[-] Di Yi Cha Zhuang第一茶庄

This is the story of the turmoil of a wealthy tea family and their business through the tumultuous times of the Japanese occupation of China.

Each scene has a very rich and beautiful setting; and there are episodes of tea brewing using zisha tea ware.

There is also the personal conflict between Zhao Tian Yu 趙天宇and Li Tian Ci 李天賜brought about because of revenge over lost love; which then spreads to affect the Zhao family business.

There are also overtones of traitorous behavior as Li Tian Ci uses the Japanese to further his evil ambitions.

Li Tian Ci becomes the underling of the Japanese business man Song Yuan, who under Song Yuan’s tutelage is taught and directed to use unscrupulous and ruthless means to achieve business objectives in their competition with the Zhao family tea business.

But not only does the Zhao family have to face the Li Tian Ci problem, other forces are working to break apart the family fortune. There is the wife of the older brother who is very unfilial toward the Zhao family. Then there is the vile treachery, swindling, and blackmail orchestrated by Song Yuan to destroy the name and fortune of the Xuan He tea business, (Xuan He Cha Zhuang 宣和茶莊) and the Zhao family.

The story goes on to portray the life events of each member of the family through prosperity and hardship.

This is a very compelling story, and one certainly worth watching. Of course, there is tea in the series, so it’s one of my favorites too. Hope I can find it on DVD in China soon.

The entire program can be seen on Youku here.

Production year: 2005
Number of episodes: 30
Language: Mandarin

Tea in Chinese Television Series - Part 2 - http://niisonge.blogspot.com/feeds/6227504516256063944/comments/default

[-] Lately, I watched a Chinese television series about tea titled Plain Love 2 茶是故鄉濃 (Cha Shi Gu Xiang Nong) on video sharing site Youku.

This is an uplifting, heartfelt, and inspiring story about love, heartbreak, greed, envy, vicious plots, treachery, backstabbing, shame, and revenge intertwined with the day-to-day business of a tea farm/factory.

Every scene has depictions of tea picking, tea manufacture, or tea brewing; though it seems unlikely one factory would produce so many different kinds of tea as depicted in the series. There is mention of Maofeng, Longjing, Puer, Tieguanyin, Oolong, and other teas - seemingly all growing on the same farm.

All the rivalry and bitterness is centered within one tea factory, with the underlings/workers striving to get the better of their fellow coworkers and become recognized and praised by the matriarch factory boss to attain the coveted prize of more responsibility, and more face within the factory by becoming a tea production master and manager.

The setting is set in Guangxi during the Peoples’ Republic era. Not only are there tensions between coworkers, there is tension between Han and the Mountain-dwelling peoples (the credits mention thanks to the Yao community). There is also the rivalry between the Song family and the disgraced and defunct Fang family tea businesses as the heir to the Fang family, Fang You Wei 方有爲 strives to re-develop the characteristic Fang-style tea and regain honor and fame to the Fang family name; which was blackened some 20 years before, leading to the death of his father.

There is also the struggle for love between Fang You Wei 方有爲 (played by Lin Jia Dong林家棟) and Pan Mei Ya 盤妹雅 (played by Zhang Ke Yi張可頤) .

While all the vile scheming in the movie (in every episode) left me wondering if the characters really understood anything about tea, in the final few episodes, Fang You Wei and others finally come to realize the true value and meaning of tea.

This is a show more about evil schemes than it is about tea. But still, it is a very interesting story. And since there is so much tea in it, it is one of my favorite shows.

If you want to see the show for yourself, the link is here.

Production year: 1999
Number of episodes: 32
Language: Mandarin



Tea in Chinese Television Series - http://niisonge.blogspot.com/feeds/2229108305271540938/comments/default

[-] Last week I was able to view 3 movies I know of that have tea as the theme - sort of.

There is a Chinese movie called "Tea Love" or 茶恋. It seems to be a Mainland China production about the life-story of Lu Yu. Now such a movie would seem exciting right? Yeah, but this movie wasn't the best. There were so many details left out about Lu Yu's life that the whole movie really gives you no sense of his importance or who he is exactly. All in all, boring. I wish there were a better, newer production with a bigger budget.

There is also a Japanese movie called "Rikyu" or 利休. Exactly the same as the "Tea Love" movie - a life story about Japanese Tea Master Sen no Rikyu. And also equally boring. And exactly no sense of his importance and contribution to tea. At least from reading the subtitles, that's the impression I get.

There is a relatively newer production called Tea Fight or 斗茶. Now this is a movie worth watching. And I would watch it over and over again. The story premise is kind of dumb though. But I totally get it. Lots of interesting characters, and actually a few good lines in there. The dialog switches back and forth between Mandarin and Japanese. All in all, a cool tea movie. Hope there are more tea movies soon like this one.

Tea Movies - http://niisonge.blogspot.com/feeds/5202735022431991125/comments/default

[-] I often travel by train throughout China, and it's an interesting experience every time. The best way to travel is by soft sleeper class, or ruan wo (軟臥). Then, you can travel in style in a 4-bed cubicle compartment. But that's if you're lucky enough that there are still seats available. The next best is hard sleeper class, or ying wo (硬臥). Then, you will share bunk space with a whole train car of Chinese travellers - which is quite exciting - because you never know who you are going to meet. And often, you can pass the time chatting it up with your fellow travelers.




Each train seems to be different in how the water temperature is adjusted on those water dispensers. Some trains have a dispenser with a lower water temperature. When I traveled from Longyan, Fujian to Beijing, I brough along a really good packet of tieguanyin. And every steep just wasn't very good. The water temperature was too low.

But every time I traveled from Fuzhou or Longyan to Shenzhen, the water temperature on that train was quite hot. And tieguanyin would steep nicely.

Whatever the train, don't expect the tea to taste as good as a round of gongfu tea. In fact, it's best to bring along a cheaper, but still quite nice kind of tea to enjoy on the train.

Of course, if you get bored, or if you get hungry, you can always go to the dining car, and check out what they have on the menu. And if you're nice and ask for tea, the attendants will fill a cup for you to enjoy while waiting for your meal.

And if you're just not able to bring any tea or a travel tea cup, watch out for the snack cart. The girl comes around pretty regularly, and you can buy a bottle of iced tea or iced green tea. Of course, it's not really iced, and was never refrigerated. So don't expect a cold drink.

A bottle of tea typically costs 5 yuan. A noodle cup from the snack cart also costs 5 yuan.

A breakfast of rice congee, peanuts and pickled vegetables and a mantou (饅頭) is about 15 yuan. In the mornings, look for the cart of congee to pass by - if you want to eat breakfast.

A meal in the dining car is pricier. Expect each dish to run you about 35 yuan per dish. A bowl or two of rice is an extra cost.

And hot water from the water dispensers is free.

Fare on the trains is not the finest cuisine, but still palatable. The menu has a limited selection. But you can find dishes like stir-fried cabbage, steamed fish, fried egg omelet, mushroom soup, stir-fried beef and vegetables, etc.

Train stations also have a hot water dispenser for you to enjoy a noodle cup or two, or a cup of tea as you wait for the train to arrive in the departure hall. Look for all the people carrying noodle cups, and see where they're going to or coming from.

Tea on the Train in China - http://niisonge.blogspot.com/feeds/1466903222717527970/comments/default

[-]




Currently, they have a new exhibit showcasing the history of tea. The exhibit runs until November 11, 2008. Last time I visited HK back in March, it wasn't installed yet. On my next visit to HK (very soon), I will be sure to take a look.

Check the HK Museum of Art website for details.

Hong Kong - Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware - http://niisonge.blogspot.com/feeds/8452417192526088068/comments/default

[-] There's additional info on Chinese tea to be found at the infuzionpot blog.
http://infuzionpot.blogspot.com

Interesting Tea Info - http://infuzionpot.blogspot.com

[-] You buy a new zisha teapot, but it's not ready for use. So what can you do? You can take it home and start the long process of rearing it yourself. But if you don't have much time, that could take a very very long time before you notice any results. Or, let's say for example, you're drinking mainly sheng puer these days, but would really like this new pot to be used for Tieguanyin. But you don't have plans to drink Tieguanyin in the next few months. Is there a solution? Yes, there is. All you have to do is find a tea fanatic who will cultivate your teapot for you. And, maybe say after a few months, you can get your teapot back and start using it. Of course, it would be good if you could help your friend to cultivate one of his/her teapots with the sheng puer you're into.

In Fujian; and even all across China, this is a common practice. You buy a particular teapot from a local shop. The shop owner is friendly to you. And he/she agrees to cultivate your pot for you. So not only do you get a great pot, you get the shop owner's expertise in cultivating your teapot. And tea will be brewed in your teapot daily. And tea essence from all the great teas customers are sampling in the shop all day get poured over your teapot. So you end up with a great pot without all the work.

Of course that's in China. But if we're in North America, what can we do? Maybe we can have a buddy system and cultivate pots together with a friend. Or maybe we need to find a teapotsitter who can cultivate our teapots for us all day. Yeah. That's just what I need - a teapotsitter. My poor pots are too neglected already.

Cultivating Teapots - http://niisonge.blogspot.com/feeds/4140424028682726725/comments/default

[-] Is tea fermented or oxidized? In fact, teas don't undergo any fermentation at all. The tea leaves are actually bruised a little, and it causes the tea leaves to undergo a chemical change when exposed to air - they get oxidized. This results in the leaves turning into a darker color. And it changes the color and taste of the tea. Then, by controlling the amount of fermentation, you can end up with totally different results from the various varietals of tea.

Take Tieguanyin, for example. Theoretically, you could produce an unfermented (or unoxidized) green Tieguanyin. Or you could oxidize it a bit, and end up with these lightly-fermented Tieguanyins that are common today. Or, you could heavily oxidize the leaves, and end up with a heavy fermented Tieguanyin. You could even go further and produce a fully fermented Tieguanyin - a red Tieguanyin.

So teas are oxidized, and not actually fermented like beer or wine. Some people ask, "Why is said to be fermented when it's actually oxidized?" It seems fermentation is a direct translation from Chinese when it comes to tea. Over a century ago, "fermented tea" became all the rage, replacing green tea as the favorite among Westerners. But all Chinese tea texts - past and present, even scientific ones always use the word faxiao (chinese character) which means fermentation. So in China everyone, tea experts, tea merchants, tea artists, tea masters all say faxiao or fermented, not yanghua (chinese characters) - oxidized. They always refer to their teas as fermented, not oxidized.

And why is that? Faxiao, or ferment is a word that we are familiar with. It's a food word, it's a good word. When we say oxidize, it sounds like a scientific word, an unfriendly word. Ferment. Oxidize. Which one sounds better? Now think of food. Say the words again. Ferment. Oxidize. Which word would you rather associate with your food?

Keep in mind, China has a very long history of wine culture; as old or even older than tea. So maybe faxiao, ferment is a word they are more intimately conscious of.

When I was in high school, I was into tea. But when I read that teas were "fermented" it worried me a little. Was I going to get drunk from my tea? Is my tea tainted with alcohol? I always made a personal choice to stay away from alcohol, because back then we heard stories of fellow students who died drinking. They got drunk, passed out, and froze in the winter cold. I didn't want to die young, and I didn't want alcohol to dumb up my brain. So I never drank. And that's why it worried me when I read that tea was "fermented". But fermented or not, I still had to drink it. Tea is just too good. But this fermentation thing still worried me enough that I had to immediately understand the process of fermentation. And after understanding it, I concluded that tea was not fermented. Instead it must undergo some other change that is not fermentation, I thought. Then I thought of tree leaves and how they could change from green to brown under certain circumstances. Tea leaves must change or ferment under similar circumstances. So then I could drink tea worry-free.

Maybe when we speak of fermentation it can confuse people, like I was. But fermentation, as opposed to oxidation is more of a people-friendly word. It's a word we associate with food. And it's a word that's most understandable to people. Just remember to make the distinction that fermented tea is not like fermented wine. There is no alcohol being produced here. Rather it's a chemical change, just as real fermentation is, that makes a dramatic change in the end product - just as grapes can change into wine.

Tea fermentation. Wine fermentation. They're two totally different subjects. But both have to do with food. I can accept the word "fermentation" when associated to tea.

So when we refer to tea do we say fermented or oxidized? I prefer the word fermented. And it's what everyone in China is saying anyway.

Ferment or Oxidize? - http://niisonge.blogspot.com/feeds/554227365611004477/comments/default

[-] There is tea as we know it in China. But little known is the fact there is another kind of tea in China. But this kind of "tea" is a code word, lingo among those in the know of certain girls/women who like dressing and keeping the hair short, like a tomboy. So T or "tea" in China is an alternative meaning for tomboy, or lesbian, or whatever.

In fact, there are some 36 million to 48 million homosexuals in China. And gay culture in China has a very long long history.

So, in China, you have people saying "I am tea." Which to people who understand means "I am gay."

There are a whole list of words to describe tea terms that you may not understand; although they're not much having to do with the kind of tea we drink:
T:所谓的tomboy,指比较阳刚的女同志 (Tea meaning tomboy, referring to a particularly masculine type of "female companion").
浓茶＝涩tea＝色t (Strong tea = astringent tea = lustful tea; or lustful whatever - you get the idea).

So what do you think? Is T your cup of tea?

T in China - http://niisonge.blogspot.com/feeds/1893357814838376086/comments/default

[-] I visited the Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware on June 18. I made a special trip to Hong Kong just to go see it. And I have always wanted to see what a tea museum would be like. Ok, maybe you're thinking – “teaware museum, cool!” That's what I always thought. But it wasn't all that exciting. The whole event was anticlimactic and uneventful. There was nothing there that was really awe-inspiring.

There is some old teaware on display, or modern reproductions of ancient teaware. And the walls have displays and photos of tea preparation through the ages – written both in Chinese and English. Let me give you a tip: if you plan a trip to this museum, be sure to bring a Chinese friend along who can translate the Chinese for you. Some of the explanations in Chinese are not the same in English. There's information missing in the English translations – not that it's really important. But if you want to be accurate, then, it's helpful to have a friend along who can translate.

The lower floor has displays of ancient Chinese teaware, and a gift shop selling well, teaware, tea, and books and DVDs. The books themselves are worth a trip to the museum. It's hard to find books like these translated into English. But these ones looked pretty good. They also had some DVDs available about Chinese tea culture. But I'm not sure if they have an English track to them or not.

While I was in the museum, they showed a DVD about tea processing of Anxi Tieguanyin. But it was all in Cantonese – which, hey, is ok if you can speak Cantonese (like me). But if you can't understand, then, you really miss out on the information they present. That's why it's helpful to have a friend along who can translate.

Then, the upper floor has more display rooms, currently showing modern pieces by contemporary Hong Kong potters. But I didn't think it was really that good. It was very artsy, and a lot of the pieces looked impractical to use. They just seemed to be a collection of lots of clunky, large tea pots, and tea cups. Considering China has thousands of years of tea history, and thousands of years of teaware development, these new pieces seem unrefined, and just not in flow with the past. In short, they looked like pieces not to be used, but to be put on display. Anyway, I didn't get it. But, they did have video displays in English to discuss the pottery art, and they also did try to educate visitors about various pottery processes used to create the pieces. So maybe that is a plus.

Their display on gongfu tea didn't seem to be well-researched. Well, let's be honest here. It's not well researched. It's just a very over-simplified description. And the information they present on the origin of gongfu tea is misleading. But go to the museum and see for yourself.

To sum up, I thought I would be steeped in the tea experience. But nothing special really happened. The whole trip was kind of a bummer – until... until I got to Shenzhen and went back to Tea World. At Tea World, I bumped into some Chaozhou people, and they brewed up Fenghuang Dancong 凤凰单枞 for me. They didn't do it in the traditional Chaozhou style of gongfu tea. But they used a gaiwan method, so I could taste the true nature of the tea; and appreciate the qi of the tea. Well, they boiled 1 kettle full of water and brewed the tea from that single gaiwan of Dancong tea. Then, they boiled a second kettle of water for that same gaiwan of Dancong. I continued drinking. They boiled a third kettle of water for the same gaiwan of Dancong. I drank steep after steep after steep of the same infusion of leaf. I wasn't counting, but it must have been over 20 infusions. They were about to boil a fourth kettle of water and continue brewing the same gaiwan. But I stopped at the end of the third kettle – because A. I had to go to the washroom; and B. I got smashingly tea drunk (although I had just eaten a heavy meal of McDonald's which is right next door to Tea World). I have to say, I have never gotten tea drunk like this before in my life. It was almost a narcotic-like experience (maybe – I don't actually know what narcotics are like). But it sure felt strange – although I was still fully mentally aware. But then after that, it was much easier for other vendors to sell me their teas. I bought a bag of that Dancong for my friends to try. Maybe they will get as tea drunk as I did. And I also I bought 2 sheng puer cakes from Ban Zhang factory. I have to admit, my puer collection is pretty shameful. So I need to grow my own personal inventory.

The verdict: If you want a really good tea experience, after your trip to HK, cross the border into Shenzhen, and experience the world of tea.

Hong Kong Teaware Museum Trip - http://niisonge.blogspot.com/feeds/3034945515147600641/comments/default