All products undergo meticulous selection and are personally tasted and tested by Joey before they are made available on the shelves, ensuring customers receive the finest experience possible.
When I was young, I spent several years living with my grandfather at the foot of Mount Mengding in Ya'an, Sichuan. Mount Mengding, nestled in the "Rain City" with its gentle climate and frequent rains, often finds itself draped in clouds and mist. Beneath this natural veil, tea trees blanket the entire mountain, sustaining the livelihoods of locals. My earliest memories of tea stem from gazing at the five peaks of Mengding, a revered area known locally as the "forbidden zone," where seven "fairy teas" are encircled by stone fences and revered as the "Imperial Tea Garden."
During those times, when machinery was scarce, farmers meticulously tended to the tea plants: planting, fertilizing, covering the soil, warding off pests, and hand-picking the tea leaves. Each spring, they would fill their backpacks with freshly harvested tea and journey to the village tea market for communal sales. The market's opening spectacle, the "First Back Basket Tea," drew crowds of merchants and locals, setting records amid lively exchanges and constant chatter. This annual event marked a pivotal celebration for the community.
Though I eventually departed Mengding Mountain in Ya'an for academic and professional pursuits, my bond with tea only grew deeper. I've been fortunate to explore renowned tea gardens across China—Wuyi Mountain in Fujian, Anxi in Fujian, Dongting Mountain in Suzhou, Longwu in Hangzhou, and Wuliang Mountain in Yunnan—witnessing diverse tea-making techniques. Additionally, I've visited numerous centers of tea set craftsmanship, from Yixing in Jiangsu to Jingdezhen in Jiangxi, and from the Ding Kiln in Hebei to the Ru Kiln in Henan. The craftsmanship and variety of tea sets left a lasting impression on me.
Throughout my travels, I've forged connections with esteemed tea companies and tea set artisans, fostering intentions for future collaborations. I've quietly resolved to share the story of Mengding Mountain's "Fairy Tea" with a global audience, and to spread the rich heritage of Chinese tea culture worldwide, allowing more friends from overseas to savor authentic Chinese tea.