some Da Hong
Pao for a tea break.
We make our way further up where we find out that 7 sub varietals if the tea plant
are used in the making of Wuyi Oolong. Each varietal combined with several
possible production techniques offers the possibility for hundreds of different
outcomes in the making of these teas.
We are taken to the oldest bush in the area which is now around 360 years old. It
was this plant that gave Da Hong Pao its name and harvesting it is forbidden now.
The last 120gr were made in 2009 and sold for US $ 280.000.

11. It’s time for dinner. The family and workers are awaiting us and Cindy’s aunt is very
happy to see me. We are offered beer or Chinese whiskey. I pick the beer and Jeff the
whiskey. The dish in question arrives and I am happy to have a high tolerance for
heat. It is a fish in a chilly, soy and ginger sauce and I like it a lot. The men on the
table get up one after the other and toast with us. We are accepted and I am very
happy to be here. The generosity once again is wonderful.
We head to Cindy’s shop after dinner and continue with several sessions of different
ages of the Oolongs. Some are roasted 3 times, some 7 times.
Some were harvested last week, some 3 years ago. I am wired on tea and will sleep
very badly tonight.
April 25
The next morning begins with tea at Cindy’s shop. The weather is better and the
crew will start picking at 9 am. We shall witness some production later but must
first kill several hours with more tea tasting. Jeff and Cindy arrange our next few
flights and trains which once again proves frustrating but eventually, we are
confident to have valid arrangements and move on to have lunch at a friends house
a couple of blocks away.
Tea production is in full swing when we arrive at the factory. The leaves are
withered on the nets on the ground and then moved upstairs into the withering
room and layered on traditional bamboo trays. It is important not to lay them out to
thick so the airflow is not interrupted.

12. Downstairs, the withering drums are fired up with the bamboo coal and the smell is
intoxicating. The sweet fragrance of Mao Cha is filling the rooms and soon the drums
will spin for 8 hours until Cindy’s uncle decides that the leaf is ready tor the “kill
green” part of the process. At this point, the leaves will be baked and the enzygmatic
oxidisation will be stopped. Now, the leaves could be made into a Mao Cha but most
will undergo further baking and rolling until they become either Ru Guei or Da Hong
Pao.
We make a stop at a local tea baker. Cindy brings some of her teas here for a
re firing.
The baker leads us into a room, which has over 20 fire pits. The fires are kept small
and are covered with sand. No amber is visible but we can feel the heat. Baskets
containing the tea leaves are placed over the ovens and a playing card on top’
indicates which baskets have been flipped and which have not. We find this process
quite interesting and it is unique to these particular Oolongs.
One last stop at Cindy’s parent’s house, where the ground floor is a sorting room.
Several women are sitting around the sorting tables and remove the stalks and
unsightly leaves. We head up for a tour and see the stockpile of teas from the last
couple of harvests. We enjoy one more session of teas with Jeff at the helm of the
table. And it soon is time to move on.

13. We say our good byes after dinner and are dropped off at the train station where we
board a sleeper train for our 11hour overnight journey to the Yellow Mountains of
Huangshan.
The train is clearly going to be an experience. The cars are ca. 1955 and we enter our
cabin. The room is 6x7 feet and a microbiologist would have been very excited
examining the rug of the cabin. The décor involved plastic flowers and polyester
floral curtains which were probably white at some point.
We are hoping that the other two bunks will remain empty and the couple of bottles
of wine we brought, help trigger a healthy amount of philosophy about tea and the
meaning of life. We enjoy the journey and settle in for a decent but short sleep.
April 26
Huangshan
The outskirts of Huansghan greet us with some tea fields shortly before our 6:30 am
arrival. This is the Land of Keemun and Tai Ping Ho Kwai
We take a cab to the Crown Plaza. It was decided that we should have a decent hotel
after the train and before descending into the heartland of tea tomorrow.
A bus takes us up to the base of Huangshan Mountain from which the cable cars
depart.
Our timing is less than perfect as it is Sunday afternoon and there is a two hour wait
for the cars. We decide to take the 7 km hike up the mountain. The many peaks of
Huangshan rise to over 1800 m. and have also been named the “floating Mountains”.
Mist in the valleys make them appear to have no connection to the ground.
It is an arduous journey, up steep and seemingly never ending uneven steps. There
are 60.000 steps carved into the mountains and I am glad we are not climbing them
all. We pass carriers laden with cases of water and supplies for the several small
stalls on the way. These men make this journey every day with immense loads on
their back and I feel sorry for them. We plough ahead with a couple of short rest
stops and make it up in just over 90 min.
The top is crowded with tourists and it is noisy and busy wherever we go. The
scenery is spectacular and we take a bunch of good photos. When the time comes to
head back down, we encounter the same line up for the cable car. We had already
decided that we would not wait and we start our descent. I am not sure that walking
up was much easier than down and every step is a possibility to slip. There are no
hand rails on the sides and a fall would end up in considerable injury at best.
We keep our eyes on our feet and race down in just over one hour.
My calves are sore and we indulge in some of Jeff’s Pu Erh at the hotel room before
dinner and wine.

14. April 27
It is going to be a long day. We are up early and catch a cab to the bus station. The
bus ride back to Hangzhou is about 4 hours and the scenery leaving Huangshan is
beautiful. The mountains are keeping us company all the way.
Jeff negotiates a cab to the airport upon arrival in Hangzhou and successfully avoids
some scammer who saw us as an easy target.
Once again, I am hit by the size of these places. We drive for two hours though a
noisy mayhem of traffic with very little order. Indicators are purely for esthetics and
the horn rules.
We make it to the airport in due time and hop onto a three and a half hour flight to
the birthplace of tea. This is by far the noisiest flight I have ever been on. The
screaming kids are ok but the two large men behind me are practically jelling at
each other for most of the flight. Constant noise is an essential part of life it seems.
We arrive in Xishuangbanna and the air is tropical and humid. We are greeted by a
small Hani minority woman by the name of Mai. Mai and Jeff have been friends for 8
years and Jeff buys some of his teas from her. This place immediately feels like the
pace is slower than the cities.
Mr. Lu appears and he is going to take care of things for us. He is our fixer in case
we should run into trouble. Apparently he is well connected with the police as well
as the darker side. Mr. Lu is driving us to Menghai, about an hour south. I observe
his features and realize that he looks like an Asian version of Forest Whiteaker. We
pass a permanent police stop on the way and are questioned who the foreigners are.
Mr. Lu counters with a swift “ they are buying tea. They have been here before” and
we are free to move. The stops are apparently normal because we are close to the
border of Laos and Myanmar – part of the golden triangle of drug trafficking. The
only addiction we are interested in feeding is the one of the leaf and we are
promptly delivered to Mai’s tea shop. Her daughter Maimai is pouring tea for two
friends and a guest. The storefront is a roll up garage door and we enjoy the warm
night, sipping a “Purple Leaf Pu Erh”. This unusual tea is made when the plant
protect itself from too much sun by producing an enzyme that turns the colour of

15. the leaf. I find that the infusion resembles a “Sheng” Pu Erh at first but milder. The
punch disappears quickly and the next 8 or 9 infusion Maimai is leaching out of the
guywan are mellow and nourishing. We must have dinner even if neither one of us is
hungry at this hour but it would be rood to turn it down. We head to a restaurant
close by and hit the hotel for the night.
Our room is a basic as they come. Equipped with a wet room, featuring the
obligatory Asian toilet hole in the floor and a faucet that has broken off. We have
Wi-fi and are happy.
April 28
Menghai
The rooster on the rooftop outside our 5th floorwindow starts his morning routine
in 30 second intervals at 4 am and is relentless in his duties. I am a light sleeper and
the thought of chicken for breakfast seems appealing at the moment.
Two more hours of tossing and turning and I decide to get up and tend to some e-
mails which surprisingly are working for a few minutes. Internet in China is
censored and any online activity is very frustrating. We leave the hotel and stop at a
roadside noodle shack for breakfast. Yunnan reminds me more of Vietnam than
what I have seen of China so far. I like the pace and the street food. We sit down at
Mai’s shop for a few cups of raw He Kai Pu Erh from just below the Bulang mountain
range. We follow up with a Pasa Village tea. Both are Sheng (uncooked) teas and
quite young. They deliver some good astringency and the Pasa has a refreshing
floral hint.
An athletic looking man in a crisp white polo shirt and knee length shorts walks in.
He goes by the name of Dafa.
Dafa is the owner of a tea farm on Nanu Mountain, in Bang Ma village and supplies
impeccable tea to both Mai and Jeff. We start our hour long journey up winding dirt
roads deep into the mountain. We rapidly gain altitude and climb to 1600 meters
trough dense forests. The mist comes over the mountains and descends with
elegance. The patches of clouds pass trough with a cooling quality that is ideal for
the Assamica tea trees in the forests. Dafa leads us about 30 minutes into the
ancient, tropical tea forest until we reach “the King of trees”. A gnarly, twisted and
enormous beast of a tea tree that exceeds 900 years of age. This tree is protected
and cannot be picked anymore. I am in awe and contemplate how much more

16. difficult it is to harvest here compared to a tea plantation. The work must be done
deep in the forests on trees that exceed 10’ in height.
Operations like Dafa’s have never used chemicals on their teas. I goes against the
believe system of the Hani people here. The forest, its creatures and the people are
all one and bringing in a foreign substance is a concept that the Hani can’t grasp.
These teas will never be certified organic but they have been since their conception
and hopefully always will be. The rise in popularity of Pu Erh has brought much
prosperity to the regions and new, better and bigger houses are being built
everywhere. Village life however seems to go on as before.
We are stopping at a gathering of about 300 Hani, celebrating the end of the harvest.
It is a spectacle with live music and 50 tables are set up throughout one of the
factory and residence compounds. We are the only foreigners in a 200 mile radius
and our table, like all others are covered in a multitude of delicious dishes. We dig in,
listen to the entertainment and I am in heaven. Feeling like Anthony Bourdain on
one of his adventures, I realize that experiences like these can’t be bought. This
lunch in this setting will be with me forever.
We continue on to Dafa’s house for tea. Dafa picks some peaches form one of the
trees and we start with a Gu Shu - a tea from ancient trees of 100 years or older. The
brew is smooth and complex. A neighbor stops by and Mai enquires if he has any
honey available. He indeed has a hollowed out log in his tea roasting shed, which
acts as a bee hive and he offers it up for sale.

17. We move next door and he starts by blowing cigarette smoke into the log to calm
down the bees. When he takes the front of the log out, we get a glimpse at 3 honey
combs. The bees are now buzzing around our heads but none of them are interested
in attacking. The man puts on a rubber kitchen glove and proceeds to take out the
honey combs bit by bit. He blows on them to chase the bees away and finally gathers
a huge bowl of delicious, glistening combs. Mai purchases all of it and we each eat a
chunk of the honey. It is beautiful and not too sweet.
Dafa breaks out a bag of large leaf tea he wants Mai to try and see if she might be
interested in more. We shall examine those together later.
Back in Menghai, We are going to a local restaurant that is known for serving
insects.
I am game for whatever will be but am not terribly disappointed to find some great
stewed pork and vegetable dishes instead. Yunnan’s cuisine is using a lot of acidic
heat in form of fermented vegetable dishes and the results are yummy.
We head back to the shop after dinner an break open a beautiful 2008 vintage Cake
from Bulang . I am adding this to my list of tea to buy here.
The last tea of the day shall be a tiny Tou Cha (individually pressed balls) from
Jingmay. This region uses a smaller leaf varietal and Jeff shares his thoughts that
there are no bad teas from this region.
We put a few teas on the list to taste for tomorrow and say our goodbyes.
The streets are bustling with night markets and carts of street vendors. Fire pits are
burning and skewers of meats are roasted next to fruit and vegetable stands.
It is a great atmosphere and we decide to observe from a patio with a cold beer.
Back to the hotel. I am armed with earplugs to fight the rooster tonight.
April 29
We hit the tea shop after the obligatory sidewalk noodle soup breakfast.
Mr Lu and Mai are on the third infusion of a “cooked “ Pu Erh”. I welcome the rich
brew, which always reminds me of the earthy sweet quality of sugar beets fresh of
the field. A childhood memory – we took our knives and peeled them after the
harvest and ate them right there. It is amazing how flavours can trigger memories.
I ask if there are any Hong Cha’s – (Yunnan black teas) around and a huge zip-lock
bag full of golden buds promptly appears in front of me. A quick examination reveals
that this honey caramel coloured gem is made purely from the youngest buds. I fear
asking for the price and we proceed to savor the first infusion.
It is sweet like honey with amazing depth and a lingering chocolate earthiness that
always attracted me to these teas. I would like to purchase a large quantity for Tea
Squared but the isn’t enough available. I simply communicate that I must have the
entire bag as my private stash and it is added to the pile.
We are on our way to accompany Mai on some business in the He-kai mountain tea
region - a region, which is inhabited by the Dai minority. Our driver races up the
winding dirt roads and I feel like we are going to overshoot every turn and hurdle
down the hill. We arrive in one piece at the top and walk through the plantation
where teas about to be purchased are grown. I am suddenly surrounded by
thousands of gnarly old beast, none younger than at least 100 years. Black pigs are

18. roaming the plantation and are curious about us. Here, man has not mingled much
with nature, The plants are beautifully imperfect and the spider webs as well at the
tree funghi are a clear sign that no pesticides have ever been used here.
We are invited to the tea farmer’s house in the Dai Village we passed on our way up.
The low table with stools is set with a variety of dishes upon our arrival and we each
receive a ball of cold glutinous rice, which we hold in our hands and take bites off as
we eat. We must indulge in the farmer’s private stash of homemade millet whiskey,
which is served out of a plastic water bottle. At 60 % alcohol, this brew needs to be
treated with caution and I graciously decline a second helping.
It is time to try the merchandise and we savour the raw, ancient tree He-kai which
had just been harvested.
Mai is impressed and purchases an unspecified amount, which will be delivered to a
factory that will press the tea into cakes for her tomorrow.
We say our goodbyes and move on.
The drive back leads us through the rice paddies in the lower areas and offers a
panoramic view of the luscious mountain ranges in the distance. We quickly stop in
Menghai to pick up Maimai and are of to another factory that processes Tou Cha
today. Full size cakes are also made here but not today.
The processing room is divided into two areas. In the first, a bunch of younger
women are rolling the marble sized balls of tea by hand. The dry leaves must first
be steamed to regain pliability. The tea being rolled today is from Loa Ba Zhang –
perhaps the most prestigious and expensive region in all of Yunnan.
The second area features a low table with about 8 older ladies who are wrapping the
finished Tou Cha’s in paper. The mood seems good and I am sure the gossip is
flowing freely. We receive a cheerful good bye and notice a young man on our way
out.
He is sitting on the floor and nimbly wraps the cakes into bamboo leaves. This is a
classic way of packaging either 5 or 7 cakes into a neat package and the final product
is called a “Tong”
We are happy with what we saw today and head back for a Szechuan dinner on a
patio in town.
The day is being concluded back at the shop where we are finally being offered a Lao
Ba Zhang. This little cake will fetch easily north of US $ 1000 in Hong Kong.

19. It is floral and has a hint of orchids at first and develops into different profiles with
every subsequent infusion. We push about 15 pours and there is still plenty of life.
Jeff and I settle our bills and I suddenly realize that all this tea will not fit into my
luggage. I will have to buy another bag.
April 30th
The day started slowly, waiting for the visit to the tea cake factory to happen. There
is a different pace of life here and what was supposed to happen in the morning
finally takes place in the late afternoon.
Menghai is hot and it rains on and off but it is dry and sunny by noon. Upon arrival
at the factory, I notice huge mound of charred wood, which is used to fire up the
steamers, needed to produce the tea cakes.
The entire production happens in a space of about 1000 sq. ft. The first part of the
process consists of weighing the dried leaves, which are then placed in a cylinder
with a perforated bottom. A small piece of stamped paper is placed on top of the
leaves. It will be embedded in the cake and identify the age and origin of the tea later
The cylinder is placed on the steamer for 10 seconds to soften the leaves. After that,
the fabric mold is placed on the cylinder and the content is pushed into the fabric
disc. There are two methods used here to press the cakes. A mechanical press is the
more efficient and produces denser cakes. The second is the classic way of using
granite mods. The cakes are placed on a board and a 40 lb. weight is placed on them.
Next, the cakes are dried for an hour. This will give them enough time to settle, so
that the fabric can be removed and the cakes can dry thoroughly.
After the cakes have been wrapped in paper, they are bound into Tong’s with
bamboo leaves.
The factory owner is proud to have westerners in his place and we get our picture
taken. His office has an impressive array of compressed teas in various shapes and

20. sizes, ranging from small Tou Cha over 3kg. cakes to tree trunks which have been
carved and must contain about 100kg of Pu-Erh.
I am impressed with the process and glad that I was given the opportunity over the
last two weeks to witness the work of many hands in the making of the most
unpretentious, yet most complex beverage on earth.
Our evening continues by Mai taking us to a dinner party she had received an
invitation too. We arrive at the outdoor space, sheltered by a simple tin roof. There
are about 30 people gathered already and food appears instantly. Our table is
covered with an array of mouthwatering dishes and we dig in. A glass coffee pot
with plastic handle is used to pour what I assume is water but I soon realize it is
another popular home brew. Many of the men come around one by one and offer
their welcome in form of a toast. We get up for each one and hold the glasses with
both hands. I keep it to small sips and secretly wish for a cold Chardonnay.
Once again, I am humbled by the hospitality, impressed by the quality of the food
and happy for being richer in great memories.
I think I would like to return here one day.

21. May 1
We leave the hotel at 5:45 am and Mr. Lu is waiting for us.
The sun is rising on our way back to Xichuangbanna. We pass rice fields and
plantations. The mighty Mekong feeds this area and provides the fertility for it to be
the breadbasket of China.
One flight to Kunming and another to Shanghai concludes much of the day. I end the
last night with dinner in Xintandi (a hotspot with many hip restaurants and
boutiques and a stroll down the Bund. One would never know this is a communist
regime if it wasn’t for the hundred or so soldiers in stiff poses on crowd control. I get
whistled at for standing on a bench to take a picture and move on.
Tomorrow, I shall return home and never forget the places, its people and the
kindness I received.